Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-11-06
EARLY TENNESSEE TURF HISTORY.
BY ALBION IN THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES,
1877

BY ALBION IN THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES, |
1877.
The first thoroughbred stallion that
ever stood in Tennessee was Grey Med
ley. He was foaled in 1871, bred by
Governor Benjamin Williams, of Vlr-
ginia, and was sold by him to DR.. Il. -.
Barry, of Summer county, Tennessee.
He reached the latter State the latter
part of 1888, or early in $500. He was
described as a beautiful dapple-grey, of
exquisite symmetry, and very remarka-
bic power and constitution, rather I'M
der-Size, being scarcely ID hands high,
but his speed, endurance, and excellent
limbs made him decidedly an acquisi-
ton to the thoroughbred interests of the
then new State. He made quite an Inl-
preston upon the growing turf interests
of the South and West, and among
Others that may proudly claim him in
the ancestral line was the celebrated
Thomson family.
Madame Tonson was a granddaughter
of Grey Medley, and she produced the
four famous sons. we'll known in their
day as the -Four Tennessee Brothers,
Monsieur TonSon, Sir Richard Ton
son, Sir Henry Tonson and Cham
pion, all by General Andrew Jack
sons distinguished horse, Pacolet,
These four great sons were ample to
have forever settled the fame of Madame
Tonson, for they conquered the best
horses of their time, in the hardest con-
tests, at all distances. The pedigree of
Madame Tonson was alleged to be short,
for she was by Top Gallant (the son of
imported Diomed), out of Il daughter of
Grey Medley, and she out of an Oscar
(imported) mare, and she out of
daughter of imported Fearnaught, giving
to Madame Tonson only three crosses,
and her famous sons four. She had
four crosses and her sons five. Sir
Henry Tonson had all of the courage,
strength and speed of the other three
brothers !; but he contracted disease of
the throat, that effected his wind and
impaired his usefulness upon the turf at
an early age. Heat races were the
fashion then, none Others were run
scarcely, and he could not stand heats
with his affected wind. He was. how
ever. too much for the elder brother,
Sir Richard, in a dash at any distance,
and proved this in the only contest they
We're ever engaged in, which occurred
at Nashville, in the fall of lS2S. Sir
Henry was owned by the lIonrable
Bale Peyton, then the young but rising
statesman and turfman of that section.
! He was fond of the turf, but especially
fond of his fine horse. Sir Henry in
herited his color a beautiful dapplcd-
grey, from the Medley or Gimcrack fam
! lily, and the brothers evidently got their
| splendid, hard, ilnty limbs, with large,
| Hat bones, strong tendons of great sub
stance, and sound, good feet, from the
same source. If the descendants of that
wonderful little horse, .Gmcrack, were
distinguished above other horses in any
particular quality, it was for the supe-
riority of their feet and legs, and their
unconquerable courage. They all lacked
size, but were powerfully built, with
short, strong backs, immense muscular
quarters, round, well-ribbed bodies. on
short, strong legs, with game, racing
like heads, necks, and ears. In counte-
nance, they were intelligent; in dispo-
sition, kind, with wonderful capacity to
carry weight.
To be continued.