Part of the French National Stud of St Lo (Haras National de Saint-lo) has been destroyed by fire. A rider living onsite had spotted the fire in stable block three around midnight on July 11. All 22 horses were evacuated safely, with no injuries reported by veterinarians. The fire then spread to stable number four, reports Horse & Hound.
It took 70 firefighters until 4 a.m. on July 12 to bring the blaze under control. A breeding laboratory was affected by the fire and multiple pieces of equipment were lost to the blaze, affecting two professionals who operated out of the French National Stud, which is the heart of equestrian sport in Normandy.
The French National Stud is home to 40 stallions of seven different breeds; it’s a regional tourism hotspot and is the country’s largest breeding and training facility. It is designed with eight blocks of stalls based around a central courtyard and was originally created by Napoleon to train horses used in the military.
Thus far, the stable has survived the WWII air raids that destroyed the town around it. The Normandy Horse Show, held August 5-11, is expected to run as scheduled.
Read more at Horse & Hound.
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