Dunrovin Home of Couple Who Became Dissatisfied with Roaming Around: Upon Retirement, H. H. Temple, Railroad Executive, and Wife Founded Nursery, Daily Racing Form, 1942-05-18

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Dunrovin Home of Couple Who Became Dissatisfied With Roaming Around Upon Retirement, H. H. 4 Temple, Railroad Executive, And Wife Founded Nursery LEXINGTON, Ky., May 16. There is a .story behind the name of H. H. Temples Dunrovin Farm, a story of a hard-working railroad man who chose to spend his years in retirement in Kentucky breeding thoroughbred race horses. In 1931 Temple retired from business. For thirty-five years he and his wife had traveled all over this country to points where his duties as executive of a big railroad called him. He and his wife became fed up with travel. As Kentuckys blue grass section had fascinated them, Temple decided to come here and become a horse breeder. A good undulating farm of 100 acres on the northern edge of Fayette County was purchased. The name for the place was debated for several weeks. Finally, Mrs. Temple, happy in her new home, suggested, "Since were not going to travel any more and are going to make this a permanent home, lets name it Dunrovin. " Temple readily agreed. Grief Giyes Way to Joy Temple bought four mares, Tyche, Lpw Shoes, Midsolea and Little Casino. The next spring they were mated with different stallions, and in 1932 came the first crop of thoroughbreds at Dunrovin. Tyche produced Peter Pumpkin, who went on to win sixteen races. Low Shoes dropped Tulip Time, winner of nine races, and Midsolea foaled Golden Throne, winner of thirteen races. "I never shall forget our first winner," recalls Temple. "My son,-H. H., Jr., who trains our horses, took our first foals they were then two-year-olds to Hot Springs. We wanted an older horse to go with the string of colts, so our son gave ,500 for a good old horse named Rally Round. "A few days after he bought Rally Round, a runaway horse ran into him while he was galloping, injuring him so badly we had to destroy him. Quite a loss, it was. A lot of discouragement, too. "The next day Peter Pumpkin was up to race. We were blue. We had lost Rally Round and it didnt look as if Peter Pumpkin had a chance. That little fellow fooled all of us. He won and paid 75. He was the first foal we bred and he had won his first race." Chuckle Best Winner to Date Temple has bred almost twenty-five thoroughbreds at Dunrovin. The best to date is the bay filly Chuckle, now a three-year-old, by Haste, and out of Tyche. There is a touch of romance connected with Chuckle. Temple put her up at auction here as a yearling in 1940, but when only 75 was bid on her he refused to sell. He took her back to Dunrovin and put her in his racing stable in 1941. After the bay filly proved she had possibilities, she was claimed. Last year, although a trifle unsightly because of her chuckle head, Chuckle won seven races and 4,325. In the Autumn Day Stakes she whipped Chiquita Mia and Ficklebush, the latter winner of the Selima Stakes. She also won the Salem Stakes and was third to Colchis in the Richard Johnson Stakes. Tyche, the dam of Chuckle and Peter Pumpkin, is still the top brood mare at Dunrovin. Now fourteen, she has a bay filly foal by Hairan. She has been, bred to Haste, the sire of Chuckle. Tries to Make Hobby Pay Temple is in the sport more or less for the fun of it, but, good businessman that he is, he tries to make the hobby pay for itself. He operates on a modest scale. Besides Tyche, he has the brood mares Wil-bank, Overlay, Sun Suite and Catty Hill. Also at Dunrovin are kept Little Empress, owned by Joe Hall, and Mary Cloud and Kitty Drew, owned by Joe Homan. Overlay is being bred to Carrier Pigeon, Little Empress to Carrier Pigeon, Sun Suite to Agrarian, Wilbank to Sweeping Light, Catty Hill to Big Pebble, Mary Cloud to Sceneshifter, and Kitty Drew to Infinite. Little Empress, a stake winner, has a bay colt foal by Stagehand, and Sun Suite, a winner, has a bay filly foal by Count Gallahad. This year the Temple racing stable includes three two-year-olds: Flashlight, bay colt, by Sweeping Light Tyche; Igo Boom, chestnut colt, by Bold Venture Disillusioned, and Als Gal, bay filly, by Alfred the Great Wilbank. Temple believes there is no happier way to spend retirement years than around thoroughbreds.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1940s/drf1942051801/drf1942051801_3_3
Local Identifier: drf1942051801_3_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800