Everything about The Godolphin Arabian totally explained
The
Godolphin Arabian (
ca 1724 - 1754), also known as the
Godolphin Barb, was an
Arabian horse who was one of three
stallions that were the founders of the modern
Thoroughbred horse racing bloodstock (the other two are the
Darley Arabian and the
Byerly Turk). He was given his name for his best-known owner,
Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin.
The veterinary surgeon Osmer, as quoted by Prior, described him in the following manner: "There never was a horse (at least, that I've seen) so well entitled to get racers as the Godolphin Arabian; for, whoever has seen this horse must remember that his shoulders were deeper, and lay farther into his back, than those of any horse ever yet seen. Behind the shoulders, there was but a very small space ere the muscles of his loins rose exceedingly high, broad, and expanded, which were inserted into his hindquarters with greater strength and power than in any horse I believe ever yet seen of his dimensions, viz fifteen
hands high."
Breed controversy
Controversy exists over the ancestry of the Godolphin Arabian; some writers referred to him as a
Barb, because of his believed country of origin,
Tunisia, on the Barbary Coast, but portraits, showing a horse with a high-carried tail and dished profile, features that differentiate Arabians from Barbs, lead experts to believe he was more likely an
Arabian.
The Earl of Godolphin referred to the
horse as an Arabian, and he was described as such by the painter
George Stubbs. The confusion is understandable, but while the breeds have some characteristics in common and are distantly related, their
phenotypes are quite distinct. There was also an argument raised that he was actually a
Turkoman horse, merely called an Arabian in order to raise the stud fee. However, it's most widely believed that he was an Arabian or had primarily Arabian lineage.
Breeding career
Originally, this small stallion was considered inferior to the larger European horses of the time and not meant to be put to stud. This changed when Lady Roxana, a mare brought to the stud specifically to be bred to a stallion called
Hobgoblin, rejected her intended mate, and so the Godolphin Arabian was allowed to cover her instead. The result of this mating was
Lath, the first of his offspring, who went on to win the
Queen's Plate nine times out of nine at the Newmarket races. The second colt from this pair was
Cade, and the third was
Regulus. All three were the same gold-touched
bay as their sire, with the same small build and high crested
conformation. All were exceptionally fast on the track, and went on to sire many foals themselves. This was the start of the Godolphin Arabian's prowess as a racing stud, and he spent the rest of his days as the Earl of Godolphin's prize stallion, bred to England's finest mares.
The major Thoroughbred sire
Eclipse traces in his sire line to the Darley Arabian, but his dam was a daughter of Regulus and thus also traces to the Godolphin Arabian. This pattern continues to be seen today, with the Godolphin Arabian more heavily represented in dam lines and in the "middle" of pedigrees as opposed to direct sire lines.
The American connection began with the filly
Selima (born in 1745 out of Shireborn). She was purchased by
Benjamin Tasker, Jr. of the
Province of Maryland in
Colonial America, carried to the new world, and raced between 1750 and 1753. She won the biggest prize of the era, 2,500
pistoles at
Gloucester, Virginia which marked "the beginning of the remarkable racing contests between the rival colonies of Maryland and
Virginia." After this, she became a successful broodmare at the
Belair Stud in
Collington, Maryland.
Although today the majority of Thoroughbred horses’ sire lines trace to the
Darley Arabian, many famous American horses of the past trace their sire line back to the Godolphin Arabian. These include
Seabiscuit,
Man o' War,
War Admiral, and
Silky Sullivan. Today, dual
Breeders' Cup Classic winner
Tiznow represents his line.
Funny Cide's sire line ends at the Darley Arabian, but he's the Godolphin Arabian elsewhere in his pedigree, as do many other modern Thoroughbreds.
The Godolphin Arabian's grave in the stable block of
Wandlebury House can be visited.
Among the many famous horses he sired were Lath,
Cade (full brother to Lath), Blank and
Regulus.
In fiction
A somewhat romanticized biography of the Godolphin Arabian is told in
King of the Wind, a children's novel by
Marguerite Henry (better known for her
Misty of Chincoteague stories).
In the novel, the Godolphin Arabian was foaled in
Morocco and was called Sham. He came to Europe as a diplomatic gift to King
Louis XV of France, but was given to the cook as a cart horse and was soon sold to a woodcarter where he was poorly treated; he was then subsequently purchased in Paris by the Quaker
Edward Coke of
Holkham Hall, son of the
Earl of Leicester, then sold to
Francis, Earl of Godolphin, who maintained a stud in
Suffolk, near the racing town of
Newmarket.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Godolphin Arabian'.
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