The Bycrly Turk's Line. 1 1 



small, it is quite possible he may have been a horse of 

 excellent blood. The imported horses were used among 

 the mares of the country ; a mixture, perhaps, of every 

 kind of horse under the sun, or nearly so. But besides 

 these were others : King Charles II. sent abroad 

 to procure a number of foreig7t horses and mares for 

 breeding ; the mares thus imported were called royal 

 mares, as were also many of their produce ; these also 

 enter into the composition of our race horse ; they were 

 probably partly of Eastern blood. Next it is proposed 

 to show how these various families are represented at the 

 present time at the stud, or by horses which may have 

 lately retired from the Turf, or may be about to leave, 

 and which may be likely to appear as sires. Some 

 horses may be mentioned at greater length, and other 

 matters brought forward to help deductions being drawn, 

 and which, it is hoped, may be rather interesting than 

 tedious. As the eldest, the line from the Byerly Turk 

 shall first come under consideration. 



The Byerly Turk's Line. 



Captain Byerly's charger, used by him in 1687 in 

 King William's wars in Ireland, does not seem to have 

 been much patronised at the stud, but he was the sire of 

 Sprite, thought to have been nearly as good as Leedes, 

 who was a son of the Leedes Arabian (Leedes was a horse 

 of entirely Eastern blood) ; but Sprite did not hand 

 down the Byerly Turk's line, and we must look to Jigg, 

 whose dam was by Spanker. Jigg begot Partner from 

 a sister to Mixbury, who was by Curwen's bay Barb. 



