Chantilly race: a palatial Belle Epoque Manoir and stable yard
With its own private access to one of the most famous gallops in France, La Ferme des Aigles is an expansive, one-of-a-kind equestrian property with impeccable racing history
Location, so they say, is everything. For readers with a passion for all things equine, La Ferme des Aigles proves the point. This exceptional estate in Chantilly neighbours a racing icon – Les Aigles gallops – and does so in fine style.
“The property has a huge amount of history and it’s a unique location within Chantilly,” says owner and former racehorse trainer, John Hammond. “There are 65 boxes throughout the property and we have eight acres of land here, so while we’re in the middle of the town you feel like you’re in the French countryside.”
Seven bedroom estate in Chantilly
The Belle Epoque stable yard and principal house were built by the Rothschilds in the late 1800s in their distinctive Normandy style. Other owners of yesteryear include Texan oil magnate Nelson Bunker Hunt and a Taiwanese millionaire – from whom John bought the property in 2000. musingly, she kept her Rolls-Royce in the stable block.
The house has seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, six reception rooms and two cellars, while the stable yard features a three-bedroom duplex apartment, six staff flats and office space. Additional equestrian facilities – most were added by Hammond – include three further stable barns, a six-bay covered horse walker, a lunge ring, secure tack room, feed room, railed paddocks and staff canteen.
Incredible racing pedigree
John’s own career is interwoven with the story of the property; he’s trained GI winners in France, England, Ireland, America, Canada and Hong Kong, including Montjeu, the only French horse to win the Prix du Jockey Club, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
“We’ve got a private entrance and exit to the gallops and the training grounds. Together with our own paddocks, it’s been the perfect location to prepare for big races over the years,” he says.
La Ferme des Aigles makes a fabulous family home
As well as the hub for his career, the house at La Ferme des Aigles was for many years home to John’s family and the place where his four children all grew up. “There’s a huge amount of room in the house, with space to be together, but also for a large family to all enjoy their own personal space,” he says. The floor plan is distinctive, with three substantial staircases up to the first floor in different parts of the property. “The house very much lends itself to raising kids, that’s for sure,” John adds.
A cavernous ground-floor chamber with towering windows and a substantial fireplace is his favourite, which functions as the family living room. “We call it the ‘big room’,” explains John. “It’s got huge windows facing east, south and west. It’s at the end of the house so it gets tremendous sunlight the whole way through the day. It used to be part of a double-garage and concierge flat, but we transformed it when we moved in, and put in the windows. There’s a great symmetry to the room now and you can follow the light throughout the day.”
With La Ferme des Aigles’ pedigree as a substantial stables and racing hub, there’s huge potential for new owners to transform the property – and write a new chapter in its story. “You’ve got options to utilise space in the house and the stable block, or to further expand the stables and add more boxes,” says John. “It’s ready and waiting for someone to put their own stamp on the place.”
La Ferme des Aigles is for sale with a guide price of €4,900,000.
