Considered today as one of the breed’s elite broodmares, Amour Angus was not always so renowned. She was foaled in 1987 at Pierre Levesque’s Fermes Angus Farms in Bedford, Quebec. Her first season opened in 1989 and was highlighted by winning a Quebec Sires Stake at Blue Bonnets. Although her two-year-old season left hope for improvement, by the end of the next season Amour Angus was retired with a record of 16-5-4-3 and total earnings of $21,355

Her breeding career began almost immediately when she was paired with Quebec stallion Garland Lobell 3,1:55.3 ($345,689).

Her first foal, in 1992, was the filly Emilie Cas El 2,1:57.1f ($245,199) who quickly proved herself as a star race-filly. Not only did she close her two-year-old season with a 13-13-0-0 record and earnings of $161,569, she was named 1994 Horse of the Year by winning Standardbred Canada’s prestigious O’Brien Award. She also received their Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year award. 

The match between Amour Angus and Garland Lobell was considered to be so advantageous they were paired eleven more times in the next twelve years. Three of the foals produced during those matings were the leading sires Conway Hall 3,1:53.4 ($818,884) in 1995, Angus Hall 3,1:54.3 ($830,654) in 1996, and Andover Hall 3,1:51.3 ($870,510) foaled in 1999. Conway Hall has 793 registered foals, 461 starters with a total of over $23.5 million in earnings and 72 $100,000 winners. Of Angus Hall’s 848 registered foals, 500 have raced with over $29 million in earnings and 73 are $100,000 winners. Andover Hall, the youngest brother of the three, has sired the least amount of foals but makes up for this lack of quantity with unbridled quality. Not only has he sired millionaires (all foals of 2004) Pampered Princess 3,1:53 ($1.648 million) and Adrian Chip 3,1:54.2 ($1.125 million), but he is also responsible for the 2007 Hambletonian winner and Horse of the Year, Donato Hanover 3,1:50.1 (almost $3 million). 

Now twenty one, Amour Angus is currently owned by Walnut Hall Limited of Lexington, KY. Having produced twelve impressive foals to date, eight colts and four fillies, she is a great source of pride to Alan Leavitt, Walnut Hall’s president and general manager. Leavitt told Hoof Beats: “If you were doing a movie and asked for the most perfect Standardbred specimen, Central Casting would send you Amour Angus... She has a beautiful head, sharp eye and nice ears. She is perfectly proportioned. She is easy to work with, sensible and pleasant with the other mares, too.” Amour Angus’ influence on the harness racing world is undeniable; however her career is not over yet. Continuing to be bred regularly, there is no telling when her next champion will be foaled. 

Stats as at 4/24/08