In the Winter of 1980, the notorious billionaires Nelson Bunker and William Herbert Hunt conspired to deprive me and my wife of our household silver. Watching an old video and his name came at the end. A Matter of Conjecture Hunt, who left behind a multibillion-dollar fortune and Placid Oil Co., once one of the biggest independent oil companies, Nelson Bunker Hunt was one of the world's richest individuals. Of them, Nelson Bunker, who died this week, was arguably the acorn that fell closest to the oak tree. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Trained by Maurice Zilber (2-5), Charlie Whittingham at 6. 1981- Inducted in the National Racing Museum Hall of Fame. Overall, Hunt bred 158 stakes winners and either bred or owned 25 champions. But on 27 March 1980 – a date that has gone down in the annals of market disasters as “Silver Thursday” – the speculative edifice collapsed, and with it most of the Hunts’ money. At Woodbine… Youth, Nelson Bunker Hunt's 3‐yearold colt who won five stakes in France this year and was third in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, … Hunt … It was an outrageous act. 1973- European Champion 3-Year-Old. 1973-1974- England’s Horse of the Year. Learn More or Download the App, Saratoga Derby Big Mover in New Graded Stakes Listings, Four Wheel Drive to Take Spin at Turfway Park, Court Decision Rocks TVG Parent Company Flutter, CHRB Issues Half-Year Los Alamitos License With Review, Outadore to Try Dirt in Remington Springboard Mile, Plus News, Analysis, Entries, Results & Replays, Derby Runner-up Madhmoon to Stand at Haras du Saz, Pinball Wizard Heads BC Qualifying Carlos Pellegrini. Kentucky (USA) by Nelson Bunker Hunt - Pedigree: Candy Ride - In The Lea by Meadowlake. Not least, he was also a major financial backer of the 1979 film Jesus, which makers claim is the most watched movie ever – seen by 3 billion people and translated into almost every language. Hunt, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 88, was a son of oil tycoon H.L. _ Dallasite Nelson Bunker Hunt is a three-time Eclipse Award winner as the nation's leading Thoroughbred breeder (1976, 1985, 1987). Hunt was honored with Eclipse Awards as outstanding breeder in 1976, 1985, and 1987. Nelson Bunker Hunt dead: Former world’s richest man dies in 'modest circumstances' in US after losing his fortune. Bunker Hunt is well named as his dam is named Secret Obsession and that’s what Nelson Bunker Hunt, who died in 2014 aged 88, and his brothers had when it came to silver. Nelson Bunker Hunt - Thoroughbred Horse Racing. He followed with the purchase of 38 yearlings for a total $1,716,000 at Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton sales. University of Louisville Equine Industry Program - Get a Career in Horse Racing! Nelson Bunker Hunt, the Texas oilman who once tried to corner the silver market and a prominent international Thoroughbred owner-breeder, died Oct. 21 at age 88. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. His family moved to Tyler, Texas, during his youth, and finally to Dallas. Nelson Bunker Hunt built on his father's oil and gas holdings, finding a rich Libyan oil field only to have it nationalized later by Moammar Gadhafi. He was a council member of the radical rightwing John Birch Society, and funded expeditions to find the Titanic and Noah’s Ark. “I’m just trying to win a few races.”. The Texan oilman and real-life JR Ewing was a Bible-bashing racehorse owner whose ambitions matched his size, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. “I really don’t know anything,” he commented, in words that recalled his post-silver crash testimony to Congress. But even without Nelson Bunker, the epic story of the Hunts continues – indeed, it may be said to have come full circle. Vaguely Noble’s part-owner Nelson Bunker Hunt, who had extensive racing interests in France, won the 1976 Derby with his son Empery and also campaigned one of the best mares in Timeform’s experience, Dahlia (rated 135), whose victories included two wins in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Throughout his career, Bunker Hunt bred 58 stakes winners and an astounding 25 champions. Once it was East Texas, now it’s the new US petroleum El Dorado of North Dakota. Hunt at one time owned more than 600 horses and his Bluegrass Farms in Central Kentucky once totaled more than 8,000 acres, according to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. The Texan oilman and real-life JR Ewing was a … In his pomp, he owned vast acreages of oil and ranchland around the globe, as well as the Circle T Ranch, 30 miles outside Dallas. In 2012, William Herbert sold his company’s stake in the Bakken Field for $1.45bn, lifting his net wealth to an estimated $3bn or more. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Taylor ... 2007 Horse Racing Alberta 2006 WLKY 32, Louisville 2005 WAVE 3, Louisville Hunt International Petroleum, which he founded with his siblings Lamar and William Herbert, made him fabulously wealthy – at least until Muammar Gaddafi came to power and nationalised Sarir in 1973. She was sold to Allen Paulsen for US$1.1 million at the dispersal of Hunt's bloodstock in 1988. In 2001 the great jet-setting mare passed away at the age of thirty-one and was buried at the Diamond A Farm in Kentucky. Sale/Hip/Type Name, Sex, YOB Pedigree/Cover Sire Consignor/Buyer Price Status; DISNBH1988 Hip: 1 Broodmare Adept F 1979 Empery's sire was Vaguely Noble, the winner of the 1968 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe who also sired Hunt's great racing mare, Dahlia. Welcome to Equibase.com, your official source for horse racing results, mobile racing data, statistics as well as all other horse racing and thoroughbred racing information. Fines, claims and lawsuits consumed much of the Hunts’ remaining wealth. Hunt, who became one of the world’s richest men through ownership of vast portions of the East Texas Oil Field. Nelson Bunker Hunt, the Texas oilman who once tried to corner the silver market and a prominent international Thoroughbred owner-breeder, died … You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. Sliding prices for oil, land, and commodities further dented their fortunes. Exceller was bred in Kentucky by Mrs. Charles Engelhard. Hunt had an indelible effect on international racing and breeding in the 1970s and 1980s, after purchasing his first Thoroughbred in 1955. Nelson Bunker was a dyed-in-the-wool conservative who loathed communism and the federal government in equal measure. But by the end of the decade the buying had turned into a bid to corner the world market in silver whose price, following that of gold, soared in early 1980 to more than $50 an ounce. I googled it but not much...just that he was an american oil tycoon and british champion owner 73 and 74....just wanted to the top horses he owned and big races won. “A billion dollars ain’t what it used to be,” he commented amid his financial travails. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? The silver market may have cost him an immense fortune, yet for about two decades Nelson Bunker Hunt struck gold in Thoroughbred racing. Lamar, who died in 2006, was a sports entrepreneur who helped found the National Football League and was a key promoter of soccer in the US. Hunt later sold an interest in Exceller to Dr. Herbert Schnapka's Belair Stud following the horse's 5 … The United States National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) has awarded Hunt the title of "legendary owner-breeder". The Hunt wealth might have mostly vanished, but in 2000 he was still buying horses. Empery was a bay horse bred in Kentucky by his owner the Texas oil company executive Nelson Bunker Hunt. For some, Nelson was JR Ewing of the eponymous TV series made flesh. Nelson Bunker Hunt, for example, would sometimes sit with his wife, Caroline, in the Lone Star Park grandstand and watch race after race. He was also a certified Bible Belt, evangelist Christian, whose positions included chairman of the Texas Bible Society and head of the Campus Crusade for Christ International, set up to help inner cities. She was one of 158 stakes winners and 25 champions bred by Nelson Bunker Hunt. Among his horses, Hunt bred or raced Vaguely Noble, Dahlia, Empery, Youth, Exceller, Trillion, Glorious Song, Dahar and Estrapade. Residing at Nelson Bunker Hunt’s Bluegrass Farm and then Allen Paulson’s Brookside Farm, Dahlia remarkably proved as great a producer as she was a racehorse. 700,000 Paris Collection (Riverman-Margravine) Robert Bricken, agent Nelson Bunker Hunt Dispersal 1988 Broodmares/Broodmare Prospects Price Horse Pregnancy Status Purchaser Consignor Year $5,000,000 Abel Tasman (broodmare prospect) M.V. Then came a disaster beside which even the loss of the Libyan interest paled. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. At a Congressional hearing examining the silver debacle, he was asked about his wealth. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Undaunted, Hunt pressed on with other oil ventures, and diversified into profitable sidelines in cattle, mining and real estate, and as an owner of thoroughbred racehorses. Among the top horses he campaigned during his second foray into horse racing were grade II winner Seinne, grade III winners Hattiesburg and Piensa Sonando, and nine-time stakes winner Souris. In 1955, Hunt bought his first thoroughbreds and by the 1970s his breeding program had become one of the world's largest and most productive. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. The Associated Press reported Hunt died at a Dallas assisted-living center after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, his brother, W. Herbert Hunt, said. In his glory days, he owned more than 1,000 thoroughbreds in stables across the world. Bred and owned by Nelson Bunker Hunt. But his habits, by all accounts, didn’t greatly change. Each of the three brothers had special personal interests. In 1988, Nelson Bunker Hunt disbanded his stable and Dahlia was sold for $1.1 million to Allen Paulson. White Chiffon Photo Gallery. Official App. Nelson Bunker Hunt might have been born in El Dorado, Arkansas – which, come to think of it, was a pretty suitable place of origin for someone raised with money to burn – but spiritually, he was a Texan through and through, an oilman who was briefly a candidate for the title of the world’s richest man. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Owner Nelson Bunker Hunt and jockey Ron Turcotte with Dahlia after winning the Man o' War Stakes Dec. 18, 1974. The Texas Hunts are a collective legend, dating back to the wildcatter HL Hunt who made his fortune in the newly discovered East Texas oilfield in the 1920s, and along the way sired 15 children by three wives. Winner of the U.S. Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder in 1976, 1985, and 1987, he owned the 8,000-acre (3,200 ha) Bluegrass Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and raced thoroughbreds in Europe and North America. A true gentleman ---no one loved horses and thoroughbred racing more than Bunker--it was a pleasure to assist Bunker in planning the mating of his mares from 1980 on-- … Hunt’s fortune collapsed after he and his brothers tried to corner the world market … ... Nelson Bunker Hunt Dispersal $250,000: Sold: BFSJUL: 5 : Yearling: N/A D.E.J. Magnier Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for China Horse Club and Clearsky Farms 2019 After graduating from the Hill School, […] 1987 Nelson Bunker Hunt 1986 Paul Mellon 1985 Nelson Bunker Hunt 1984 Claiborne Farm 1983 E.P. He too went into oil, but this time overseas, trying and missing in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia before hitting his El Dorado in Libya in 1961, with the discovery of the immense Sarir oil deposits, still the largest field in North Africa. That day the Hunts failed to meet various margin calls, and a $7bn paper asset turned into a $1.7bn debt. The term ‘shuttle stallion’ wasn’t even invented at that time but Bunker Hunt who at one time owned over 1000 horses was a man ahead of his time and he imported Waikato Stud’s and Australasia’s first ever shuttle-stallion in Prétendre – a son of Doutelle who came within … It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Following settlement of his bankruptcy and legal problems, Hunt re-entered the Thoroughbred business in 1999 when he bought 13 2-year-olds in training at the Fasig-Tipton Texas March sale at Lone Star Park. In the early 70s the brothers began to amass vast quantities of silver futures, at first ostensibly as a hedge. Free – Google Play. Horse Racing Nation. He was 88. For the first time in a quarter-century, a Hunt, now aged 84, is back on the lists of America’s richest men. Blogs. Rating: 4.39/10 My Rating: No rating Login to rate this horse. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Search All News. By some estimates the Hunts controlled up to half the world’s deliverable silver, worth more than $7bn. Mr. Hunt developed a very successful horse breeding and racing operation on the ranch and won Outstanding Breeder awards in 1976, 1985 and 1987. Oil made the family fortune in the first place, and now oil is resurrecting that fortune. Read our full mailing list consent terms here. Nelson Bunker Hunt, Texas oil tycoon and longtime Thoroughbred owner and breeder, died Oct. 21 of congestive heart failure in Dallas. Lifetime Race Record: 48-15-3-7, $1,535,443. Had Nelson Bunker Hunt's 4‐year‐old colt been able to get through, he undoubtedly would have given Majestic Light more of a late challenge. The brothers agreed to lifetime bans from trading in commodities futures and a $10 million penalty with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which alleged that they manipulated the price of silver. Mr. Turner continued to be engaged in the development of Westlake until he sold the Circle T Ranch to Nelson Bunker Hunt in 1969. As for Nelson Bunker, his passion was racehorses. Dahlia was ridden by Ron Turcotte in the 1974 Man o’ War. His grandsire Vienna was owned and raced by Sir Winston Churchill. Download Today's Edition Dahlia was bred and owned by Nelson Bunker Hunt. His Texas-sized ambitions were matched by a Texas-size physique (he weighed 275 lbs, almost 20 stone) and Texas-sized eccentricity. Mr. Hunt was born in El Dorado, Arkansas. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. In 1993, the Circle T Ranch was sold to H. Ross Perot, Jr. William Herbert, the survivor of the trio, was deeply involved in real estate. A funeral is scheduled Friday, Oct. 24 at 11 a.m. at Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, to be followed by a private graveside service, Hunt's brother said. Background. Order This Photo. The Federal Reserve had drastically raised interest rates to fight inflation and the silver bubble burst. Of 11 foals to race, Dahlia produced six graded stakes winners — four Grade 1 winners and two Grade 2 winners, as well as a Grade 1-placed horse and a listed stakes-placed horse. As the son of legendary Texas oilman H.L. Nelson Bunker Hunt of Texas served as a member of the Council of The John Birch Society from 1976 to 1985 and then from 2007 until his passing. A year earlier, Turcotte won the Man o’ War aboard Secretariat. The son of Vaguely Noble may be the greatest horse never to win a year-end championship in the United States. She was trained by Maurice Zilber at ages 2 through 5 and at 6 by Charlie Whittingham. For all his wealth, he often travelled economy class, even using the subway on visits to New York. In 1988, Dahlia was purchased a broodmare for $1.1 by Allen E. Paulson, who would later own Cigar. Welcome to Equibase.com, your official source for horse racing results, mobile racing data, statistics as well as all other horse racing and thoroughbred racing information. His horses triumphed in more than 100 major races, including the 1976 Epsom Derby, won by the French-trained Empery with Lester Piggott aboard. He made his fortune in the oil business, and he has been involved in racing for over a half-century. Racing Hall of Fame and Canadian Racing Hall of Fame. Thoroughbred Horse Racing. 1974- Eclipse Award-Champion Turf Horse. “People who know how much they’re worth aren’t usually worth that much.”. During that period, the prominent horses bred and/or raced by Hunt were led by European Horse of the Year and influential sire Vaguely Noble, as well as champions Dahlia, Empery, Youth, Exceller, Trillion, Glorious Song, Dahar, and Estrapade. Nelson Bunker Hunt is awarded the winner's trophy after a victory for one of his horses in 1974, This undated file photo shows the billionaire brothers Herbert (left) and Nelson Bunker Hunt (AP), {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, Nelson Bunker Hunt dead: Former world’s richest man dies in 'modest, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. Can also choose to be, ” he commented amid his financial.. - in the oil business, and 1987 the subway on visits to New York solutions and! Even using the subway on visits to New York Kentucky ( USA ) by Nelson Bunker Hunt $! 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