From the desert to The Derby to the dollar
The history of the thoroughbred begins with the evolution of Eohippus (55 to 38 million of years ago) and the emergence, around one million years ago, of the Equus species we know today. Having spread throughout North America, these early horses migrated across the Bering land-bridge which used to connect Alaska and Siberia.
Among the four main types of horse which spread across Europe and Asia was a small, quick and graceful creature that evolved on the deserts of south-west Asia. This was the ancestor of the animals collectively known as Orientals from which the Arabs proceeded to breed horses famous for their stamina, soundness, speed, amiability and loyalty to the point of exhaustion.
The Egyptians, Ancient Greeks and Romans all raced horses, although they usually preferred chariot to bare-back racing. Oriental horses are believed to have raced on a track laid out at York in England by a Roman Emperor in the third century A.D.
The need to improve the native horses used in war encouraged English monarchs to import superior breeding stock from the East. There’s evidence of regular racehorse sales and races in England during the 12th century and in the 1500s King Henry VIII established several royal studs.
Racing began to flourish in the 16th century with meetings recorded at Chester, York, Doncaster, Salisbury and elsewhere. Newmarket became a popular base for James I who, although a poor horseman, enjoyed hunting, hawking and racing on the open heathland. His son Charles I, a much better rider, was also a frequent visitor to Newmarket.
The critical period for the development of the thoroughbred horse was from the late 17th century until about 1750. During this period about 150 stallions were imported to England from the Middle East, most significantly the three horses from whom all thoroughbreds are now descended: the Godolphin Barb (born about 1724, ancestor of Matchem), the Byerley Turk (born about 1680; great-grandsire of prepotent stallion King Herod) and the Darley Arabian (born about 1700; great-great-grandsire of Eclipse from whom over 80% of all today’s thoroughbreds are descended). Mated with native English mares, these stallions were the genetic foundation of the modern thoroughbred horse.
Today we would be surprised by how small these prototype thoroughbreds were. The peerless Eclipse (b. 1764, the winner of 18 races and never stretched or headed in any of them) was considered tall at 15.3 hands high , while Gimcrack was average-sized at just over 14.0 hands. These early thoroughbreds ran in match races, mostly around four miles, which suited the tough, stamina-rich Arabian bloodlines.
Racing was well organised with the English Jockey Club (established 1752) setting down strict rules to regulate horse racing and breeding. The first General Stud Book, listing broodmares and their foals and incorporating all the private stud books of the time, was produced by James Weatherby in 1791.
Then, in the final quarter of the 18th century, the nature of racing changed with the inception of the shorter St Leger (first run in 1776), Oaks (1779) and Derby (1780), and more emphasis on two- and three-year-old racing. It was Eclipse’s ability to sire progeny who were effective in these new races that made him such a dominant and significant stallion. The Two Thousand and The Thousand Guineas were founded in 1809 and 1814 respectively.
Meanwhile, stallions and mares exported from Britain formed the basis of thoroughbred populations in other countries. Diomed, winner of the first Derby in 1780, was exported at the age of 21 to America. Other countries which began and continue to import thoroughbreds from Britain were France, Germany and Italy.
Great 19th century stallions included Derby winner Whalebone (foaled 1807), ancestor of Hyperion (b. 1930) and also Polymelus (b. 1902) from whom the dominant male lines of Nearco (b. 1935) and Native Dancer (b. 1950) originate. Other sires who exerted a profound long-term influence were Flying Dutchman (b. 1846), ancestor of the outstanding French sire Tourbillon (b. 1928), and Voltigeur (b. 1847), the great-grandsire of St Simon (b.1881).
St Simon has strong claims to the title of the 19th century’s best racehorse, and was also a phenomenal stallion. He appears twice in the pedigree of the 1935 Derby winner Hyperion and four times in the pedigree of Nearco. Both Hyperion and Nearco stood in Britain and proved to be among the world’s most dominant 20th century sires.
Few horses today are free of Nearco’s genes. His son Nasrullah was grandsire of major stallions Blushing Groom, Mill Reef and Riverman.
Nearco’s son Nearctic (from Lady Angela by Hyperion) proved to be even more influential. Northern Dancer (Nearctic-Natalma by Native Dancer) won the 1964 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, but it was at stud that he made his most enduring mark. Through his sons Danzig, Nijinsky II, Sadler’s Wells, Nureyev, Storm Bird and others he became the breed-shaper and market-maker of the late 20th century.
Until the 1970s, Arab influence on the development of racing and breeding in the west was minimal, with the exception of several holders of the title Aga Khan. In the summer of 1969 Sheikh Maktoum and Sheikh Mohammed, sons of the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, set foot on a British racecourse for the first time. That same year Sheikh Maktoum built the first racecourse in what was to become the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Mohammed later met veteran horseman Colonel Dick Warden who is credited with helping the Maktoums’ entry into British racing. It was the beginning of a new era in thoroughbred history.
The circle was completed on 30 October 1992 when the first official thoroughbred race in the Gulf was held at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club and won by a humble New Zealand-bred gelding named Athaldo.
Acknowledgements:
Through the Ages: A brief equestrian history of Dubai, the Arabian horse and Thoroughbred racing (Al-Adiyat)
The British Thoroughbred: An investment in history, Issue 14 (The British Horseracing Board, November 1999)
A concise history of British Horseracing (English Life Publications, 1999)