THE HORSE IN BRITAIN 547 



reason the Irish gave him the name " Shamus-na-cappul " (James 

 of tlie horses). 



William III was an enthusiastic horseman and lover of the menage 

 horse. He built a riding-school, in which it pleased him to be an inspector 

 of equestrian exercises. He also was a great supporter of the turf, and 

 kept a magnificent stud of Oriental horses, and thus assisted in the gradual 

 improvement in the breeds of horses that had been commenced by James I. 

 Dui'ing this reign the Byerley Turk was brought to this country. This 

 animal was Captain Byerley's charger during William's wars in Ireland, and 

 was the sire of Sprite, Black Hearty, Grasshopper, &c. Queen Anne gave 

 every encouragement to horse -racing. She kept race -horses, which were 

 entered for prizes in her own name; she added also several plates in dif- 

 ferent parts of the kingdom. The importation of Oriental horses had now 

 become quite a mercantile pursuit. Numerous Barbs, Turks, and Arabs 

 were landed on our shores, but the most conspicuous of them was the Darley 

 Arabian, which was brought to this country from Aleppo in 1715, the year 

 after George I came to the throne. This animal was the sire of Flying 

 Childers, the festest horse over a long distance that ever ran ; that is if his 

 record be correct, which asserts that he ran over a course at Newmarket, a 

 distance of 3 miles 6 furlongs and 93 yards, in 6 minutes and 40 seconds, 

 the Beacon course of 4 miles 1 furlong and 138 yards in 7 minutes and 30 

 seconds, and also could run a mile in a little over one minute. This 

 remarkable record of speed may be too good to be true, but whether exag- 

 gerated or not, it is certain that this animal was the fastest horse of his day, 

 and that from him the thoroughbred has derived a large proportion of its 

 present excellence. 



In 1725 another celebrated horse, the Godolphin Aral)ian, arrived in this 

 country, and from him have descended most of the notable horses now on 

 the turf In tracing the descent of thoroughbred horses it will be observed 

 that they emanate from three distinct sources: " The Darley Arabian, 1720, 

 from whom descended Childers, Squirt, Marske, Eclipse, King Fergus, 

 Hambletonian; the Byerley Turk, 1689, whence came Jig, Partner, Tartar, 

 Herod, Highflyer, Sir Peter, AVoodpecker, Buzzard ; and the Godolphin 

 Arabian, 1725, whence came Cade, Matcham, Conductor, Trumpeter, 

 Sorcerer, Dr. Syntax. From the first source our present stallions are 

 Orlando, Wetherbit, Cossack, King Tom, Teddington, Touchstone, Stock- 

 well, A^oltigeur, and Rataplan. From the second. Sweetmeat, Alarm, 

 Cowl, Flying Dutchman, Tadmor, Wild Dayrell; and from the Godolphin 

 Arabian, Nutwith, West Australian, Sir Tatton Sykes, Tomboy, and 

 Melborne. Wetherbit, Tomboy, and the Doctor are the eighth cross from 

 the Arab; Bradsman, Touchstone, and Melborne the ninth; West Aus- 



