The Thoroughbred is a innately proud horse, almost aristocratic in nature. Although there are exceptions like almost anything, the typical Thoroughbred knows he's a prince and expects to be treated like one.
They possess a fire in their hearts that other breeds do not, some people are frightened by it and others are fascinated. This fire can be traced back all the way to the very beginnings of the breed, to the three foundational sires that were imported from the Middle East. The Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian, and the Byerly Turk were named for their owners, Thomas Darley, Lord Godolphin and Captain Robert Byerly.
The Byerly Turk
This dark brown horse's story begins at the siege of Buda in Hungary in 1688. Captain Robert Byerly of the Sixth Dragoon Guards took him from a captured Turkish officer as his own. The stallion's year of birth is estimated to be 1679, but it isn't known for certain.
Captain Byerly used him as his warhorse when he was dispatched to Ireland in 1689 during the war of King William of Orange.
In the year 1690 there are records of a race meet held at Down Royal in Northern Ireland. The Silver Bell, the top prize of the meet, was won by Captain Byerly's warhorse.
Later that same year, the horse was ridden in the Battle of Boyne against the armies of King James II.
The records show that the stallion first stood at stud in England at the family seat in Middridge Grange, and then later at Byerly's Goldsborough Hall.
This stallion sired several horses, mostly daughters that became the foundation for the different "families" of the Byerly Turk.
His most influential son was Jigg, who was first described as a "middling" horse who only covered country mares. That is until his son Partner began to run his competition into the ground as a six year old. Partner became a renowned sire, but it was one of his then lesser sons, Tartar that helped carry his bloodline into the modern Thoroughbred. Tartar was the sire of King Herod.
The Darley Arabian
The Darley Arabian was purchased (or stolen, depending on where the story is read) by Thomas Darley while he was in Aleppo. He then sent him home to England to his father, Richard Darley in 1704.
The Darley Arabian was a glowing bay, with three white socks and a wide blaze on his face. He stood about 15 hands (hand= 4 inches) according to Thomas Darley's letters.
When the horse arrived in England, he went Aldby Park, the family seat of the Darley family. He stood at Aldby Park for the majority of his life.
He sired many swift runners, but two that have been the most influential were out of the mare Betty Leedes. She was sent to be bred by Leonard Childers, after he bought the colt Whistlejacket. He was so impressed by the Darley Arabian he sent her to be bred twice. The two colts, who's names were Childers and Bartlet's Childers can be found in many modern Thoroughbred's lineages. For example, Bartlet's Childers was the sire of Squirt, who sired Marske, who then sired the famous racehorse Eclipse.
Bartlet's Childers was champion sire in the year 1742. Childers (also known as the Flying Childers), who was thought to be the fastest horse the world had ever seen, was champion sire in both 1730 and 1736.
The Godolphin Arabian
Click here to read about the famous Godolphin Arabian.
References:
www.tbheritage.com
www.bloodlines.net
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