MEMOIR 



OF SIR ARCHY. 



This justly celebrated horse, whose portrait, from a painting, 

 which we have been assured is a striking likeness, ornaments 

 the present memoir, was foaled in the spring of 1805, on James 

 river, in Virginia, and was bred by Col. Archibald Randolph 

 and Col. John Tayloe, as their joint property. 



Sir Archy is of rich bay color, having no white about him 

 except on his right hind foot. He is a horse of commanding 

 size, fully sixteen hands high, with great power and substance. 

 He is eminently superior in all those points indispensable to the 

 turf horse and mainly contributory to strength and action. 

 His shoulder, the most material part of the horse, is strikingly 

 distinguished, being very deep, fairly mounting up to the top 

 of the withers, and obliquely inclined to the hips. His girth is 

 full and deep, back short and strong, thighs and arms long and 

 muscular, his bone good. His front appearance is fine and 

 commanding — his head and neck are well formed, the latter 

 rising well out of his withers. Take Sir Archy upon the whole, 

 and he has more size, power and substance than we often see 

 combined in the full bred horse. As a racer he was considered 

 very superior. He did not run many races, but beat all the 

 best horses of his day ; among them were Wrangler, Tom 

 Tough, Palafox, Minerva, Ratray, Gallatin, and also Gen. Car- 

 ney's celebrated racer Blank, by Citizen. "When Sir Archy 

 quitted the turf, he had no equal in this country, as will be seen 

 in the following extract of a letter from Col. W. R. Johnson — 

 " I have only to say that, in my opinion. Sir Archy is the best 



