OPEN DAY SATURDAY 25th FEBRUARY 2012

In 1993, Sophie Rousselle, a vet products sales person, and Jean-Claude Werle, both from Paris area, decide to invest and buy 123 acres in Sable Sur Sarthe: 7 boxes, sheds, large paddocks. The investment also involves the purchase of a broodmare: Prima Dei Fiori. Her first foal is a Gairloch filly, named Prima Girl.
Sophie Rousselle enjoys more and more the game and gets into the adventurous racing world: she applies for her amateur rider and trainer licence. Sophie will win her first race as a jockey with Prima Girl at Plouescat, a racetrack on the beach. Huge works are undertaken in a clayish land, which does not make things easier. They build a lunging ring, a walker, a 6f gallops and an arena.
In the meantime, Prima Dei Fiori produces 5 winners including 4 fillies who will stay at stud at la Barbottiere !... They also buy Fabuleuse Histoire (Fabulous Dancer).

In 2000, Sophie Rousselle and Jean-Claude Werle decide to move permanently to Barbottière to develop a breaking and pre training center and also keep some land for breeding. They will use the suffix "Prima" (in reference to their 1st mare) and "de Vaige" (in reference to the river across the property) for the foals. Stephane, son of Jean-Claude, who took his NH jockey's licence again and won with Prima Boy (by Turgeon ex Prima Dei Fiori) at Nantes, is a major support in organising the yard and the stud.
Then, they buy an extra 185 acres and keep improving the yard to board horses. The Barbottière becomes a registered company where Stephane is the director, Sophie, the manager. Jean-Claude and Sophie's son, Antoine Werle, is an apprentice jockey at Henri-Alex Pantall's stables.
The Barbottiere produces its barley, oats and hay, also available for sale.

At the end of October 2010, Pascal Noue (Haras de la Hetraie) offers Sophie Rousselle, Jean-Claude and Stephane Werle, to stand two stallions at the Barbottiere. They accept the challenge and more work is underway to welcome APSIS and GREAT PRETENDER: a new yard, independant from the pre-training stables, and a covering shed. Everything is organised to suit the breeders and facilitate access. In 2012, the team even gets bigger as Satri and Monitor Closely join Great Pretender in the stallion barn.

Two full time employees are also part of the team: Caroline and Marie-Elisabeth. La Barbottiere allow students to come for work experience all year long.


296 acres
30 boxes
2 foaling boxes separated by a night watch room
foaling belts
stocks
16 yards lunging ring
6 horses covered walker, 19 yards
tack room
sand arena

6f sand gallops
starting stalls
3 1/2 f jump gallops
1 rubber track around the walker with removable jumps
6 lined up hurdles on rubber track
shed for weanling (in every night)

Prices (excl. VAT)
Breaking In / Pre Training: €21€ /day
Resting (paddock): €10 / day
Resting (box): €13€ / day
Foaling Fee: €200