The French breeding of Thoroughbreds ranks fourth or fifth in the world for its quality. It is placed in a leading group made up of Great Britain, Ireland, the United States, and Argentina. In France, Basse-Normandie is the main breeding region for Thoroughbreds, particularly around the Haras National du Pin in the Orne department. The heart of the Pays d'Auge, like the Haras des Étincelles in Mesnil-Simon in the Calvados department (photo), is also a renowned breeding area. In 2017, 2,975 foals were born in Normandy and registered there out of a total of 5,535 national registrations.