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christopher chenery, german derby, german wartime racing, gestut erlenhof, nordlicht, travertine, us army remount
La Branche Plantation in Louisiana is the final resting place of Nordlicht, one of the great German racehorses of the mid-20th century. Bred by Gestut Erlenhof, Nordlicht (chestnut horse 1941-1968, by Oleander x Nereide, by Laland) was unbeaten, with his victories including the Derby in both Germany and Austria.
Confiscated as a “spoil of war” by the US Army in 1945, Nordlicht was exported to the States and was sold at auction by the Army Remount Service in Virginia for $20,300 to a syndicate that included Christopher Chenery, owner of The Meadow and breeder of champions Hill Prince, Cicada, Riva Ridge, and Secretariat.
Chenery bred the first winner by the German Derby winner, the 2-year-old Nordoff, winner at Aqueduct on June 13, 1950.
Despite his outstanding race record in Europe, Nordlicht was a dismal failure at stud in the US. From 102 foals, the stallion sired two stakes winners: Cartagena and Travertine, both geldings.
Of the two, Travertine was the more successful, winning 16 races and $107,045. His best efforts came as a second in the San Felipe and a third in the Santa Anita Derby in 1954, then won the Peninsula Handicap the following year.
Chenery also bred Travertine, but Dormar Stable claimed him at 2 for $8,000. After Travertine showed massively improved form in the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby the next season, Dormar sold him for $23,500 at a paddock sale at Santa Anita in 1954 to Travis Kerr, for whom Travertine won the Peninsula.
In between Travertine’s birth and his greatest success, the gray gelding’s sire had moved from Virginia to Louisiana. Walter Mattingly had acquired the stallion and stood him at Idle Hour Farms in Kenner, La., eventually buried him at La Branche Plantation.
Aside from apparently siring a lot of horses with a bad case of the slows, the principal difficulty in using Nordlicht as a breeding animal is that the Jockey Club refused to register him. This was not rare among the offspring of horses “sold” to the Nazis at gunpoint or believed to have too strong ties to members of the German elite, but in the case of Nordlicht, his offspring were registered for racing purposes.
bloodstock in the bluegrass 
Really interesting, Frank. By the way, did you know that Ksar, sire of Tourbillon, came to stand in Virginia? He came as an aged sire to Abe Hewitt’s Montana Hall Stud. Cynthia’s grandfather, Charles Colt, was visiting Abe–they had gone to prep school and Harvard together–and told me the horse looked awful when he arrived.
Sid,
That’s a fascinating personal insight. Hewitt imported (or was involved in importing) a couple more really interesting horses … including Teddy and Belfonds, a major filly classic sire who wasn’t much in the States. Teddy, of course, was a star, although old and fairly decrepit.
I think you’ve got a Colt – Hewitt post in you!
Frank
Frank,
Interesting tale. I wonder who raced him and whether they were ever compensated for the stallion’s ‘annexation’ by the Nazis. Reparations were made to at least some of those whose wealth in the form of art, jewelry etc was confiscated in war-time Germany and occupied territories. I wonder if that was extended to confiscated animals?
Talking about imports, Australians are always fascinated with the Phar Lap saga, but I always found Noholme II’s story just as interesting: that he was a full brother to the outstanding Todman, Skyline etc. and his owner sold him to the US so he would not compete with his other Star Kingdom line stallions standing in Oz Of course, Noholme made something of an impression here through Nodouble, Shecky Greene etc. and some nice daughters/dams.
This reminds me that ebay refuses to sell Nazi items on its website. As if Nazi ribbons or a German bred horse should be punished per se.
Nordlicht (North Light) was bred in/by the German State Stud. He was undefeated in 1943 and 1944. In 1944 he was the German Horse (Stallion) of the year.
He was never recognized by the Jockey Club not because he was confiscated by the Germans (he was not) but because his owner when he raced was listed as Adolf Hitler. The mares bred to him were not top quality. The foals could be registered for racing only, not for breeding.
Kevin,
I had one source that claimed Nordlicht was Hitler’s horse, but it wasn’t something I could confirm. And what does that mean?
Does your source elaborate on the connection or whether this was “state ownership” or something more personal?
Inquiring minds want to know, and there are a lot of ’em, since we’re punching 300 hits today!
I will start researching through my papers/web for the exact source(s). If memory serves me correct the ownership was an “Honorary Ownership”. If the horse was state or privately owned I can not say with certainty.
I came across the “Nordlicht” Jockey Club information, non-registration, when looking into the Irish Stallion North Light. I later then stumbled on the ownership issue on a military web site.
Will get back to you ASAP, Kevin
FRank and Kevin:
In the book “Nazi Plunder” by Kenneth D. Alford, there is a vivid passage of how Nordlicht came to the US, and it very much follows Frank’s timeline except for one fact, which support’s one of Kevin’s contentions: That he was bred, in 1945, to mares at Altefeld, in Germany.This “national” stud farm was where, for example, Brantome had been brought; according to the book, Nordlicht was discovered there by Col. Fred Hamilton, head of the US Army Remount Branch. By all accounts, the chestnut was a specimen. You can read the account here http://bit.ly/aKJfoz
Obviously, he was not confiscated by the Germans — he was a “spoil” of war, confiscated by the US Army.
My guess is that IF he did run once under Hitler’s name, it was ceremonial– perhaps in the Austrian Derby. There is nothing to suggest that Hitler ever owned racehorses.
If the JC did not register his foals, it could have been for a number of reasons, including not having an original passport for the horse and proper papers—which may well have been lost in war time. Certainly, it would have been next to impossible to positively identify the horse.
Frank, Kevin, one other point. The horse was bred and raced by Gestut Erlenhof, which was owned by the wealthy Baron Thyssen, an Austro-Hungarian sympathtic to the Nazis. By the beginning of 1945, with things bad in Germany and the Allies advancing, Baron Thyssen may have fled Germany—I read somewhere once that he did— and Nordlicht may have been placed with the “national” stud at Altefeld.
Frank, the Baron’s sister was Countess Margit Batthyany—the famous breeder, who, among others, bred Caro.
Great story, Sid.
As you know, I always love the german blood. More for broodmares, but Monsun is showing that they can – at these days – also goes well on the top line.
Shirocco is coming as a shuttle stallion to Brazil, next season.
Nordlicht- I have found over twenty plus articles, mentions, etc, of this stallion. The ownership pertaining to Adolf Hitler is always mentioned as, believed to be owned, reported to be owned, reputed to be owned, etc, etc. I have not found one definitive, fact based proof of ownership.
Through the years when chancing upon this horse in research, (of the stallions North Light, Raffie’ Majesty, etc), I must have made the assumption without malice that Adolf Hitler was the owner. Well, I know to well when one assumes, one can not forget the risk of being just the first three letters of the word assume.
One point of reference, in his German Race Records, the breeder is always listed as Gestut Erlenhof, the owner is listed as Gestut Erlenhof. In references found to his Austrian Derby win, the breeder is listed as Gestut Erlenhof but I can find no reference to the listed owner. In addition, though not the particular sale of Nordlich, I found newspaper references to various sales conducted at that time by the United States that mention Hitler’s name in reference to the items at auction, not to mean they were actually owned by him.
Perhaps there lays the basis of the ownership question.
I now know a heck of a lot more about thoroughbreds, thoroughbred racing in war time Europe then I think I wanted to know, maybe then I need to know but, overall I have been enlightened.
Kevin
PS: I can not find that article that mentions the Honorary Ownership. I know I read it, can’t remember when or where. In future times when I am obsessed, I’ll continue to look for it.
Always enjoy “Bloodstock in the Bluegrass” but this one will be with me for a long time.
It’ always amazing to me that foreigners, especially US-citizens, do know very little about Germany and the Nazi-times – even after some 60 years.
Yes, it’s rumoured that Hitler was the owner of Nordlicht. But this is definitely not true.
The origin of this tale is: Baron Heinrich v. Thyssen, who as many German industrial magnates was “close” to the Nazi party, once publicly proclaimed: “We should dedicate this horse to the Führer!” And so the legend was in the world and remained there till today.
As “deutsche Ordnung” and bureaucracy were striking traits of Nazi-regime it is most unlikely that Nordlicht became Hitler’s personal property: there must be papers to prove that – and there aren’t.
In 1944, the “Deutsches Derby”, then named “Großer Deutschland-Preis der Dreijährigen” and won by Nordlicht, was run at June, 25th (less than 3 weeks after D-Day in Normandy! 5 days after Graf Stauffenberg failed to kill Hitler in his headquarter Wolfsschanze). Do you really think that “Führer” had any thoughts on racing and such follies in these days after he hadn’t shown the slightest interest in racing and sport in general before?
The Derby 1944 was run at Berlin-Hoppegarten instead of its traditional place at Hamburg. Surprisingly there still was racing in Germany in Summer 1944 – although the meetings only took place at Hoppegarten, Dresden, Leipzig. In the official racing-calendar of that year the “Gestüt Erlenhof” (owner: Baron H. Thyssen) is mentioned as Nordlicht’s owner. Later that year Nordlicht won the “Großer Preis von Wien” = Austrian Derby at Vienna.
There was a „Großer Preis von Baden“ in 1944, run in Hoppegarten, too. The winner was Ticino (owner: Gestüt Erlenhof = Baron H. Thyssen).
Actually Hitler never visited a racetrack – although his “clansmen” and parvenus Goebbels and Goering enjoyed the glamour of racing and liked to use racetracks as a public stage to celebrate their own “popularity”, “grandezza” and to act as “grand seigneurs”. Ironically, in the 1930ties the level of German TB-breeding and racing was very high (Nereide, Alchimist, Ticino, Schwarzgold) and racing was were popular.
After the German victory over France in 1940 tb-studs were founded by the State Department (v. Ribbentropp), “Wehrmachtshauptgestüt” (Army), “Ahnenerbe” (= Himmler’s SS), Isarland (founded by “tricky acquisitions” of the corrupt, ruthless, local Nazi-party-member, C. Weber) … these “Lords of own grace” already made plans for personal pastime after a victorious war. Most of the foundation horses of these studs were “acquired under wartime circumstances ” / requested in Normandy in 1941/1942 (Boussac, French owners of Jewish origin, Aga Khan, Lord Derby, …).
All of these horses and most of their progeny surviving the war were repatriated –the commission that was founded to organize the repatriation took as much as they could – even tried to get horses that were legally acquired by private German owners in 1941 (“the winner takes it all”). So horses like Bramouse, Kaiserwürde or Morning Breeze (acquired in 1938 at Newmarket December Sales!), were to the dismay of the Allies not part of these war-time spoils.
After the war 2 Americans tried to make some money out of the rumour concerning Nordlicht, acquired him and intended to exhibit him in road-shows in the US. But this venture failed as no one in the US wanted to see this horse.
There is another sire that found his way to the US under strange circumstances after 1945: Athanasius.
A French bred son of Nordlicht named Fils de Roi won the Grand Prix de Deauville. Fils de Roi’s son Soyeux took the same race. So the French bred progeny of Nordlicht was obviously registered for breeding, too.
It is “rumoured” that Nordlicht was owned by Hitler – but there are no convincing evidences for this.
Nordlicht should have gotten his myth of being the “Pferd des Führers” as Baron Heinrich v. Thyssen, who as many German industrial magnates in these times was “close” to the Nazis, once publicly proclaimed: “We should dedicate this horse to the Führer!” Whether this was really done is doubtful, but the legend was in the world and remained there till today.
As “deutsche Ordnung” and bureaucracy were striking traits of Nazi-regime it is most unlikely that Nordlicht was Hitler’s personal property: there must be papers to prove that – but there aren’t.
Actually, Hitler never visited a racetrack – this in spite of his “clansmen” Goebbels and Goering. These parvenues enjoyed the glamour of racing and often used racetracks as a public stage to celebrate themselves in their most liked role as “grand seigneurs”. Ironically, in the 1930s the level of German TB-breeding and racing was quite high (Nereide, Alchimist, Ticino, Schwarzgold) and racing was very popular.
After Germany’s victory over France in 1940 tb-studs were founded by the State Department (v. Ribbentropp), “Wehrmachtshauptgestüt” (Army), “Ahnenerbe” (= Himmler’s SS), Isarland (founded by “tricky acquisitions” of a typical corrupt, ruthless, local Nazi-party-member, C. Weber) … these “Lords of own grace” already made their plans for private pastime after a victorious war. Most of the foundation horses of these studs were “acquired under war-time conditions” / requested in Normandy in 1941/1942 (Boussac, Volterra and other French owners of Jewish origin, Aga Khan, Lord Derby, …).
Besides these acquisitions, which were all repatriated with their progeny that had survived the war (and more: the Allied Commission tried to get as much as possible), there had been legal acquisitions of private German breeders in France in 1941 – f.e. Bramouse, Kaiserwürde. These horses and their progeny were not “repatriated” – although the Allied Commission tried to do so. Morning Breeze, tap-root-dam of Monsun, was bought at the 1938 Newmarket December Sales.
In 1944, the German Derby won by Nordlicht, then named “Großer Deutschland-Preis der Dreijährigen” to avoid the English word “Derby”, was run on June 25th (less than 3 weeks after D-Day in Normandy, 25 days before Graf Stauffenberg failed to assassinate Hitler in his East-Prussian headquarters). Do you really believe that “Führer” had any thoughts on racing and such follies in these days after he had never shown the slightest interest in racing before?
The Derby of 1944 was run at Berlin-Hoppegarten instead of its traditional place at Hamburg. Surprisingly there still was racing in Germany in Summer 1944 – although the meetings only took place at Hoppegarten, Dresden, Leipzig. In the official racing-calendar of that year the “Gestüt Erlenhof” (owner: Baron H. Thyssen) is mentioned as Nordlicht’s owner. Later that year Nordlicht won the “Großer Preis von Wien” = Austrian Derby at Vienna).
There was a „Großer Preis von Baden“ in 1944, run in Hoppegarten too. The winner was Ticino (owner: Gestüt Erlenhof = Baron H. Thyssen).
Nordlicht has the same dam-line as Nebos, bred by Countess Margit Batthyany-Thissen-Bormenitza, a relative of Baron H. v. Thissen.
Another German sire found his way to the US in the “spoils of war”: Athanasius – also bred at Erlenhof Stud by Baron H. v. Thissen.
Greetings from Germany!
Some investigation revealed drf reported in May 1952 that Nordlicht will be flown back to France so he can be registered in the French Stud Book and later be returned to this country. As aforementioned Fils de Roi was bred in 1953 he was most probably conceived by Nordlicht during his short stay in France.
In May the following year announcement was made that Nordlicht and two other German stallions covering in the US Samurai and Athanasius were accepted for the American Stud Book.
The Jockey Club reported:
“It now appears that, after an extensive investigation had been made in Germany and elsewhere, the French Stud Book Commission decided to accept the German Stud Book as property kept through 1943, and that Nordlicht (foaled in 1941), having been sent from this country to France, has now been registered in the French Stud Book. He is eligible for registration in the American Stud Book.”
To Frank Richter:
Thanks for the explanation, which goes a long way to understanding the situation; but if you had taken the time to read my responses before yours, you will note that I mentioned the Erlenhof owner, Baron Thyssen, and also noted that his sister was Countess Margit Batthyany–most famous as breeder of Caro.
To Frank Richter:
For the information of others, too, Nebos, mentioned by Frank, was a son of Caro.
Nebos and Nordlicht were indeed from the same family, which was actually cultivated in Italy by Federico Tesio. You will note that Nordlicht’s third dam is a half–sister to Nogara—dam of Nearco.
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