The creation of the Haras du Taillis dates back to 1968. Ernst and Dora Wenger then bought the farm in ruins and surrounded by sixty acres in the small town of Heugon, at the north eastern tip of the Orne department, almost adjoining the Eure. They wanted to develop a thoroughbred breeding operation and were adamant that this should be in Normandy.

They successfully took on the complete refurbishment of the Taillis and gradually expanded the farm and which now covers one 240 acres of pastures with ninety available boxes.

 

In 1998 Bernhard and Anne-Margrethe Wenger took on the management of Taillis and fully embracing their new career as a breeder.

 

Ernst Wenger himself had always owned a construction company in Switzerland and was never able to devote all his time to the stud. A huge fan of racing, he was the first person to win a race in France with a Swiss bred horse, namely the talented BELLA who won at Longchamp and at Chantilly at two. Before his death in 2001 he was responsible for the mating of the very good filly MUSICAL WAY who showed her ability at the highest level. Today, she has become the mother of MIKKI QUEEN, winner of 2 Gr.1 in Japan and elected best 3 years old filly there in 2015.

 

To this day MUSICAL WAY is the best filly to have been bred at Taillis followed by DARTAGNAN D’AZUR.

 

Bernhard Wenger and his wife Anne-Margrethe, who oversees the breaking and if necessary the pretraining of young horses, are both working on achieving even better results in the years to come.

With the help of their employees they are in charge of sixty mares, a good half of which belongs to a largely European clientele.