Page 21 - August 2015

“Harding...was more interested in improving the blood stock of the Thoroughbred than
in racing them.” General Harding’s lack
of interest in racing and gambling would prompt him to start the Belle Meade Yearling Sale in 1867. This annual sale was used to sell the entire crop of Belle Meade yearlings to the racing public. The farm not only held sales in Tennessee, but would eventually send the sale horses to New York to be sold.
General Harding married Elizabeth McGavock in 1840 with two daughters being born to them. The Harding’s daughter Selene would marry William Hicks Jackson. Their daughter Mary Elizabeth would marry Howell E. Jackson, the brother to William Hicks Jackson. Howell E. Jackson would serve in Congress as a Senator from Tennessee, and then be named to the United States Supreme Court.
After the Civil War, the management of Belle Meade would fall to William Hicks Jackson, an ex-Confederate General. When General Harding passed away in 1886, William Hicks Jackson would buy the Stud’s five stallions and best broodmares at the dispersal that dissolved the partnerships with the rest of the family. The purchase of the stallions and mares would allow Jackson to take full control of Belle Meade Stud.
Jackson would operate the Stud until
late in the 1890’s when he began to turn management over to his son William Harding Jackson Jr. General Jackson died in March
of 1903. Sadly, William Harding Jackson Jr. died three months later of typhoid fever. The death of the younger Jackson would lead to the dispersal of Belle Meade Stud in 1904, ending what you will see as not only a major contribution to the “blood horse” but also to the Quarter Horse as well.
Ridley Wills II reports in Belle Meade Bloodlines that at least 35 known stallions stood at Belle Meade from 1816 to 1903. These stallions would include horses like Boaster, Sir Archie Jr., Luke Blackburn, Inspector B, *Loyalist, and *Tithonus. Boaster was the first known stallion to stand a Belle Meade in 1816. Sir Archie Jr. was
a son of the legendary Sir Archie (some historians will spell Archie with a “y” instead of the “ie”). Luke Blackburn was a successful racehorse that stood at Belle Meade for 22 years, the longest time of service of any of the 35 stallions. Inspector B was a homebred stallion that returned to Belle Meade to stand from 1891 to 1903. *Loyalist was unraced, but was a prize winning show horse in a New York show for Thoroughbreds. *Tithonus was a son of the legendary English sire St. Simon. The rest of our story will focus on
several stallions that stood at Belle Meade that have played a role in the development of the American Quarter Horse as a breed.
*Priam was foaled in 1827 and bred in England by Sir John Shelley. His sire was Emilius by Orville. The dam of Emilius was a mare by Stamford, who was by Sir Peter Teazle. The dam of *Priam was Cressida by Whiskey by Saltram. The dam of Cressida was Young Giantess by Diomed, who was the winner of the first English Derby and later imported to the U.S. He was the sire of Sir Archie.
*Priam was bought and started on his race career by Will Chifney, who later sold the horse to Lord Chesterfield. The racing career of *Priam was highlighted by his winning the Epsom Derby. Some of his other wins include the Post Stakes, Craven Stakes, Riddlesworth Stakes, Column Stakes, and the Goodwood Stakes (twice). Wills
in the Belle Meade Bloodlines professes that *Priam “was the best racehorse to ever stand at Belle Meade.”
Lord Chesterfield sold *Priam to T. B. Merritt, J. Avery and William Townes, who imported this great stallion to the U.S.
He was taken to Tennessee by Leonard P. Cheatham, where he stood at Cheatham’s stable in 1842 and 1843. He started his stud career at Belle Meade Stud in 1844. *Priam was the sire of horses like *Monarch, who was bred by King William IV in England. *Monarch was later imported to the U.S. *Priam died at Belle Meade in May of 1847.
Highlander was foaled in 1849. Wills gives no record of who bred Highlander
and no race record is given for him. He was raced, however, and some reports show that he raced and lost to Lexington. He was a chestnut colt that stood at Belle Meade from around 1860 to 1863. Of course, this is the period in which the Civil War was raging in the South and, thus, a hard time for records and information on this stallion.
General Harding’s own loyalties to
the Confederacy put him in prison in Tennessee, and then later in a federal prison in Michigan. He was put in prison under the orders of the Military Governor Andrew Johnson. During this time, many of the crops and much of the livestock produced at Belle Meade were confiscated by the U.S. government.
Highlander was sired by *Glencoe and his dam was Castinet. Castinet was sired
by *Monarch, the imported son of *Priam that is listed above. *Monarch was out of Delphine by Whisker, who was sired by Waxy and out of Penelope. Highlander was the sire of the mare Duet. The dam of Duet
. . . this stallion station was a key link in the development of the modern Quarter Horse.
was Delta by *Priam. This makes Duet 4 X 2 linebred to *Priam.
Here is an added note: Delta was sired by *Priam and out of Gamma. Our history of the Belle Meade stallions is relying heavily on the biographies written by Ridley Wills in the Belle Meade Bloodlines. The only mare he dedicates a section to is Gamma. This mare would prove to be special in the Belle Meade Stud. Gamma was a great racehorse and then producer. Her foal Delta will be a major player as we proceed through the next few horses.
Wills relates one story about Gamma
in his biography of the mare. The story
goes this way. Gamma had proven to be a good race mare. She was matched with a horse named Wagner, whose owner was so confident that he presented a wager in which he bet $10,000 against Harding’s $1,000 that Wagner would beat Gamma. Well as we said earlier, Harding didn’t gamble so he turned the wager down. Gamma won the race. Boy was Wagner’s owner lucky!
The next stallion on our list is Vandal. Vandal was foaled in 1850, was bred by
Dr. B. W. Dudley, and was owned by R. A. Alexander. Alexander owned Woodburn Stud where the legendary Lexington stood. Vandal is described by Wills as a “stout, game horse” that won the Jockey Club Purse at Lexington in 1858. General Harding bought Vandal in 1869. Vandal was sired by *Glencoe and out of a mare by Tranby. The dam of the Tranby Mare was Lucilla by Trumpator and her dam was Lucy by Orphan.
It was reported by Wills in his biography of Vandal that this great stallion was second only to the great Lexington as a successful American sire. One example of his foals
is the stallion Virgil. Virgil was the sire of the Hindoo, the sire of the great Hanover. Hanover was the sire of Blackstock, who
in turn sired Mentor. Mentor was the sire
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SPEEDLINES