First Families oj Virginia 35 



route to England, landed in the West Indies. Turned 

 out for exercise the horse fell from a high elevation and 

 broke three of his legs. The owner then presented the 

 horse to a sea captain who lived in Connecticut, to which 

 State the horse was taken in 1766. In 1777 or 1778 

 Gen. H. Lee, of the American cavalry, and his officers, 

 were attracted by the superior form and appearance of 

 some eastern horses employed in the cavalry. Upon 

 inquiry the officers learned the story of the sire, as stated 

 above. Gen. Lee then sent Capt. Lindsay to make 

 more minute investigations with instructions to buy the 

 horse if he answered the description given. The horse 

 was purchased and sent to Virginia. He was white and 

 of the most perfect form and symmetry, of lofty carriage 

 and commanding appearance and proved a great success 

 in the stud. Among his get was Gen. George Washingon's 

 Magnolia (dam by imp Othello) who stood at Mt. Vernon 

 in 1785 at 5.* 



SHARK, imp br. foaled 1771; by Marske, dam by Snap; 

 by Marlborough, full brother to Babraham and imp 

 Selima; natural Barb mare. Shark ran 29 races in 

 England and won 19. Among his trophies were a gold 

 cup, eleven hogsheads of claret and 20,000 guineas in plates, 

 matches, forfeits, etc. "When no horse could be found in 

 England to start against him," it was announced that he 

 would be shipped to America, whereupon 10,000 guineas 

 were publicly offered for him to keep him in England. 

 He was imported into Virginia by Col. John Tayloe and 



1 About 1790 at a Jockey Club meeting at Alexandria, Virginia, at 

 which Washington acted as a judge in some of the races, Magnolia 

 ran a race and lost. Thomas Jefferson was more fortunate; at this 

 same meeting his horse called the Roan colt is said to have won. 

 Washington later sold Magnolia to Gen. H. Lee for $1,500. 

 Gen. Lee sent him to South Carolina and sold him for a handsome 

 profit. 



