Herod (horse)

Herod
Herod (King Herod)
SireTartar
GrandsirePartner
DamCypron
DamsireBlaze
SexStallion
FoaledApril 1758 (1758-04)
Died12 May 1780(1780-05-12) (aged 22)
CountryGreat Britain
ColourBay
BreederPrince William, Duke of Cumberland
OwnerPrince William, Duke of Cumberland, Sir Sir John Moore
Earningsca. £4,500
Awards
Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland
(1777, 1778, 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783, 1784)
Last updated on 14 August 2009

Herod (originally King Herod; April 1758 – 12 May 1780) was a Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the three foundation sires of the modern Thoroughbred racehorse, along with Matchem and Eclipse. Herod was the foundation sire responsible for keeping the Byerley Turk sire-line alive.[1]

Background

Bred by Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, he was by the stallion Tartar, a very good racehorse, who won many races including the King's plate at Litchfield, the King's plate at Guildford, and the King's plate at Newmarket. In addition to Herod, Tartar sired Thais (dam of Silvertail), Fanny (second dam of King Fergus), the O'Kelly Old Tartar mare (dam of Volunteer), and others. Herod's dam, Cypron (1750 bay filly), was bred by Sir W. St Quintin. Herod was a half-brother Lady Bolingbroke (dam of Tetotum, Epsom Oaks) and a mare (1757) (dam of Clay Hall Marske) by Regulus.[2]

Description

Herod was a fine, bay horse standing 15.3 hands high with a small star and no white on his legs.[3] He was a powerful horse that was especially good at four-mile distances.[4]

Racing career

Herod began racing at five, the usual age to begin training for this period, in October 1763 winning a race on the four mile Beacon course at Newmarket. At age six, he won another race at Newmarket, followed by a four-miler at Ascot and a match against Antinous over the Beacon course. When he was seven, his owner died and he was sold in a dispersal sale to Sir John Moore, and it wasn't until 1766 that he returned to the track, where he won again against Antinous in a match over the same course.

His career began to close at this point, as he lost to Ascham, then to Turf, and then finished last in a race at York, after a bleeding attack. He started twice the following year, before retiring to stud.

Breeding career

Herod retired in 1770 and stood at the stud of Sir John Moore at Neather Hall, for a fee of 10 guineas, later raised to 25 guineas.[3] He was the leading sire in Great Britain eight times, (1777 to 1784), before his son, Highflyer (1785 to 1796, 1798) and grandson Sir Peter Teazle (1799 to 1802, and 1804 to 1809) took over. Herod's male line continues today in the pedigree of the 2007 Eclipse Stakes winner, Notnowcato. His most important offspring include:

  • Florizel: 1768 bay colt, won 16 races out of 23 starts. Sired Diomed, winner of the first Derby and incredibly influential sire in America.
  • Fortitude: sire of John Bull
  • Highflyer: 1774 bay colt, the most important son of Herod. Unbeaten in 14 races, leading sire several times, one of the 4 foundation lines of the classic Thoroughbred. Got Sir Peter Teazle, Rockingham, Delpini, Escape, St. George, and broodmare Prunella.
  • Justice: sired Rhadamanthus, Daedalus, and Trifle
  • Phoenomenon: won the St. Leger, leading sire
  • Woodpecker: 1773 chestnut colt, won the Craven Stakes in 1778, 1779 and 1781, and a 1,400 guineas handicap sweep in 1780 and 140 guineas purse at Newmarket in 1781, both times beating Potoooooooo (pronounced "Pot eight oes"). Although Woodpecker was initially overshadowed by the success of Highflyer, it is Woodpecker who is responsible for the continuation of the Herod sire line to the present day. Woodpecker sired Buzzard, sire of Selim who in turn sired Sultan, six time leading sire, who in turn sired Bay Middleton, another leading sire in the mid 1800s.[5]

Herod sired the winners of 497 races worth £201,505.[4]

He was still covering mares until his death, at age 22, at Netherhall (written as Neather Hall in the old calendars) on 12 May 1780.[3][6]

Sire line tree

Pedigree

Pedigree of Herod, bay stallion, 1758
Sire
Tartar
ch. 1743 		Partner
ch. 1718 		Jigg
br. 1701 		Byerley Turk
Spanker Mare
Sister to Mixbury Curwen's Bay Barb
Curwen Spot Mare
Meliora
ch. 1729 		Fox
b. 1714 		Clumsey
Bay Peg
Milkmaid
1720 		Whartons Snail
Shields Galloway
Dam
Cypron
br. 1750 		Blaze
1733 		Flying Childers
b. 1715 		Darley Arabian
Betty Leedes
Confederate filly
1720 		Grey Grantham
Rutland's Black Barb
Salome
blk. 1733 		Bethells Arabian
c.1711 		(unknown)
(unknown)
Champion Mare Graham's Champion
Darley Arabian Mare

References

  1. ^ Craig, Dennis, Breeding Racehorses from Cluster Mares, J A Allen, London, 1964
  2. ^ ASB - Cypron Retrieved on 2009-8-14
  3. ^ a b c Montgomery, E.S, “The Thoroughbred”, Arco, New York, 1973 ISBN 0-668-02824-6
  4. ^ a b Ahnert, Rainer L. (editor in chief), “Thoroughbred Breeding of the World”, Pozdun Publishing, Germany, 1970
  5. ^ "Historic Sire Lines". www.bloodlines.net. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  6. ^ Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World
  7. ^ a b c d Byerley Turk Line
  8. ^ a b Herod Sire Line
  9. ^ Portraits: Herod
  10. ^ a b c d Biography: Herod
  11. ^ Foundation Sire: Florizel
  12. ^ Biography: Herod/Florizel
  13. ^ Portraits: Diomed
  14. ^ Biography: Diomed
  15. ^ Portraits: Sir Archy
  16. ^ Biography: Sir Archy
  17. ^ Hall of Fame: Sir Archy
  18. ^ a b The Bloodlines Chart
  19. ^ Virginia Horse: Sir Archy
  20. ^ Memoir of Sir Archy/Archie, the Godolphin Arabian of America
  21. ^ "Copperbottom" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  22. ^ "Lost Bloodline". Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  23. ^ a b Portraits: Duroc
  24. ^ Portraits: American Eclipse
  25. ^ Biography: American Eclipse
  26. ^ Hall of Fame: American Eclipse
  27. ^ a b American Bloodstock
  28. ^ American Standardbred Horse
  29. ^ Foundation Sire: Ulysses
  30. ^ Foundation Sire: Play or Pay
  31. ^ a b Studbook: Early P
  32. ^ a b c Studbook: Early S
  33. ^ Studbook: Early M
  34. ^ Foundation sire: Magnet
  35. ^ a b Studbook: Early D
  36. ^ Foundation sire: Plunder
  37. ^ Foundation sire: Postmaster
  38. ^ Foundation sire: Mufti
  39. ^ Biography: Mufti
  40. ^ a b Foundation sire: Woodpecker
  41. ^ Foundation sire: Buzzard
  42. ^ Buzzard
  43. ^ a b Studbook: Early C
  44. ^ Selim Sire Line
  45. ^ Foundation sire: Selim
  46. ^ Foundation sire: Chanticleer
  47. ^ Biography: Chanticleer
  48. ^ Foundation sire: Dragon
  49. ^ a b Highflyer Sire Line
  50. ^ a b c d e f g Portraits: Highflyer
  51. ^ Biography: Highflyer
  52. ^ Foundation sire: Delpini
  53. ^ Biography: Delpini
  54. ^ Foundation sire: Evander
  55. ^ Foundation sire: Rockingham
  56. ^ a b Studbook: Early QR
  57. ^ General Stud Book
  58. ^ Foundation sire: Noble
  59. ^ Portraits: Sir Peter Teazle
  60. ^ Biography: Sir Peter Teazle
  61. ^ Studbook: Early UV
  62. ^ Portraits: Sir Harry
  63. ^ Foundation sire: Haphazard
  64. ^ Biography: Haphazard
  65. ^ Portrait: Walton
  66. ^ Biography: Walton
  67. ^ Portrait: St Patrick
  68. ^ Portrait: Paulowitz
  69. ^ Racing Calendar 1817
  70. ^ Foundation sire: Spadille
  71. ^ Foundation sire: Escape
  72. ^ Biography: Escape
  73. ^ Foundation sires: T
  74. ^ Biography: Traveller
  75. ^ Foundation sire: Skyscraper
  76. ^ Biography: Skyscraper
  77. ^ Foundation sire: Walnut
  78. ^ a b c Studbook: Early W
  79. ^ Biography: St George
  80. ^ Foundation sire: Moorcock
  81. ^ Foundation sire: Diamond
  82. ^ Biography: Diamond
  83. ^ Foundation sire: Justice
  84. ^ Foundation sire: Rhadamanthus
  85. ^ Foundation sire: Il' Mio
  86. ^ Foundation sire: Anvil
  87. ^ Biography: Anvil
  88. ^ Foundation Sire: John Bull
  89. ^ Studbook: Early T
  90. ^ Studbook: Early B
  91. ^ Foundation sire: Phoenomenon
  92. ^ Studbook: Early NO
  93. ^ Biography: Antonio
  94. ^ Foundation sires: B

External links