THE SADDLE BREEDS OF HORSES 111 
Levant. His most notable importation was of the Barb 
mares, commonly known as the King’s or Royal mares, 
which are regarded by some authorities as the foundation 
dams of the true blood horse. Others, however, doubt 
the accuracy of thus limiting the base of the breed. 
126. Important sires. —The three most important 
oriental sires in the foundation of the Thoroughbred were 
the Darley Arabian, now known to have been a pure-bred 
Anazeh, imported in 1706; the Byerly Turk, imported: 
in 1689; and the Godolphin Barb, brought in 1724 from 
Paris, where he was found hauling a water-cart, having 
been discarded, no doubt, by some member of the royal 
family to whom he had been presented. Eclipse, the 
greatest horse of his kind, is a direct descendant four 
generations removed from the Darley Arabian, as were 
also Blaze, three generations removed, the foundation 
Hackney sire, and Imported Messenger, six generations 
removed, the foundation American trotter sire. From 
the Byerly Turk comes King Herod, another noted sire, 
while Matchem, a great race horse and successful sire, 
was a grandson of the Godolphin Barb. Furthermore, 
Justin Morgan, who shares honors with Imp. Messenger, 
already referred to as a foundation American sire, is said 
to be a direct descendant of Godolphin Barb. It is claimed 
that American Thoroughbreds, as a rule, are less remote 
from their oriental ancestry than the average English 
horse, and that they follow more closely their type. 
127. Purpose for which bred. — Thoroughbreds have 
been bred for nearly three centuries under a most rigid 
system of selection, turf performance alone being the 
standard. The high degree of equine perfection exempli- 
fied by the best Thoroughbred individuals, as well as the 
prominence to which the breed has attained, can be at- 
