ANNALS OF THE TURF. 309 



Childers, &c. In 1762, he won 200 guineas sweepstakes at Rich- 

 mond ; in 1753, he won 50/. at Durham, and the noblemen and 

 gentlemen's subscription at Cupar, in Scotland. Merry Tom stood 

 in Prince George county, in 1767 ; he was the sire of the noted 

 horse Smiling Tom. 



Sterling, a fine dapple grey, foaled in 1762, was got by the Bell- 

 size Arabian, (which Mr. J. Simpson offered 1500 guineas for,) out 

 of Mr. Simpson's Snake mare; she was got by Snake, a son of the 

 Lister Turk, out of the Duke of Cumberland's famous mare, the dam 

 of Cato. Sterling traces down to the famous old mare bred by Mr. 

 Crofts at Raby, in Yorkshire, and sold to the Duke of Cleveland. 

 Sterling was a very fine horse, and became famous as a valuable 

 foal getter. He was owned by Wm. Evans, and stood in Surry 

 county, Va. in 1768. He did not exceed 15 1-2 hands in height. 



Lath, a bay horse, 15 hands one inch high, strong and bony, was 

 got by Shepherd's Crab, his dam by Lath, a son of the Godolphin 

 Arabian, &c. Lath was landed in this country in 1768, and won 

 that year the 50/. weight for ago plate, at New Market, on long 

 Island. In 1769 he won the Jockey Club purse of 100Z at Phila. 

 delphia, beating the then best running horses in that State and 

 from Maryland. In 1770, he also won the 100/. plate at the same 

 place. In 1771, he won the 100Z. plate at New Market, and never 

 was beat but once, when he ran out of condition. Lath was de- 

 scended from the most valuable blood in England, and contributed 

 in an eminent degree to. the improvement of the stock of horses of 

 his day. 



Whirligig, was a dark bay 15 hands high, and was imported from 

 England in the year 1773. He was got by Lord Portmore's bay 

 horse Captain, (a son of young Cartouch,) his dam by the Devon- 

 shire Blacklegs, son of Flying Childers, &c. In April 1769, when 

 this fine horse was rising six years old, his owner received forfeit 

 of 1000 guineas from Rapid ; the same year he beat Volunteer, for 

 '200 guineas. In October 1770, he beat Warwickshire Wag for 

 100 guineas; and the same year he beat Atrides for 100 guineas, 

 &c. Whirligig stood to mares in Halifax county, N. C. in the 

 year 1777. 



Sclim. This beautiful and valuable stallion was a dark bay, a 

 little rising 15 hands high, was got by Othello, (commonly called 

 Black and all Black,) whose sire was old Crab. The dam of Selim 

 was a beautiful mare of that name, got by the Godolphin Arabian, 

 and full sister to the celebrated horse Babraham of England. Se- 

 lim was a tried and approved racer, and a stallion of deserved 

 celebrity. He stood in Virginia from the year 1770 to 1780, and 

 propagated a valuable race of horses. 



A retrospect of the older stallions of Virginia, evinces the im- 

 portant fact that they did not exceed from 15 to 15 1-2 hands in 

 height ; and yet Virginia in those days had a stock of horses equal 

 to any in the world. They were remarkable for substance or fine 

 stamina. This stock of horses was the immediate descendants of 

 the best Arabian, Barb, or Turkish blood which had been earlj 



