Thoroughbred Breeding Is by Three

Posted by BarbaraAnne Helberg Sep 4, 2007

Racing horses has never been a phenomenon. It came naturally to man, who has bragged about who is the best at something, or the fastest at something since the beginning of time. The why of racing is easily answered. Man, the most competitive of animals, must compete to produce the fastest and best horse.

The Romans had their brutal chariot racing -- view the movie Ben-Hur -- eeeh, haa! Magnificent and beautiful specimens of horseflesh were thrown into the arena in callus matchups of strength and stamina to satisfy man's competitive lust.

Early pioneers spent Sunday afternoons racing their average cart and carriage pullers. They even got into the habit of initiating contests with one another on their lonely travels to town for supplies. Harness racing and the Standardbred came about from this practice.

Farmers raised draft horses of enormous muscle to pull their farm machinery. And, of course, held contests of pulling strength. Drafts are still revered for such tugging ability today.

According to recorded history, the art of thoroughbred breeding had its beginnings with English and oriental stallions. The prolific Darley Abrabian line produced the English champion, Eclipse, who eventually gave life to Domino, who geared up a lot of American thoroughbred blood.

At the Barbary Coast, the Moroccan horse known as a Barb roamed the area. In Paris, his connection was said to be found as a look-alike being used to pull water carts. While this ancestry is part speculation, it nevertheless provided the piece of the thoroughbred racing puzzle known as the Goldolphin Barb.

The third link to thoroughbred ancestry is the Byerly Turk, a known military charger breed. These warriors accounted for about 3 percent of the eventual American thoroughbred line.

Beginnings are always historic. And horse racing, like most sports, has no end in sight.