The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-20
BLUE FLOODED HORSES
Where the Thoroughbreds Got
Their Speed and Stamina.
A KINGS WORK FOR TURF SPORT.

A KINGS WORK FOR TURF SPORT.
James Promulgated the First Rules For
Racing and Gave the Sport of Kings
His Royal CONTAMINATION Glen
coe and Other Famous Old Time Sires.
The thoroughbred horse had his origin
in combination of Arabian, Barb and
Turkish blood. He was developed to his
present beauty, strength and speed by the
favorable conditions of climate, generous
feeding and judicious crossing under the
protection and encouragement of the roy
atty and nobility of England The Hcrod
blood, now SO highly priced, represents the
f5yerly Turk, the sire of Jigg. sire of Part
ner, sire of Tartar, sire of Herod Match
en- blood Is descended from the Godolphin
Arabian (Barb) who sired Cadc, sire of
Matchcm, sire of Conductor, sire of ImDcr-
ator, sire of Trumpctcr, siro of Sorcerer.
The Eclipse blood comes from the barley
Arabian, sire of Bartletts Childers, sire
OF Squirt, sire of NIarskc, sire of Eclipse,
who sired King Fergus, Mercury, Volun-
tcer, Dungannon and others equally ia
nous. The names of these horses will be
found i'll tho pcdigrccs of all the most
prominent race horses of the present day
james l WAS the first to promulgatc
rules for the regulation of horse racing.
lie had established contests for speed in
Scotland, and seeing tho benefits to be de-
rived from such tests in tho way of i'm
provcmcnt III the speed and endurance of
horses at once took steps on ascending the
throne of England to give racing the royal
countenancc The Turkish and Barb blood,
so freely used with the English mares to
NJ, hon
effected but little gain in the way of speed.
and James in looking about for new
blood TO give increased speed and stamina,
determined to try the Arabian blood for his
outcross. james purchased II splendid spec
linen of. the Arabian horse for a largo
sum from merchant named Markham,
but the Duke of Newcastle, then an nu-
thority on the horse, took u violent dislike
to tho Arabian and wrote book against
his Use in the stud. Notwithstanding the
failure of the Arabian to take with the
English, James Very soon after purchased
the celebrated White Turk, shortly fol-
lowed by the Duke of Buckingham Helm
ley Turk and Fairfax's Morocco Barb
Such blood speedily effected change in
the character of the English racer, and
when Charles l assembled the throne he es-
tablished regular race meetings at Hyde
Park and Newmarket
The civil wars somewhat retarded the
Improvement OF the blood horse, but the
advantages derived from light and actiye
cavalry We're apparent to both parties AS
soon as Cromwell had the rcins of power
thoroughly in hand he at once established
racing stud and did all in his power to
promote the interests OF the running horse
throughout the Kingdom. Charles III,
with his natural love for gaycty and dissi-
patton turned "A ,-J bo
mcnts of the turf, giving royal plates to he
contested for ut each of the race courses.
Much new blood, chiefly Barb and Turk il
the careless records are to be trusted, was
brought into England during the rein of
Charles II.
The thoroughbred, as then known, had
at that date been marvclously improved in
speed and stamina, and the superiority of
tho native stock over the imported horses
was very apparent to those interested. The
horse of that period Is described as ono of
FARO beauty of form, with good speed and
great stoutncss, with fine constitution
The breeders were far from satisfied. and
all kinds of attempts wcrc made to get
colts with better speed Travellers from
the cast would relate tales of the wonder
ful speed and stamina of the tlespiscd
AraDian-dcSpiscd as tho book OF the Duke
OF Newcastle, written nearly 100 years
before, still affected the opinions of the
horscmcn. a Mr.. barley, in the latter
part of Queen Annc's reign, determined to
try the Arabian blood and through his
brother purchased in the desert of PALMYRA
what Is now known as the parent of our
best racing stock, the barley Arabian.
Tho old cuts of this wonderful horse show
him to have possessed almost every require
mcnt oil n great turf performer, oven meas
urcd by the strict standard of today. 1t
Is to his get more than to that of any 9TH
or horse that we arc indebted for the thor
ouShbrcd of the present day
with very fcw exceptions, as in tho
case OF sampson and Bay Nation, each, al
though the best horses of their day, with
trace OF vulgar blood, the thoroughbred
morse OF today is the result of English skill
ana English climate working upon cast
crn blood. For the past 100 years the
strictest Kind of attention has bccn given
TO pedigree, and no pains has been spared
10 nave the blood pure. Great attention
was mld to stamina, as al the racing in
England until % or 80 years ago was what
Is known as heat racing. Some marvel
Gus statements arc made regarding the
speed and stoutncss of the old thorough
bred Flying Childcrs is reported to have
run trial over the round course at New
market 3 miles furlongs and % yards in
minutes 10 seconds while Eclipse is
claimed To hive been the fastest hors,. that
ever ran ut Newmarket. He was never
beaten, frequently carrying 1GS pounds i'm
four mile heats.
The first thoroughbred horse landed in
America came to the shores Of Virginia. i'm
those