THE HELMSLE Y TURK 1 1 5 



a merchant named Markham. The Duke of New- 

 castle, who wrote a very good book on horses and 

 horsemanship, took a great dislike to this horse, which 

 he described as a small, bony animal, of ordinary 

 shape, and set him down as useless, because after 

 being trained he could not race. In consequence of 

 this opinion the Arab was not adopted by English 

 breeders for nearly a hundred years afterwards. 

 James also purchased an Eastern horse of Mr. Place, 

 who was afterwards stud-master to Oliver Cromwell. 

 This beautiful horse was called the White Turk, and 

 his name, as also that of his keeper, will be long 

 remembered. 



After this the Helmsley Turk was introduced by 

 the Duke of Buckingham, and he again was followed 

 by Fairfax's Morocco Barb. It is to this last horse, 

 which changed the breed, that we are indebted for the 

 first racehorses which could really gallop. Charles I. 

 was fond of racing, and established races in Hyde 

 Park and at Newmarket just previous to his rupture 

 with the Parliament. Cromwell started the first stud 

 of racehorses, the Civil Wars having proved the utility 

 of fast-galloping horses. At the restoration Royal 

 Plates were given to be run for at Newmarket and the 

 principal meetings. Charles II. sent his Master of the 

 Horse to the Levant with orders to purchase brood- 

 mares and stallions. These horses were most probably 

 Barbs and Turks. 



