Photos: €26m French chateau and stud farm bought by Manchester City's owner

The billionaire owner of English football club Manchester City has purchased a French chateau and stud farm for a reported €26 million.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who is part of the Emirati royal family and is understood to be a horse-racing enthusiast, purchased the Normandy property on December 26. 

The purchase was made via the Al Wathba Stud company in Abu Dhabi which Sheikh Mansour also owns and was announced by his lawyer Édouard Vitry on December 31.

The sheikh also owns a nearby stable in Mesnil-Roger (Orne) through the company.

His newly-acquired 16-room chateau is located in Neuvy-au-Houlme (Orne). Built in the 18th century it predates the stud farm but was fully renovated in 2015.

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Prestigious farm

Le Haras de Fresnay le Buffard is a renowned stud farm created in 1903 which has produced numerous champion horses, and has been owned by breeders including Marcel Boussac and Stavros Niarchos.

In 1967, Queen Elizabeth II - another horse enthusiast - visited the property to admire the champion thoroughbreds produced.

The estate also has 240 hectares of land which includes more than 200 hectares of pasture for horses and 12 hectares of parkland. 

Recent improvements to equine aspects of the property have seen its paddocks reseeded and a regular rotation of cows used to keep pastureland in peak condition year-round.

It comes with two other luxury buildings on the land - La Haute Côte and La belle Étoile -together with 23 further dwellings to accommodate staff and guests.

Photos of the main buildings and grounds of the property can be seen in the Facebook post below. 

Further photos of the property can be seen on the property listing here, although now the purchase has been completed the listing may soon be removed.

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