20 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



of the breed found their way to the United States during the 

 eighteenth century. The brief and incomplete list of Thorough- 

 breds imported, which precedes this statement, represents a list 

 of sires and racers of the most distinguished character. The first 

 Thoroughbred to come to America is said to have been the horse 

 Bulle Rock, imported to Virginia in 1730. Diomed, who won the 

 first Derby ever run, was imported in 1797 at twenty years of 

 age. Messenger, imported in 1 788, as a Thoroughbred to improve 

 the running horse, became a distinguished progenitor of trotters. 

 Fearnought, 1775; Buzzard, 1787; Shark, 1771; Alderman, 

 1787; Pantaloon, 1778; Highflyer, 1784; Saltram, 1780; and 

 Matchem, 1773, represent eminent early importations. The men 

 of Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland, and Kentucky, from very 

 early days, showed great interest in Thoroughbreds and pro- 

 moted the race track. In 1760 the first track in America, known 

 as the Newmarket course, was established at Charleston, South 

 Carolina, on which were held many enthusiastic races. 



The conformation of the Thoroughbred is distinctive. The 

 head should be fine and lean and moderately small, showing 

 breeding ; eyes prominent and intelligent ; ears of medium size, 

 not too wide apart, and carried in a lively manner. The neck 

 should be long, the upper part from withers to poll being about 

 twice as long as the lower part from point of shoulder to larynx, 

 and strongly muscular. The shoulder should slope obliquely back, 

 be covered with muscle, and come back to form high, fairly close, 

 long withers ; no collar heaviness should be noticeable. The chest 

 tends to narrow rather than broad conformation, with good depth, 

 yet able authorities prefer a broad rather than deep and narrow 

 chest. The body should be rather circular in type, with a depth 

 at the withers rather less than half the height, with a length 

 equal to the height at withers and croup ; the back and loins 

 should be comparatively broad, level, and muscular ; the ribs 

 well sprung and of enough depth to show good feeding capacity. 

 The croup tends to be long, rather level, curving gracefully, with 

 the tail attached medium high and carried gracefully. The hind 

 quarter is one of the features of the Thoroughbred, being long, 

 strongly muscled, exhibiting great driving power ; the gaskins 

 or lower thighs should be broad. The fore leg should be muscular 



