Page 46 - July 2019

SPEEDLINES
A COMMON BOND
by Larry Thornton
The majority of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse sire lines today trace to the original foundation sires –
the Byerley Turk, the Godolphin Arabian and the Darley Arabian – through these three sires . . .
The history of the Thoroughbred and the American Quarter Horse are intertwined in American history from the Colonial days to today. The Thoroughbred was officially recognized as a breed in 1791 with the formation of the General Studbook in England. The American Jockey Club and
the American Studbook were formed in 1894. The American Quarter Horse was not recognized as a breed until the formation of the American Quarter Horse Association and their Studbook in 1940. But many of the foundation animals of these two breeds have come down through history, forming two distinct breeds and, as you will see, there are some close ties between the two breeds that gives them a common bond in blood, or shall we say genetics.
The Byerley Turk, the Godolphin Arabian and the Darley Arabian are considered the three most important foundation sires in
the development of the Thoroughbred. These three sires made their mark on the development of the Thoroughbred in England by the mid 1700’s. The next line of important sires were Herod, representing the Byerley Turk line; Matchem, representing
the Godolphin Arabian line; and Eclipse, representing the Darley Arabian line. The majority of Thoroughbred sire lines today trace to the original foundation sires through these three stallion lines. This is also true for our American Quarter Horses.
The first horses from England were imported to the Colonies in 1620. This
is 171 years before the General Studbook was published in 1791. The American Quarter Horse also has its beginning with the Celebrated American Quarter Running Horse in the mid 1700’s as our country
was on its way to independence during the Colonial period of our history. The Colonists loved horse racing. However, there were no racetracks, so they improvised with races that were limited to short distances or clearings. Thus, Quarter Horse racing was born.
The first significant import to the Colonies was Bulle Rock, by the Darley Arabian, in 1730. His dam is a daughter of the Byerley Turk. Another early import was
Herod
who represents the Byerley Turk line.
Matchem
who represents the Godolphin Arabian line.
Eclipse
who represents the Darley Arabian line.
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SPEEDHORSE, July 2019