In June 2009, the two brothers Benoît and Thomas Jeffroy took on the family race horse stud farm developed by their father Bernard at Plounevez du Faou, in Finistère, not far from the Pointe du Raz. It’s the grand-father, Robert, a cattle dealer, who had started to get interested in horses taking on 2 or 3 brood mares. Then Bernard got the activity bigger. He started by buying his 1st filly at Deauville in 1987, the very small Texan Beauty (15,35 hands), Vaygrann’s daughter, a stallion that he liked, reaching an amicable agreement about a price of 20.000 francs. Already good at racing, Texan Beauty became a great brood mare with only 5 products, all winners and who earned 768.000 €. She had the everlasting Quinté horse Chêne d’Or (13 victories!), the very good Texan Heros (7 victories) and Texalouna (1 victory) but mainly Texalina, winner of the Prix Saint-Roman (Gr.3) and Hexane, 2nd of the Prix de Sandringham (Gr.3).

The Jeffroys kept the 3 daughters now broodmares, but Hexane’s “taking back” hasn’t been that simple. Actually, she had been sold at racing to Jean-Louis Bouchard, who sold her back in the United States. The Jeffroys went twice to the Keeneland sales to buy her back but the mare was in the end absent from the catalogue! The 3rd trial was the good one, with a decisive bet at 30.000 $. She was then in foal of a young American stallion: Sunday Break. She was then carrying the future Never On Sunday, who was the first foal coming to the world with the help of Benoît Jeffroy himself.

Gone for training at Jean-Claude Rouget, Never On Sunday won the Prix du Prince d’Orange (Gr.3) at 3 year-old, then reached the top at his victory in the Prix d’Ispahan (Gr.1) at 4 year-old in spring 2009.

Amongst his broodmares, the SCEA (Société Civile d'Exploitation Agricole ; French agricultural development company) des Prairies is working on other stocks, in particular Milisa (1/2 sister of Green Groom by Anabaa), Belle Alicia (3/4 sister of Chichicastenango), Popée (placed in listed). Benoît Jeffroy recently got Debby, Dinarobin’s mother (1st of the Derby de l’Ouest, listed) and Anna, placed of Gr.3, from the Best of the Bests’ family.

Besides, Bernard Jeffroy raised Magic Poline (with his 2 sons), recently placed of a listed at Auteuil, Kersimon, winner of listed at Deauville, Une Pivoine, placed in a listed etc... Since 1994, the stud produces every year at least one winner or placed of listed or group.


The Prairies stud farm stretched on 519 acres in the most watered part of the Finistère (472 inches of precipitation per year). Young stock is raised outside all year long. In view of the geographic distance, the broodmares are set in the stud where they are covered in spring. Great international stallions are often used for the 3rd covering season, which is why the Jeffroys could use stallions like Pivotal or Montjeu.

The silty-clay lands are by nature heavy. They also feed 350 Limousine milking cows. Bernard Jeffroy keeps an intense cattle dealer activity, negotiating around 400 cattle per week.