Some Famous Horses Visit The Long Riders' Guild! Website designed by Basha O'Reilly Some Famous Horses Babieca horse of Ruy Diaz or El Cid whose last instruction was that his body be secured on Babieca, in full armor and with sword raised. When they led the Spanish knights into battle, the moors fled, crying that El Cid had risen from the dead. Ball Brigadier General Francis Marionï¿½s sorrel gelding he captured and named after a British colonel he defeated in a battle near Georgetown, South Carolina Bijou horse of Count Johan Augustus Sandels, Swedish Fieldmarshall, Finnish War 1808-1809 Black Bess highwayman Dick Turpin's horse Black Nell Wild Bill Hickok's horse Black Jack last Quartermaster-issued U.S.

Army horse, died February 6, 1976 Blackie Chief Sitting Bullï¿½s horse Blueskin one of General Washington's horses Brown Beauty Paul Revere borrowed this horse for his famous ride Bucephalus Alexander the Great's horse, name means ï¿½oxheadï¿½ Burmese Queen Elizabeth IIï¿½s favourite, a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Buttermilk Dale Evans' horse Byerly Turk one of three stallions from whom all Thoroughbreds are descended Champion Gene Autrey's horse Chetak war horse of Rana Pratap of Mewar in India Cincinnati one of Ulysses S.

Grant's horses, his favorite Clever Hans a horse who was supposedly taught to communicate with humans by way of an elaborate ï¿½keyboardï¿½ Comanche of mustang origin, sole survivor of General George Custer's command at the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876 Coolcorron Cool Diamond Bay, highest ranking Irish Sport Horse stallion in show jumping Copenhagen Duke of Wellington's horse he rode at the Battle of Waterloo Darley Arabian one of three stallions from whom all Thoroughbreds are descended Diablo The Cisco Kid's horse Echo former Metropolitan police horse, survived the 1982 IRA bombing in Hyde Park Eclipse the horse who won every race he entered, and whose descendants include Desert Orchid, Arkle and all but three of the Derby winners of the past fifty years El Alamein President Ronald Reaganï¿½s favorite white Arabian stallion Gato one of Aimï¿½ Tschiffelyï¿½s Criollo horses who travelled from Buenos Aires to Washington in the 20s.

Gazala horse of Baldwin I of Jerusalem Godolphin Arabian one of three stallions from whom all Thoroughbreds are descended Gun Rock offspring of Man O' War used in the 1920s at UC Davis to breed horses for the U.S. Army Cavalry Halla famed show jumping champion, with two world championships (1954 and 1955) and three Olympic gold medals (1956 and 1960) Hollywood Dun It all-time leading reining sire and Quarter Horse Huaso Chilean bred horse, holder of the high jump world record set in Chile in 1949, one of the world's longest unbroken sport records Incitatus Emperor Caligula's horse Isham Buffalo Bill Cody's white horse Jim Key "Smartest Horse in the World," a star attraction at 1904 World's Fair in St.

Louis Jim former milk cart horse used to produce diphtheria antitoxin; contamination of this antitoxin inspired the Biologics Control Act of 1902 Justin Morgan foundation sire of the Morgan horse breed Kasztanka horse of Jï¿½zef Piłsudski, likely the most famous Polish horse Kincsem (1874ï¿½1887) the most successful Thoroughbred race horse ever, who won 54 races for 54 starts King a foundation sire of the Quarter Horse breed Kitty horse belonging to Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Lexington US Civil War General William T. Shermanï¿½s horse; Sherman also rode Dolly and Sam Llamrei steed of King Arthur Mancha one of Aimï¿½ Tschiffelyï¿½s Criollo horses who travelled from Buenos Aires to Washington in the 20s.

Marengo Napoleon's horse Matsukaze personal horse of Maeda Keiji Mill House one of the most famous British race-horses in the twentieth century Old Sorrel Stonewall Jackson's horse (sometimes call Little Sorrel or Fancy) Palomo Simon Bolivarï¿½s horse Pinto the Morab who was the only horse to complete the 20,352 miles in the early twentieth century, the longest continuous journey yet made Prometea born May 28, 2003, the first cloned horse and the first to be born from and carried by its cloning mother Red Buck Emmett Daltonï¿½s horse Red Fox Jesse Jamesï¿½s horse Red Rum one of the most famous British race-horses in the twentieth century Rocinante Don Quixote's horse Sampson tallest horse ever recorded; stood 21.2ï¿½ hands high Scout Tonto's horse Secretariat an American Thoroughbred racehorse; in 1973, became the first U.S.

Triple Crown champion in twenty-five years Sefton cavalry horse that survived the 1982 IRA bombing in Hyde Park despite being penetrated by nails, metal, and scorched by fireballs Serko who carried his Russian rider Dmitri Peshkov across Siberia ï¿½ in winter Silver The Lone Ranger's horse Streiff Gustavus Adolphusï¿½s horse at the battle of Lï¿½tzen Tarzan white stallion of actor Ken Maynard Thunder Red Ryder's horse Tony Tom Mixï¿½s horse Tornado El Zorro's horse Traveller US Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee's horse Trigger Roy Rogers' Palomino Virginia US Civil War Maj. Gen. Jeb Stuartï¿½s horse credited with saving Stuart from capture by jumping an enormous ditch 10 Forgotten Horses In History - Listverse 10 Forgotten Horses In History Peter Ramirez August 27, 2014 When it comes to horses, most people think of racing greats like Seabiscuit and Secretariat or television stars like Mr. Ed. But horses have a long and distinguished history, and many great ones have sadly been forgotten over time.

Here are 10 noble steeds whose stories deserve far more attention than they typically get. 10Bucephalus Photo credit: Stefan Schafer In addition to being the greatest military conqueror of his time, Alexander the Great was apparently the world’s first horse whisperer, too. Legend has it that when Bucephalus was found, he could not be ridden by anybody. This included Alexander’s father, Phillip II of Macedon. Alexander deduced that Bucephalus had simply been scared by his own shadow , so he gently turned the black stallion’s head towards the Sun. Almost immediately, the wild beast was tamed. Another version of the legend states that at 10 years old, Alexander was the only one who could approach Bucephalus. Alexander would speak softly to the great horse who would lower his head and allow the future warrior to ride him. Bucephalus carried the great military leader into many battles and enjoyed great devotion from his master. After Bucephalus was kidnapped by a group of Persians, Alexander threatened to destroy all of Persia and slaughter every one of its inhabitants unless the captors returned his horse immediately. They quickly did just that.

Depending on which account you read, Bucephalus died from battle wounds, old age, or a little of both. Either way, Bucephalus became perhaps the first four-legged celebrity in history. 9Comanche Photo credit: Mike Yoder Comanche was a mustang purchased by the United States Army Cavalry in 1868. He got his name after being wounded in battle against Native Americans. The horse screamed when he was wounded by an arrow which prompted a soldier to observe that he yelled just like a Comanche Indian . After the destruction of General George Custer and his troops at Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876, Comanche was found severely wounded. He spent a whole year recuperating at Fort Lincoln in North Dakota. After recovering, Comanche never fought again. In his retirement he became a celebrity, taking part in many special ceremonies and parades. People celebrated him as a symbol of Custer’s memory. Comanche is now stuffed and on display at the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. Part of Comanche’s fame rested on how until a few years ago, he was believed to be the sole survivor of the Custer’s Last Stand portion of Little Bighorn.

As it turns out, there were probably other horses that made it . However, they were likely all taken hostage by the Native Americans and never heard from again. 8Marengo Marengo was foaled in County Wexford, Ireland. He was most famous for having walked over 5,600 kilometers (3,500 mi) roundtrip from Paris to Moscow in 1812. The entire time, he carried a certain famous figure you may have heard of: Napoleon Bonaparte. Marengo was said to have been captured during Napoleon’s battles in Egypt. He quickly became the French emperor’s favorite horse and would carry him into every battle including Waterloo. Marengo is also famous for supposedly being distantly related to Copenhagen, the horse ridden by the man who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo: the Duke of Wellington. Oddly enough, Marengo isn’t all that memorable inside the borders of France. His celebrity seems to have been promoted by the British Lord Petre who supposedly bought Marengo and took him to Britain after Waterloo. But Marengo’s name is nowhere to be found among the 150 horses Napoleon kept registered in the French stables of that era.

The story of Marengo appears to have no historical or nostalgic support in French records. You would think a horse associated with a legendary French figure like Napoleon would be considered a national symbol in that country. But since he isn’t, there’s legitimate doubt that Marengo was ever a real horse. 7Copenhagen Copenhagen, on the other hand, was very real. He was also a fiery steed with a rather mean disposition. Copenhagen was so mean that after he and the Duke of Wellington returned from Waterloo and Wellington gave Copenhagen a celebratory pat on the rump, the horse responded by attempting to kick his master in the head. Luckily for Wellington (and probably Copenhagen, too), the horse missed . Imagine surviving a day of bullets and cannon fire only to be done in by a kick to the head from the horse that brought you to safety. Copenhagen must have cooled off in old age because he became an absolute darling in retirement. He would readily approach strangers in search of bread and treats and let ladies gently remove his mane and tail hair and make bracelets out of them. After Copenhagen died, somebody stole one of his hooves, but it was soon returned and made into an inkstand.

Copenhagen is so well regarded that his head was cast in bronze and put on display at Wellington College. Now that’s how you remember the famous steed of a legendary military leader. 6Sergeant Reckless Many United States Marine units have a live animal mascot. Sergeant Reckless was something far greater than that. In the Korean War, a girl stepped on a land mine and lost her leg. In order to buy her a prosthetic limb, the girl’s brother sold the local Marine unit a chestnut Mongolian mare named Flame-in-the-Morning for $250. The Marines renamed her Reckless after the nickname they gave their weapons: “reckless rifles.” Reckless helped her new owners by carrying antitank ammunition to the front lines. This quickly carved her a place in both history and in the hearts of her fellow Marines. Fearless in the presence of guns and cannon fire, Reckless was trained to drop to the ground and even avoid trip wires. During the Battle of Outpost Vegas, Reckless carried 4,100 kilograms (9,000 lbs) of ammunition to the front lines. This required her to make an amazing 51 round trips—in one day!

Friendly and revered by the Marines in her unit, Reckless would eat scrambled eggs and pudding, drink soda and beer, and generally act like any other soldier . The Marines thought so highly of Reckless, they even promoted her to the rank of Staff Sergeant. After the Saturday Evening Post published a story about Sergeant Reckless, she was brought to the United States and retired at Camp Pendleton in California. A bronze statue of her now stands at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia. 5The Byerley Turk There were three Arabian horses from which all modern thoroughbreds are descended. One of them was called the Byerley Turk . Though the horse racing industry is usually very picky about recording pure bloodlines, no one really knows if the Byerley Turk was a pure Arabian horse or not. In 1688, the British had just defeated the Turks at the Siege of Buda. One of the spoils of war was a magnificent stallion taken from a Turkish officer by a British captain named Robert Byerley . Since it was under combat conditions, there was no way for Byerley to verify the horse’s bloodlines.

It is merely a good guess that the Turk was probably a purebred Arabian. As a war horse, the Byerley Turk served his new master faithfully for a long time. When the horse retired, he was put out to stud and introduced to some very lovely mares indeed. Over time, he sired many great race horses who, if the legend of Byerley’s impure bloodline is true, aren’t nearly as well-bred as their owners may want to believe. 4Pinto Pinto is the only horse to date to have ever walked the entire distance of the continental United States: 32,753 kilometers (20,352 mi). His is considered the longest documented journey of the 20th century. In 1912, five men from Shelton, Washington decided to make history by riding on horseback to every state capital in the United States. Led by professional horseman George Beck, they called themselves the Overland Westerners . The group planned to finish their adventure at the 1915 World’s Fair in San Francisco and gain instant fame and fortune for their efforts. Pinto, Beck’s horse, was strong and very sturdy.

Even so, the group spent the next three years sore, cold, and hungry. Beck would make them a little money along the way by riding Pinto in exhibitions or by trading other horses for food and water. Otherwise, they were broke just about all of the time. Finally on June 1, 1915, the group arrived in San Francisco. Alas, their dreams of fame and success were not to be. They simply could not convince anyone to write about or promote their story . Honestly, their biggest mistake was living 100 years ago. If this happened today, Pinto the Wonder Horse would have become an instant viral sensation with websites, blogs, and videos galore devoted to immortalizing his amazing journey. 3Beautiful Jim Key Beautiful Jim Key was trained by ex-slave Dr. William Key at the turn of the 20th century. Dr. Key would ask Jim to bring him a card with a certain letter on it. He would then reward him with sugar if he brought back the right one. After Dr. Key’s wife asked the horse if he wanted an apple, Jim learned to answer questions with a nod of his head . Dr.

Key even tried to teach Jim to recognize passages of the Bible that referred specifically to horses. Jim’s talents stretched even further. Using only his mouth and tongue, he learned how to take coins out of vases filled with water. He could even make correct change from a cash register. Dr. Key and Jim put on countless shows and demonstrations—once, they even performed for President William McKinley. They also made the national stage at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. What’s most touching about the relationship between Dr. Key and Jim is that Key refused to ever use a whip on his horse. Instead, he trained Jim with patience and kindness. In the process, Dr. Key became an early role model for humane training and treatment of animals. Beautiful Jim may not be a household name right now, but his profile may explode soon enough—Morgan Freeman has signed on to portray Dr. Key in a future biopic about the man and his horse. 2Incitatus Photo credit: Scanpix/Mary Evans Incitatus was like a whinnying Kim Kardashian: no particular talent aside from attractiveness and famous relatives. In this case, Incitatus was the personal pet horse of insane Roman Emperor Caligula.

For those unfamiliar with Caligula, take Julius Caesar on a bad day and cross him with Hitler and Mussolini. Add a dash of Daffy Duck and that’s the kind of ruler Caligula was. Legend has it that Caligula was so crazy, he planned to name Incitatus a Consul of Rome. This was an extremely powerful position , as a Consul was a head of state, a military leader, and an executor of various decrees. There was almost always more than one consul at the same time, and they only ruled for a year since the Senate didn’t want any one consul to become too powerful. Especially if he was a horse. No one is certain whether Caligula truly intended to make Incitatus a consul though. The historian who accused him of this—a chap named Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus —was born 30 years after Caligula’s assassination. Suetonius didn’t have any firsthand accounts on the subject and might have fabricated the story out of thin air to make Caligula seem even more crazy evil than he already was.

1The Talking Horses Of Elberfeld Around the same time as Beautiful Jim Key, there was a German horse named Clever Hans who could supposedly count, read, spell, and tell time. Experiments ultimately determined Hans actually reacted to physical cues from his owner , Wilhelm Von Osten. These cues appear to have been totally unintentional, and Osten never realized that he had unconsciously trained Hans to act human. After Von Osten died, Clever Hans went to live with a scientist named Karl Krall. Krall also owned a Shetland pony named Hanschen, a blind stallion called Berto, a horse named Amasis, and two Arabian colts named Muhamed and Zarif. All of these horses could supposedly read, do math, and even talk. They collectively became known as the Talking Horses of Elberfeld. Each of the horses could answer questions by spelling out the answers with their hooves. But Muhamed stood out most for his ability to find the cube roots of specific numbers. Given a question, he would beat out the answer with his hooves —one hoof for a number to the left of the decimal point and the other hoof for the right.

He could also spell and speak by stamping his hooves in a sort of code. Their intelligence extended past mere academics. One account states that Muhamed would actually let Krall know if a groom was being abusive toward them. From one horse to another, Muhamed would even scold Zarif if he started getting too lazy . Sadly, no one knows the final fate of any of these horses. Once World War I broke out, Krall was forced to empty his stable. Many people think Muhamed ended up as a draft horse , but nobody can confirm that for sure. +Brighty Of The Grand Canyon Photo credit: Grand Canyon National Park Archives Brighty was a burro from the late 1800s who roamed the Grand Canyon for 30 years. He was first discovered around the Bright Angel Creek of the Colorado River near an encampment with supplies and gear for what looked like two men. These men had apparently hiked into the Grand Canyon using Brighty to carry their supplies and gear. They proceeded to disappear without a trace, and most experts think they were washed away by the Colorado River while trying to cross on foot . Brighty became a four-legged member of a sparse community that lived around the Grand Canyon.

He lived on his own but was always available to carry children around trails or help young boys carry water from a spring to tourists on the North Rim. But instead of living out his days happily riding off into the sunset, Brighty met an unfortunate end as an unwitting accomplice to grand theft. A robber with $6,000 worth of stolen bonds from Arizona kidnapped Brighty and forced the burro to carry him through the Canyon. However, a terrible winter storm soon stranded the two in a secluded cabin with no food or supplies and no way to get them. Eventually, another man looking for shelter found the pair. Short of food, the two men had to kill and eat poor Brighty to survive. Once the storm subsided, the thief quickly disappeared and was sadly never caught. Peter is an amateur writer, Internet investigator, and humorist who pretends to be a salesman during daylight hours. More Great Lists Copenhagen & the Duke Of Wellington: Horse History Article Copenhagen and the Duke Of Wellington By Cheryl R. Lutring (Horse history article copyrighted by Saddle & Bridle Magazine.) The Napoleonic Wars produced heroes of many kinds from both sides, human and horse.

We have already told the tale of Napoleon’s own favored charger, Marengo, so it is appropriate to take a look now at the hero of the British side, the Duke of Wellington and his best charger, Copenhagen. When not in a battle situation Copenhagen was tetchy and difficult and totally unimpressed with situation or status. His cantankerous temperament gave many a groom a bad moment and even nearly gave the Duke himself a severe injury. He had dismounted after the final battle of Waterloo and moved to the rear and patted Copenhagen on the rump in thanks for a fine day s work. The horse responded with a savage kick, just missing the General who had already just missed death many times that day. But Copenhagen was a superb battle horse. Unflinching amidst gunfire he repeatedly exhibited great stamina and fortitude. On one occasion he carried the General Duke into a square of infantrymen under cannon fire, both remaining perfectly composed. Later the Duke said of him: There may have been many faster horses, no doubt many handsomer, but for bottom and endurance I never saw his fellow. A compliment indeed from an experienced horseman who loved mounted sports at home and had a string of eight chargers for battle.

Copenhagen had been a surprise foal. His dam was Lady Catherine, who was by John Bull a thoroughbred, and out of a mare by the Rutland Arabian. Lady Catherine was the only halfbred broodmare to be accepted into the General Stud Book (UK’s Thoroughbred register). Her owner had taken Lady Catherine on the British military expedition to Denmark in 1807 not knowing she was in foal. At that time the Duke of Wellington was in charge of a division in the force that occupied the city of Copenhagen and seized the Danish fleet. Once home the mare produced a strong chestnut foal who was named in honor of the Copenhagen siege. The colt was by the famous Meteor who was a son of the even more famous Eclipse, the legendary race horse of the 18th century. Copenhagen raced as a three-year-old but was not really successful, so he was sold and ended up with the Duke of Wellington on campaign in Spain. Copenhagen and the Duke became synonymous and even in retirement from war they remained together.

The Iron Duke, as he was affectionately known, became Prime Minister of Britain in 1828 and rode Copenhagen up Downing Street to No.10 to take up his new position of leadership. In retirement the old horse must have become somewhat mellowed because he was regularly ridden by friends and children at the Duke’s country estate of Stratfield Saye, although Lady Shelley said he was the most difficult to sit of any horse she had ever ridden. The Duchess often fed him with bread and this it was said gave him the habit of approaching every lady with the most confiding familiarity. Over the years hair had been taken from the horse and made into bracelets for the ladies. When the great horse died in 1836, at the remarkable age of 29, he was given a funeral with full military honors. But the day was worsened for the Duke who noticed that one hoof had been removed and flew into a terrible passion about the mutilation. After his own death the guilty servant who had taken the hoof as a memento came forward to confess and presented it to the second Duke who had it made into an inkstand.

The War Museum approached the Duke about disinterring Copenhagen in order to keep his skeleton in the Museum alongside the skeleton of Napoleon’s horse, Marengo. But the Duke thwarted the idea by saying he was not sure exactly where the horse had been buried. Of course, he knew precisely where Copenhagen’s remains were under the turkey oak in the Ice House Paddock at his country estate at Stratfield Saye but obviously preferred to keep his loyal friend at home with him. As a mark of respect the second Duke erected a stone marker on the grave where it remains to this day. Along with Britain’s hero Duke, Copenhagen has been commemorated in many statues and paintings. One is outside the Duke’s London residence, Apsley House, another (pictured) in the garrison town of Aldershot in Hampshire, where it stands on its own little hill with horse and General looking out over the tops of the surrounding trees at a distant battle. A very evocative memorial. Copenhagen (horse) Copenhagen (horse) Copenhagen as painted in his retirement by Samuel Spode. Sire Honours Honoured with a full military funeral upon his death.

Copenhagen (1808 – 12 February 1836) was the Duke of Wellington ‘s war horse , which he most famously rode at the Battle of Waterloo . Copenhagen was of mixed Thoroughbred and Arabian parentage, with his dame being sired by the Epsom Derby winner John Bull and his sire Meteor finishing second in the Derby. Copenhagen was foaled in 1808 and was named in honour of the British victory at the Second Battle of Copenhagen . Copenhagen did race in England for a short period, winning two races and finishing at least third in nine races out of his 12 career starts. Copenhagen was sent to Spain with Sir Charles Vane in 1813 and was then sold to the Duke of Wellington. Becoming his favourite, Copenhagen was the Duke’s mount in the Battle of Waterloo. The horse was retired to the Duke’s estate Stratfield Saye House and lived there for the remainder of his life, dying on 12 February 1836 at the age of 28 years. His grave site is marked with a marble headstone that is situated under a 172–173-year-old Turkey Oak .

Contents 8 External links Background Copenhagen was bred by General Grosvenor , [1] who was a nephew of the Earl of Grosvenor . [2] Copenhagen’s sire, Meteor, was second in the 1786 Derby and won several stakes races before he was retired in 1791 to the Earl of Grosvenor’s stud. Copenhagen was foaled when Meteor was 25 years old and the stallion died in 1811 when Copenhagen was three years old. [3] Copenhagen’s dam, Lady Catherine, was a daughter of the 1792 Epsom Derby winner John Bull and an unnamed mare sired by the Rutland Arabian out of “a hunting mare” [1] that was either “three parts Thoroughbred” [4] or had no Thoroughbred parentage at all. [1] The Rutland Arabian was owned by the Duke of Rutland and had limited success in the stud.

[5] Lady Catherine (“Lady Katherine” in the Racing Calendar) raced under General (then Colonel) Grosvenor’s name as a five-year-old in 1801 and her dam was identified as “Morning Star’s dam.” [6] Lady Catherine produced a half-sister to Copenhagen, Chantress by Popinjay, in 1810 and is noted in the stud-book to have been “sent to Ireland.” [1] In honour of Copenhagen’s notable military service, Lady Catherine is the only “half-bred” mare listed in the General Stud Book . [7] The circumstances surrounding Copenhagen’s birth differ based on source. General Grosvenor allegedly took Lady Catherine (in foal with Copenhagen) to Denmark [8] to be his mount during the siege of Copenhagen, a campaign that culminated in the Second Battle of Copenhagen . Copenhagen was either foaled after the battle in Copenhagen and named in honour of the British victory [8] or Lady Catherine was returned to England before his birth and Copenhagen was foaled at Eaton Hall in 1808. [7] The General Stud Book entry for his dam does not support the notion that he was foaled outside of the United Kingdom.

[1] Description Copenhagen stood 15 hands high [9] and had a muscular physique on a small compact frame. [8] When Copenhagen was purchased for the Duke of Wellington as a five-year-old, he was described as “a dark chestnut with two white heels, [he was] a hollow-backed, powerful horse” [10] but reportedly had “bad shoulders.” [11] Copenhagen allegedly “never refused his corn” but had a unique habit of eating while lying down. [8] Wellington said of Copenhagen, “There may have been many faster horses, no doubt many handsomer, but for bottom and endurance I never saw his fellow.” [12] His “enduring qualities” were often attributed to his “Arabian blood.” [13] Racing career Wellington on Copenhagen, painted by Thomas Lawrence . Copenhagen raced until he was a four-year-old in the name of General Grosvenor. Copenhagen did not race as a two-year-old and was retired from racing in May 1812. He was a moderately successful racehorse, winning two races during his short racing career, once against a relative of the Derby -winning mare Eleanor .

[14] 1811: three-year-old season In his first start at the Craven Meeting in April, Copenhagen was third in a 100-guinea sweepstakes race, losing to the filly Sorcery and an unnamed filly by Dick Andrews. [15] A few days later, Copenhagen won a 50-guinea match race against Mr. Fisher’s colt “brother to Spaniard” [16] and was beaten by the filly Tippitywichet in a match race. [17] At the First Spring Meeting in Newmarket, Copenhagen paid 20 guineas forfeit to Lord Bentinck’s colt Pheasant [18] and a few days later was beaten by the Duke of Rutland’s colt Momus in a 100-guinea match race.

[19] At Huntingdon on 6 August, Copenhagen won a sweepstakes race, beating a horse sired by Ambrosio and Cressida (the full-sister of the Derby winning mare Eleanor and the dam of Derby winner Priam ) [14] and the next day, Copenhagen was third in a Gold Cup race to the horse by Ambrosio and the colt Juvenal. [20] At Northampton , Copenhagen was third in a 70-guinea County Purse race after finishing second in all of the heats. [21] Copenhagen finished third in a sweepstakes race [22] and was third in the Oatlands Stakes at the Tarporley-Hunt meeting on 7 November. [23] 1812: four-year-old season Copenhagen started three times in 1812. At Chester on 4 May, Copenhagen was third in a £50 Maiden Plate run in three heats, finishing fifth in the first heat and second in the remaining heats.

[24] A few days later at the same meeting, Copenhagen finished third in a £70 Cup race run over three heats, finishing fourth in the first heat and second in the remaining heats, and was fourth in a Handicap Sweepstakes in the final start of his career. [25] Copenhagen was retired from racing at the end of the season. Military service Copenhagen in retirement, a lithograph by James Ward . General Grosvenor sold Copenhagen to Sir Charles Vane (later the Marquess of Londonderry) in 1812. Copenhagen was sent to Lisbon in 1813 with a contingent of other horses due to Vane’s service as an adjutant-general in the Peninsular War . [7] When Sir Charles left Spain to “join the Allied armies in Germany,” [10] Copenhagen was sold to Colonel Charles Wood (or alternatively Colonel Gordon , who died at Waterloo [10] ) for “200 or 250 guineas,” [11] £300 [10] or £400, [26] depending on the source. The Colonel bought Copenhagen and another horse for the Duke of Wellington .

[26] Wellington rode Copenhagen in a number of battles. Before Waterloo he took him on his hazardous ride to Wavre to liaise with Marshal Blücher . [12] Copenhagen was the Duke’s mount during the Battle of Waterloo , carrying him for 17 hours continuously during the battle. [8] Immediately after the battle, from which Wellington emerged uninjured, Wellington dismounted and patted Copenhagen on the flank, causing the horse to kick towards the Duke’s head, which the Duke narrowly avoided. [27] Copenhagen continued to be Wellington’s primary horse during the occupation of France. [28] Retirement and death The Duke continued to ride Copenhagen in parades and other ceremonial events after the battle. Hair from the horse was made into jewellery. The horse was retired to the Duke’s Stratfield Saye House and lived as a pensioner there for the remainder of his long life. Copenhagen was said to, “like being noticed” and “kissed hands and ate his apples with all possible grace.” [13] Funeral and grave site Copenhagen’s headstone with faded epitaph beneath the Turkey Oak planted by Mrs. Apostles in 1843 as photographed in 2009.

Copenhagen died on 12 February 1836 at Stratfield Saye at the age of 28 years, [11] reportedly due to indulging in too many sugary “dainties” such as “sponge cakes, bath buns and chocolate creams,” [29] but he most likely died due to his advanced age. He was buried “very early in the morning” [30] the next day with full military honours in the Ice-House Paddock [7] at the Duke’s country residence, Stratfield Saye House . The Duke personally witnessed the horse’s burial and reportedly “flew into a most violent passion” when he noticed that one of Copenhagen’s hooves had been cut off as a souvenir. [11] The Duke reportedly exhumed Copenhagen’s body a few months after his death to retrieve the other hooves as keepsakes, but “his three remaining hoofs had rotted away.” [30] The pilfered hoof was eventually recovered. According to one source, a farmer bought the hoof for a little over three shillings and returned the hoof directly to the Duke.

[30] In another account, a servant confessed to the Duke’s son many years after the incident to taking the hoof, stating that at the time, “None of us imagined that the first Duke would trouble his head about the carcase of the horse.” [11] The returned hoof was later made into an ink-stand by the second Duke. [11] Copenhagen was buried without a headstone , and a few years after his death, the Duke was asked by the United Services Museum to disinter his body so that Copenhagen’s skeleton could be publicly displayed alongside the skeleton of Napoleon ‘s horse Marengo . The Duke refused and claimed that he did not “know for sure where Copenhagen was buried,” [7] a false statement given that the Duke had witnessed Copenhagen’s burial. [11] The paddock where he was buried at one time had “a noble cluster of elms in the centre” and his grave was once surrounded by a small railing. [13] The large Turkey Oak [7] that presently shades Copenhagen’s grave was planted by the elder Duke’s housekeeper Mrs.

Apostles seven years after the horse’s death on 21 November 1843 in commemoration of her twentieth year of service to the Duke. [9] After his father’s death, his son personally created an epitaph for Copenhagen and placed a marble grave marker beside the tree that was planted over his burial site. [9] A lead plaque with the inscription and “some coins of George IV , William IV and Queen Victoria ” were buried at the grave site. [9] The inscription, the bottom-half faded over time, reads: Here Lies Born 1808. Died 1836. [9] God’s humbler instrument though meaner clay Should share the glory of that glorious day. [31] Cultural references Head-on view of Copenhagen in the Wellington Statue designed by Matthew Cotes Wyatt and unveiled in 1846. The second Duke thought that the horse’s face was a good likeness of Copenhagen. Depictions in art Copenhagen was depicted as “a bay, a grey and a chestnut” [32] in various paintings during his lifetime and after his death. In one instance the choice of his coat colour was due to personal preference.

Copenhagen was painted accurately as a chestnut by Edwin Landseer , but the original work was repainted with Copenhagen as a grey on the orders of Lady Charles Wellesley due to her “having a preference for the grey colour in horses.” [32] Wyatt statue The Duke of Wellington and Copenhagen were the subject of a “colossal” bronze statue designed by Matthew Cotes Wyatt and his son James. [33] Construction of the statue began in 1840, four years after Copenhagen’s death, and lasted until 1843. The 40-tonne (40,000 kg), 8-metre-long (26 ft) and 9-metre-tall (30 ft) statue was unveiled on 28 September 1846 [34] with much fanfare and was hoisted into a prominent position on top of the Triumphal Arch , [33] then located a short distance from the Duke’s London residence, Apsley House , on Hyde Park Corner .

[35] Copenhagen’s belly had a girth of 22 feet and eight inches and the section was used to host a “celebratory dinner” for Wyatt before the work was completed, and a “rider on horseback could readily pass under Copenhagen’s torso without danger of scraping his beaver hat.” [36] The portrayal was generally ridiculed in the press and by the public with a French spectator to the unveiling reportedly saying, “We have been avenged!” [33] A young soldier reportedly said Wyatt’s statue was “warning ambitious young officers of the fate that awaits them if ever they are so unfortunate as to achieve greatness.” [35] The statue was viewable from Apsley House and remained at the Hyde Park location for the remainder of the Duke’s life.

Wyatt reportedly had difficulty sculpting the figure of Copenhagen and did not want to base the statue on Copenhagen’s actual form in his later years, which was short, “ calf-kneed and cow-hocked [with] quarters that drooped in a most unattractive fashion.” [35] As a substitute, he based the statue on the conformation and measurements of the Thoroughbred racehorse Recovery, which he obtained from The Pictorial Gallery of Racehorses. [35] During construction, the Duke’s son and the artist Edwin Landseer toured Wyatt’s foundry and viewed the cast of the horse’s head. The rendition of Copenhagen’s face with prominent flared nostrils was likened to “something like a pig’s snout” by the press, [37] which the second Duke asserted was an accurate portrayal and “very like Copenhagen.” [30] Modern depictions Copenhagen is played by Daniel Rigby in BBC Radio 4 ‘s Warhorses of Letters, “the world’s first epistolary equine love story”, a comic exchange of letters between Copenhagen and Napoleon’s horse Marengo (played by Stephen Fry ). [38] The comedy has run for three series.

Copenhagen also appears alongside the Duke of Wellington in Bernard Cornwell ‘s novel Sharpe’s Waterloo ; in the historical note to his later novel Sharpe’s Prey , depicting the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807, Cornwell mentions Copenhagen’s birth and commemorative naming. Copenhagen was mentioned in Georgette Heyer ‘s Regency Romance novel, The Grand Sophy , when the heroine, Sophy, talked about her own horse, Salamanca. Tabulated pedigree Copenhagen (horse) - Wikipedia, Photos and Videos Copenhagen (horse) NEXT GO TO RESULTS [51 .. 100] WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE Copenhagen as painted in his retirement by Samuel Spode. Sire Honours Honoured with a full military funeral upon his death. Copenhagen (1808 – 12 February 1836) was the Duke of Wellington 's war horse , which he most famously rode at the Battle of Waterloo . Copenhagen was of mixed Thoroughbred and Arabian parentage, with his dame being sired by the Epsom Derby winner John Bull and his sire Meteor finishing second in the Derby.

Copenhagen was foaled in 1808 and was named in honour of the British victory at the Second Battle of Copenhagen . Copenhagen did race in England for a short period, winning two races and finishing at least third in nine races out of his 12 career starts. Copenhagen was sent to Spain with Sir Charles Vane in 1813 and was then sold to the Duke of Wellington. Becoming his favourite, Copenhagen was the Duke's mount in the Battle of Waterloo. The horse was retired to the Duke's estate Stratfield Saye House and lived there for the remainder of his life, dying on 12 February 1836 at the age of 28 years. His grave site is marked with a marble headstone that is situated under a 173–174-year-old Turkey Oak . Contents Background[ edit ] Copenhagen was bred by General Grosvenor , [1] who was a nephew of the Earl of Grosvenor . [2] Copenhagen's sire, Meteor, was second in the 1786 Derby and won several stakes races before he was retired in 1791 to the Earl of Grosvenor's stud.

Copenhagen was foaled when Meteor was 25 years old and the stallion died in 1811 when Copenhagen was three years old. [3] Copenhagen's dam, Lady Catherine, was a daughter of the 1792 Epsom Derby winner John Bull and an unnamed mare sired by the Rutland Arabian out of "a hunting mare" [1] that was either "three parts Thoroughbred" [4] or had no Thoroughbred parentage at all. [1] The Rutland Arabian was owned by the Duke of Rutland and had limited success in the stud. [5] Lady Catherine ("Lady Katherine" in the Racing Calendar) raced under General (then Colonel) Grosvenor's name as a five-year-old in 1801 and her dam was identified as "Morning Star's dam." [6] Lady Catherine produced a half-sister to Copenhagen, Chantress by Popinjay, in 1810 and is noted in the stud-book to have been "sent to Ireland." [1] In honour of Copenhagen's notable military service, Lady Catherine is the only "half-bred" mare listed in the General Stud Book .

[7] The circumstances surrounding Copenhagen's birth differ based on source. General Grosvenor allegedly took Lady Catherine (in foal with Copenhagen) to Denmark [8] to be his mount during the siege of Copenhagen, a campaign that culminated in the Second Battle of Copenhagen . Copenhagen was either foaled after the battle in Copenhagen and named in honour of the British victory [8] or Lady Catherine was returned to England before his birth and Copenhagen was foaled at Eaton Hall in 1808. [7] The General Stud Book entry for his dam does not support the notion that he was foaled outside of the United Kingdom. [1] Description[ edit ] Copenhagen stood 15 hands high [9] and had a muscular physique on a small compact frame. [8] When Copenhagen was purchased for the Duke of Wellington as a five-year-old, he was described as "a dark chestnut with two white heels, [he was] a hollow-backed, powerful horse" [10] but reportedly had "bad shoulders." [11] Copenhagen allegedly "never refused his corn" but had a unique habit of eating while lying down.

[8] Wellington said of Copenhagen, "There may have been many faster horses, no doubt many handsomer, but for bottom and endurance I never saw his fellow." [12] His "enduring qualities" were often attributed to his "Arabian blood." [13] Racing career[ edit ] Wellington on Copenhagen, painted by Thomas Lawrence . Copenhagen raced until he was a four-year-old in the name of General Grosvenor. Copenhagen did not race as a two-year-old and was retired from racing in May 1812. He was a moderately successful racehorse, winning two races during his short racing career, once against a relative of the Derby -winning mare Eleanor . [14] 1811: three-year-old season[ edit ] In his first start at the Craven Meeting in April, Copenhagen was third in a 100-guinea sweepstakes race, losing to the filly Sorcery and an unnamed filly by Dick Andrews. [15] A few days later, Copenhagen won a 50-guinea match race against Mr.

Fisher's colt "brother to Spaniard" [16] and was beaten by the filly Tippitywichet in a match race. [17] At the First Spring Meeting in Newmarket, Copenhagen paid 20 guineas forfeit to Lord Bentinck's colt Pheasant [18] and a few days later was beaten by the Duke of Rutland's colt Momus in a 100-guinea match race. [19] At Huntingdon on 6 August, Copenhagen won a sweepstakes race, beating a horse sired by Ambrosio and Cressida (the full-sister of the Derby winning mare Eleanor and the dam of Derby winner Priam ) [14] and the next day, Copenhagen was third in a Gold Cup race to the horse by Ambrosio and the colt Juvenal. [20] At Northampton , Copenhagen was third in a 70-guinea County Purse race after finishing second in all of the heats. [21] Copenhagen finished third in a sweepstakes race [22] and was third in the Oatlands Stakes at the Tarporley-Hunt meeting on 7 November.

[23] 1812: four-year-old season[ edit ] Copenhagen started three times in 1812. At Chester on 4 May, Copenhagen was third in a £50 Maiden Plate run in three heats, finishing fifth in the first heat and second in the remaining heats. [24] A few days later at the same meeting, Copenhagen finished third in a £70 Cup race run over three heats, finishing fourth in the first heat and second in the remaining heats, and was fourth in a Handicap Sweepstakes in the final start of his career. [25] Copenhagen was retired from racing at the end of the season. Military service[ edit ] Copenhagen in retirement, a lithograph by James Ward . General Grosvenor sold Copenhagen to Sir Charles Vane (later the Marquess of Londonderry) in 1812. Copenhagen was sent to Lisbon in 1813 with a contingent of other horses due to Vane's service as an adjutant-general in the Peninsular War .

[7] When Sir Charles left Spain to "join the Allied armies in Germany," [10] Copenhagen was sold to Colonel Charles Wood (or alternatively Colonel Gordon , who died at Waterloo [10] ) for "200 or 250 guineas," [11] £300 [10] or £400, [26] depending on the source. The Colonel bought Copenhagen and another horse for the Duke of Wellington . [26] Wellington rode Copenhagen in a number of battles. Before Waterloo he took him on his hazardous ride to Wavre to liaise with Marshal Blücher . [12] Copenhagen was the Duke's mount during the Battle of Waterloo , carrying him for 17 hours continuously during the battle. [8] Immediately after the battle, from which Wellington emerged uninjured, Wellington dismounted and patted Copenhagen on the flank, causing the horse to kick towards the Duke's head, which the Duke narrowly avoided. [27] Copenhagen continued to be Wellington's primary horse during the occupation of France. [28] Retirement and death[ edit ] The Duke continued to ride Copenhagen in parades and other ceremonial events after the battle.

Hair from the horse was made into jewellery. The horse was retired to the Duke's Stratfield Saye House and lived as a pensioner there for the remainder of his long life. Copenhagen was said to, "like being noticed" and "kissed hands and ate his apples with all possible grace." [13] Funeral and grave site[ edit ] Copenhagen's headstone with faded epitaph beneath the Turkey Oak planted by Mrs. Apostles in 1843 as photographed in 2009. Copenhagen died on 12 February 1836 at Stratfield Saye at the age of 28 years, [11] reportedly due to indulging in too many sugary "dainties" such as "sponge cakes, bath buns and chocolate creams," [29] but he most likely died due to his advanced age. He was buried "very early in the morning" [30] the next day with full military honours in the Ice-House Paddock [7] at the Duke's country residence, Stratfield Saye House .

The Duke personally witnessed the horse's burial and reportedly "flew into a most violent passion" when he noticed that one of Copenhagen's hooves had been cut off as a souvenir. [11] The Duke reportedly exhumed Copenhagen's body a few months after his death to retrieve the other hooves as keepsakes, but "his three remaining hoofs had rotted away." [30] The pilfered hoof was eventually recovered. According to one source, a farmer bought the hoof for a little over three shillings and returned the hoof directly to the Duke. [30] In another account, a servant confessed to the Duke's son many years after the incident to taking the hoof, stating that at the time, "None of us imagined that the first Duke would trouble his head about the carcase of the horse." [11] The returned hoof was later made into an ink-stand by the second Duke. [11] Copenhagen was buried without a headstone , and a few years after his death, the Duke was asked by the United Services Museum to disinter his body so that Copenhagen's skeleton could be publicly displayed alongside the skeleton of Napoleon 's horse Marengo .

The Duke refused and claimed that he did not "know for sure where Copenhagen was buried," [7] a false statement given that the Duke had witnessed Copenhagen's burial. [11] The paddock where he was buried at one time had "a noble cluster of elms in the centre" and his grave was once surrounded by a small railing. [13] The large Turkey Oak [7] that presently shades Copenhagen's grave was planted by the elder Duke's housekeeper Mrs. Apostles seven years after the horse's death on 21 November 1843 in commemoration of her twentieth year of service to the Duke. [9] After his father's death, his son personally created an epitaph for Copenhagen and placed a marble grave marker beside the tree that was planted over his burial site. [9] A lead plaque with the inscription and "some coins of George IV , William IV and Queen Victoria " were buried at the grave site. [9] The inscription, the bottom-half faded over time, reads: Here Lies Cultural references[ edit ] Head-on view of Copenhagen in the Wellington Statue designed by Matthew Cotes Wyatt and unveiled in 1846.

The second Duke thought that the horse's face was a good likeness of Copenhagen. Depictions in art[ edit ] Copenhagen was depicted as "a bay, a grey and a chestnut" [32] in various paintings during his lifetime and after his death. In one instance the choice of his coat colour was due to personal preference. Copenhagen was painted accurately as a chestnut by Edwin Landseer , but the original work was repainted with Copenhagen as a grey on the orders of Lady Charles Wellesley due to her "having a preference for the grey colour in horses." [32] Main article: Wellington Statue, Aldershot The Duke of Wellington and Copenhagen were the subject of a "colossal" bronze statue designed by Matthew Cotes Wyatt and his son James. [33] Construction of the statue began in 1840, four years after Copenhagen's death, and lasted until 1843.

The 40-tonne (40,000 kg), 8-metre-long (26 ft) and 9-metre-tall (30 ft) statue was unveiled on 28 September 1846 [34] with much fanfare and was hoisted into a prominent position on top of the Triumphal Arch , [33] then located a short distance from the Duke's London residence, Apsley House , on Hyde Park Corner .

[35] Copenhagen's belly had a girth of 22 feet and eight inches and the section was used to host a "celebratory dinner" for Wyatt before the work was completed, and a "rider on horseback could readily pass under Copenhagen's torso without danger of scraping his beaver hat." [36] The portrayal was generally ridiculed in the press and by the public with a French spectator to the unveiling reportedly saying, "We have been avenged!" [33] A young soldier reportedly said Wyatt's statue was "warning ambitious young officers of the fate that awaits them if ever they are so unfortunate as to achieve greatness." [35] The statue was viewable from Apsley House and remained at the Hyde Park location for the remainder of the Duke's life.

Wyatt reportedly had difficulty sculpting the figure of Copenhagen and did not want to base the statue on Copenhagen's actual form in his later years, which was short, " calf-kneed and cow-hocked [with] quarters that drooped in a most unattractive fashion." [35] As a substitute, he based the statue on the conformation and measurements of the Thoroughbred racehorse Recovery , which he obtained from The Pictorial Gallery of Racehorses. [35] During construction, the Duke's son and the artist Edwin Landseer toured Wyatt's foundry and viewed the cast of the horse's head. The rendition of Copenhagen's face with prominent flared nostrils was likened to "something like a pig's snout" by the press, [37] which the second Duke asserted was an accurate portrayal and "very like Copenhagen." [30] Modern depictions[ edit ] Copenhagen is played by Daniel Rigby in BBC Radio 4 's Warhorses of Letters, "the world's first epistolary equine love story", a comic exchange of letters between Copenhagen and Napoleon's horse Marengo (played by Stephen Fry ). [38] The comedy has run for three series.

Copenhagen also appears alongside the Duke of Wellington in Bernard Cornwell 's novel Sharpe's Waterloo ; in the historical note to his later novel Sharpe's Prey , depicting the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807, Cornwell mentions Copenhagen's birth and commemorative naming. Copenhagen was mentioned in Georgette Heyer 's Regency Romance novel, The Grand Sophy , when the heroine, Sophy, talked about her own horse, Salamanca.

Question: Who most famously had a horse named Copenhagen?
Answer: Duke of Wellington