Arthur B. Hancock Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 24, 1910 Bourbon County, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | September 14, 1972(1972-09-14) (aged 62) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Resting place | Paris Cemetery, Kentucky |
| Education | Princeton University Woodberry Forest School St. Mark's School |
| Occupation | Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder |
| Known for | Claiborne Farm |
| Spouse | Waddell Walker (1914–2005) |
| Children | Sons:Arthur III,Seth W. Daughters: Nancy Clay, Waddell Walker |
| Parent(s) | Arthur B. Hancock Nancy Clay |
| Awards | Hall of Fame inductee (2016) |
Arthur B. "Bull" Hancock Jr. (January 24, 1910 – September 14, 1972) was abreeder and owner ofthoroughbred racehorses atClaiborne Farm inParis, Kentucky,United States. He acquired European horses to breed in the United States, in particularNasrullah andPrincequillo, and gained great standing in the racing world as a result.
Hancock was born on January 24, 1910, toArthur B. Hancock and Nancy, née Clay, atClaiborne Farm. He was educated at two prep schools:St. Mark's School inMassachusetts andWoodberry Forest School inVirginia. He graduated fromPrinceton University in 1933.[1] DuringWorld War II, Hancock served as a major in theUnited States Army Air Forces.[2]
From age six, Hancock began to learn the horse business from his father, sweeping sheds and shaking empty stalls.[3] In 1957, Hancock inherited Claiborne, a 2,873 acrestud farm nearParis, Kentucky, and concentrated on breeding major winners and importing European stallions. Wanting a son of the greatNearco, in partnership withWilliam Woodward Sr. andHarry F. Guggenheim, he purchased theIrish stallionNasrullah. Hancock and his partners then syndicated Nasrullah, who siredBold Ruler and who in turn was the leading sire in North America eight times and whose progeny includedU.S. Triple Crown winner,Secretariat. During his career at stud, Nasrullah sired 98 stakes winners in all and was theleading sire in North America five times.[4] Hancock also importedPrincequillo, who sired Secretariat's dam,Somethingroyal, and was the leading sire twice andleading broodmare sire in North America eight times. In addition, Hancock bred and stoodRound Table, syndicatedNijinsky II, and managed the career ofBuckpasser.[5]
While under Hancock's control, Claiborne Farm grew to roughly 6,000 acres. Hancock bred 112 stakes winners in the Claiborne name and was also an advisor to prominent outside clients, including thePhipps family andWilliam Woodward Sr. Claiborne bred at least one champion each year during this period, including five years when the farm produced as many as four divisional champions. Hancock also bred four European champions, includingNureyev andArc de Triomphe winnerIvanjica. ChampionsMoccasin,Nadir,Doubledogdare, andBayou also raced under the Claiborne colors. Claiborne was America's top breeder in earnings in 1958, 1959, 1968, and 1969 under Hancock's direction.[6]
During Hancock's era, Claiborne was the birthplace of thirty-two champions that raced for outside clients, including Hall of Fame membersKelso,Nashua, Bold Ruler,Round Table,Cicada,Buckpasser andRiva Ridge.[6] Hancock had plans forSham, whom he called "my great horse",[7] but he died when the horse was two. To keep the breeding stock, the estate sold all the racing stock, and Sham went toSigmund Sommer, who raced the horse against Secretariat during the Triple Crown in 1973.[8]
Hancock was the first working horseman elected toThe Jockey Club. He was also president of the American Thoroughbred Breeders Association and vice president of the American Thoroughbred Owners Association. He was crucial in merging those two organizations in 1961 into theThoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. He was a director and trustee at Keeneland, a director of Churchill Downs, a member of theKentucky Horse Racing Commission, a director of the Grayson Foundation, and a founding member and director of the Thoroughbred Breeders of Kentucky in which role he played a part in establishing the American Horse Council.[6]
In 1999, theRacing Post named him at number 12 in their 100 Makers of 20th-century horse racing.[9]
In August 1972, Hancock fell ill whilehunting inScotland. He died a few weeks later ofpancreatic cancer atVanderbilt University Medical Center inNashville, Tennessee.[10] He was buried in theParis Cemetery in Kentucky. His widow established the A. B. Hancock Jr. Memorial Laboratory for Cancer Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.[11]
Racing journalist Peter Willett said, "Bull was the biggest man, physically speaking, in the thoroughbred industry of his day, and towered above most of his contemporaries in professional ability and the dominance of his personality."[9]
In 2016, Hancock was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame as a Pillar of the Turf.[6]