THE GODOLPHIN ARABIAN 269 



reverse of this, for he had great length of waist 

 and stood over much ground. 



According to trustworthy statistics, Flying 

 Childers was the fastest horse that ever ran at 

 Newmarket, while it is stated, on what appears to 

 be good authority, that no faster horse has ever 

 lived. 



With only Eastern blood in his veins — his dam, 

 Betty Leedes, was a descendant of pure Eastern 

 horses that had lived long in England — Flying 

 Childers' career upon the Turf was truly phenome- 

 nal. He died in 174.1. 



Another historic sire of the early part of the 

 eighteenth century was the Godolphin Arabian, 

 called also the Godolphin Barb, foaled in 1724. 



His height was about fifteen hands, and his 

 colour a dark brown. 



We are told that he was sent to Louis XIV. 

 by the Emperor of Morocco, but it is known 

 that when he died he belonged to the Earl 

 of Godolphin. 



Whether the pedigrees of all modern thorough- 

 breds can or cannot be traced back to the Byerley 

 Turk, to the Darley Arabian, or to the Godolphin 

 Arabian, is still a source of argument, and opinions 

 upon the point probably are about equally divided. 



A romantic story attaches to the Godolphin 



