The history of Cheveley Park Stud

  • Several monarchs have owned Cheveley Park, including King Athelstan, King Canute, Edward the Confessor, William the Conqueror, Edward I and Edward II.
  • Cheveley Castle – the last castle to be built in Cambridgeshire – was built in 1341 by Sir John de Pultenay, who was Mayor of London four times.
  • Sir Henry Jermyn acquired the estate in 1650 and created the first Cheveley Park mansion, of which there is a painting by Siberecht (1682) in Belvoir Castle.
  • Cheveley Park became the centre of a great landed estate as a result of the Duke of Somerset’s purchases in the 1730’s and 1740’s.
  • The fifth Duke Of Rutland established Cheveley Park as a thoroughbred centre of note, breeding four Classic winners; he planted the tree lined avenue called Duchess Drive in memory of his wife.
  • Harry McCalmont purchased the estate in 1892 and at the time it covered some 7,800 acres, he built a large mansion which was completed in 1898.
  • Many of the stud buildings built by Harry McCalmont are used today, the most important being Isinglass’s spacious box which is now occupied by Pivotal.
  • Isinglass was bred by Harry McCalmont and was born at the stud in 1890; his record winnings were not surpassed until 1952 by Tulyar. Isinglass died in 1911, and his skeleton is in the National History Museum in London.
  • In 1975 David and Patricia Thompson purchased Cheveley Park Stud then in receivership, having dwindled down to 270 acres.
  • David and Patricia Thompson stood their Gimcrack winner, Music Boy at the stud in 1977 (against industry advice); however from 17 foals Music Boy was leading first season sire, and his progeny earned over £2.5 million. A life size bronze of Music Boy stands outside the stud office.
  • Party Politics, owned by Patricia Thompson, won the Grand National in 1992; he spent his retirement at Cheveley Park Stud.
  • Entrepreneur and Happy Valentine, consigned by Cheveley Park Stud in 1998, were the joint top lots at the Tattersalls Houghton Sale in 1998, selling at 600,000 guineas each. Entrepreneur went on to win the 2000 Guineas.
  • The ‘mighty’ Pivotal was born and bred on the stud in 1993, and was the first foal by his sire Polar Falcon. In 1996 Pivotal won the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes, as did his son Kyllachy in 2002, and his grandson Sole Power in 2010 and 2014.
  • At the end of the 2018 and 2019 seasons Pivotal was the Champion European Broodmare Sire, with nineteen individual Group/Grade 1 winners. During his stud career to date, Pivotal has sired over 150 individual Stakes winners, including 32 Group 1 winners.
  • In 2021 the stud now comprises just under 1000 acres, and continues to fly the flag for British breeding and racing.

Music Boy

Party Politics

Pivotal