No. 12. 



Vestris. 



385 



VESTRIS, 



By Whalebone, out of Varennes, dam of Albert, by Selim, 11 years old, the property of 

 Emanuel Hulchina, Esq., of Cregone Castle. From '■^ hold's Illustrations^ 



This noble animal exhibits almost the strength of the road-horse, with the racing proper- 

 ties of the finest studs in England. There is an old adage, "an ounce of blood is better than 

 a pound of bone," and in this individual both blood and bone are united, to a degree seldom 

 witnessed. Such blood, united with the stout mares of our western country, would produce 

 a race of carriage-horsee of the most magnificent order, as well as chargers of superlative 

 courage and figure. And such a cross would be found equal to much of the labour of the 

 farm — to the plough and to the cart, as well as to the stage, the carriage, and the saddle; 

 by such, too, our old and valuable Messenger breed would be invigorated, and from them 

 would proceed a class of animals superior for the farmer and breeder to all others, uniting 

 strength, agility, and courage unbounded. Under the present head, we are tempted to select 

 a few notices of this peculiar breed of the horse from Professor Low's book, which we think 

 will be acceptable to every one who has a love for that most interesting of all animals, the 

 well-bred horse. 



The Darley Arabian was brought to England about the year 1712, and was the progenitor of some of the finest 

 horses that ever existed in the world. He was the sire of Flying Chii.ders, foaled in 1715, a chesnut horse with 

 four white legs ; of noble form, matchless courage, and the fleetest horse at that time in England ; he ran 4 milea 

 1 furlong 138 yards in seven minutes and thirty seconds. He was also the sire of Bartlett's Childers, and from 

 him descended Marske, the sire of Eclipse, who was foaled in 1764, during the eclipse of that year, from which 

 circumstance he took his name. This most wonderful animal might have escaped notice, but for the accidental 

 trial of his stupendous powers. He was fifteen hands one inch high, his shoulders very low, oblique, and so thick 

 above, that according to the observation of the time, a firkin of butter might have rested upon them. He stood 

 very high behind, and was so thick-winded as to be heard blowing at a considerable distance. In the language 

 of honest John Lawrence, "he puffed and blowed like an otter, and galloped as wide as a barn-door." But no 

 sooner were his powers exhibited, than every eye was set to scrutinize his form; a volume was written on his 

 proportions, and he was admitted to possess in perfection the external characters indicative of speed. His first 

 appearance was at the age of five years, in 1769, when he started with thirteen other horses at Newmarket. His 

 owner. Col. O'Kelly, observing that his rider was pulling him in vain with all his might for the last mile of the 

 course, offered, in the next heat, to place all the horses, which he did by placing Eclipse first, and the rest vowhere, 

 — they were all distanced. For seventeen months he won every race, and no horse daring to contend with him, 

 he finished by walking over the Newmarket course in 1770 for the king's plate. He was of an indomitable tem- 

 per ; his riders finding it in vain to attempt to hold him, contented themselves with remaining still on the saddle, 

 while he swept along, his nose almost touching the ground ; his full speed not being determined, since he never 

 met with an opponent sufficiently fleet to put it to the proof He was not only never beaten, but he was able 

 to distance some of the best horses of his time, and the fleetest could not keep by his side for fifty yards. He 

 was the sire of 334 winners, and died in 1789, at the age of twenty -five years. 



