THE STANDARDBRED HORSE 



121 



The Morgan family.— This is one of the oldest trotting 

 families and at the present time is considered by many as 

 a separate breed. The family takes its name from Justin 

 Morgan, said to be by True Briton out of a daughter of 

 Diamond, both sire and dam tracing to Godolphin Barb. 

 The breeding of Justin Morgan has been questioned, and 

 it is stated that 

 little is known of 

 his ancestors. He 

 was born in 1793, 

 at West Spring- 

 field, Massachu- 

 setts, but was 

 later removed to 

 Vermont, in which 

 state this family 

 of horses has 

 gained fame. He 

 is described as a 

 dark bay, with 

 black points, 

 about 14 hands 

 high and weighing 950 pounds, a fast walker, a good 

 trotter, and very intelligent, being used as a parade 

 horse, and as a short distance runner and a farm work 

 horse. 



Justin Morgan had a long stud career and proved a very 

 prepotent sire, though he did not produce great breeding 

 sons as did Hambletonian 10. The three sons of Justin 

 Morgan that were most prolific as a source of trotters 

 were Sherman Morgan, Woodbury and Bulrush. Sher- 

 man Morgan's most noted son. Black Hawk, born in 1833, 

 was a trotter and noted sire. Black Hawk's most noted 

 son, Ethan Allen, born in 1849, ^^^° became popular as a 

 successful trotter and famous as a sire. In 1858 he made 

 a record of 2.28, at that time the charnpion record. He 

 sired 36 producing sons and daughters, the most noted 



Fig. 72. — Standardbhed Morgan Stallion 



