THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



OCTOBER, 1860 



THE ON; A Thorough-bred Stallion, 



THE PROPERTY OF MR. PISHEY SNAITH, OF BOSTON. 



Theon, bred by Mr. Thornhill in 1837, was by 

 Emilius, out of Maria by Whisker, her dam Gib- 

 side Fairy by Hermes — Vicissitude by Pipator — 

 Beatrice by Sir Peter— Pyrrha by Matchem. 



Emilius, bred by Colonel Udny in 1820, was 

 by Orville out of Emily by Stamford, her dam 

 by Whiskey, out of Grey Dorimant by Dorimant. 

 Emilius, who won the Derby of his year, is yet 

 better known as the best stallion of his time. He 

 was the sire of Priam, also a winner of the 

 Derby ; of Plenipotentiary, another winner of the 

 Derby ; of Mango, a winner of the St. Leger ; of 

 Euclid, who ran a dead heat for the St. Leger ; and 

 of Oxygen, who won the Oaks. There were up- 

 wards of a hundred and fifty other winners out 

 by Emilius, when he died, full of years and 

 honours, at Easby Abbey, in the autumn of 1847. 



Maria, a full sister to Emma, the dam of Coth- 

 erstone, was bred by the trustees of Lord Strath- 

 more in 1827. She came out, however, in the 

 colours of the Marquis of Queensbury, but changed 

 bands at three years old, and ran a very stout 

 mare for the Duke of Cleveland — winning, among 

 other things, the Tureen at York, when she beat 

 Laurel and Medoro. Mr. Thornhill purchased 

 her at the end of her third season on the turf, and 

 she was put to the stud the next spring, throwing 

 her first foal in 1834. This was Laura by Emilius, 

 to which horse Maria threw no less than eleven 

 foals. These included Euclid, Theon, Equation, 

 Extempore, Example, Ellipsis, and others so 

 readily identified with the Riddlesvvorth stud. 



Theon stood just fifteen hands three inches high. 

 He was a beautiful dark-brown, free from white, 

 with the exception of a few grey patches over the 

 eyes and forehead denoting age. He had a sweet 

 head and good neck, but with the crest appearing 

 little heavy from the loss of mane at his withers. 

 He had the finest possible shoulders, a ronnd bar- 

 OLD SERIES.] 



rel, with an immensely powerful back, and hunting- 

 looking quarters. He had great length in the 

 thigh, capital hocks and arms, and wonderfully 

 good legs and feet. His action was perfect, and 

 in his temper he was as gentle as a lamb, although 

 apt to get excited when out. 



On the sale of the Duke of Cleveland, Theon 

 was purchased by Mr. Blacker of Ripon, where 

 the horse stood for his first four seasons — 

 1842, '43, '44, and '45. He then went to New- 

 market for two years, was at the Willesden Pad- 

 docks in 1849, and again for one season at 

 Newmarket in 1850. He returned to Ripon for 

 the next two seasons, and was then sold to Baron 

 Rothschild, at whose seat — Mentmore in Bucking- 

 hamshire— Theon was located for 1853, '54, and 

 '55. In the autumn of this year, Mr. Pishey 

 Snaith bought him at Doncaster, and he went at 

 once to Boston, where he died in July last. 



Theon's stock first came out in 1845, when a 

 winner turned up in Brunette, followed by Saga- 

 city, Sophistry, Alcoran, Salopian, Theodine, 

 Theory (2),Moultan Lass, Firebolt, Tonic, Theorem, 

 Bobby B., and some others. Theon, however, 

 never had any great chance with thorough-bred 

 mares, despite his fine blood and good looks. But his 

 value as a stud-horse does not rest on the Calen- 

 dar. His hunters and half-bred stock have long 

 been deservedly famous, still those who had once 

 had a taste of his sort were sure to come again. 

 Let us instance a few of his successes in this way. 

 Going to the highest qaurters, we find the longest 

 price for a riding-horse ever given by her Majesty 

 was to secure a son of Theon ; while the Emperor of 

 France paid nine hundred guineas for two chargers 

 by him. The top price for a hunter at Horncastle 

 in 1858 was given by Mr. Slater for a Theon horse; 

 and Mr. Percival sold another of his get for 

 four hundred, Mr. Maynard one for five hun- 

 U [VOT- Lin— No. 4, 



