302 ANNALS OF THE TURF. 



also, there were more sportsmen on the turf; yet we have at this 

 day better race horses, under less patronage, from American bred 

 stallions, than at that day. Does not this prove that by adhering 

 to our own stock, and breeding from large highly formed, full 

 blooded stallions, that our turf horses will soon equal or exceed any 

 in the world ? and as our race stock is considered stronger and more 

 active, it will be found advisable to breed them for the saddle, plough 

 or wagon. 



Jolly Roger, was the first horse that gave distinction to the racing 

 stock of Virginia. His performances on the English turf, and that 

 of his pedigree, are recorded in the name of "Roger of the Vale." 

 After he was imported into this country he took the name by which 

 he is now known ; he was foaled in 1741, and commenced covering 

 in Virginia about the year 1748. He was got by Roundhead, who 

 was by Flying Childers, who was by the Darley Arabian. The dam 

 of Roundhead was the famous "plate" mare Roxana by the Bald 

 Galloway, the dam of the celebrated racers and stallions Lath and 

 Cade by the Godolphin Arabian. The dam of Jolly Roger was got 

 by Mr. Croft's famous horse Partner, the best racer and stallion of 

 his day, his grandam by Woodcock — Croft's Bay Barb; Makeless ; 

 Brimmer ; Son of Dodsworth ; Burton Barb mare. 



Jolly Roger got many fine racers, stallions and brood mares, 

 and is a favourite cross in the pedigree of the Virginia bred turf 

 horse, and very justly too. 



Jolly Roger got Spanking Roger, out of the imported mare Jen- 

 ny Dismal, and Longsdale out of an imported Monkey mare. 



Janus was a chesnut horse, foaled in England in 1746, and got 

 by Janus, a bay hort;e foaled in 1738, full brother to Blank and 

 Old England, being got by the Godolphin Arabian out of the fa- 

 mous ' Little Hartley mare' by Bartlett's Childers, son of the Dar- 

 ley Arabian. 



Janus was imported into Virginia by Mr. Mordecai Booth, of 

 Gloucester county, Va. in the year 1752 ; his dam was got by old 

 Fox, [whose name stood eminent in the English pedigree,] his 

 grandam by the Bald Galloway. 



Although Janus partook of every cross in his pedigree calcula, 

 ted for the distance turf horse, yet his stock were more remarka, 

 ble for speed than bottom. Janus, from his shoulders back, was 

 considered the most perfect formed horse ever seen in Virginia, 

 by the most skilful connoisseurs ; he was remarkable for roundness 

 of contour, strength of articulation, and indicating great powers 

 ajid stamina in his whole conformation. 



His stock partook of these qualities in an eminent degree, and 

 for thirty or forty years they were considered as a ' peculiar stock,' 

 as they invariably exhibited even in the third and fourth genera- 

 tions from the old horse, the same compactness of for^n, strength 

 and power. The Janus stock have exceeded all others in the Uni- 

 ted States for speed, durability and general uniformity of good 

 form ; and ujore good saddle and harness horses have sprung from 

 them than from any other stock. 



