Herod (originally King Herod; April 1758 – 12 May 1780) was a Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the three foundation sires of the modern Thoroughbred racehorse, along with Matchem and Eclipse. Herod was the foundation sire responsible for keeping the Byerley Turk sire-line alive.[1]

Herod
Herod (King Herod)
SireTartar
GrandsirePartner
DamCypron
DamsireBlaze
SexStallion
FoaledApril 1758 (1758-04)
Died12 May 1780(1780-05-12) (aged 22)
CountryGreat Britain
ColourBay
BreederPrince William, Duke of Cumberland
OwnerPrince William, Duke of Cumberland, Sir Sir John Moore
Earningsca. £4,500
Awards
Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland
(1777, 1778, 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783, 1784)
Last updated on 14 August 2009

Background edit

Bred by Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, he was by the stallion Tartar, a very good racehorse, who won many races including the King's plate at Litchfield, the King's plate at Guildford, and the King's plate at Newmarket. In addition to Herod, Tartar sired Thais (dam of Silvertail), Fanny (second dam of King Fergus), the O'Kelly Old Tartar mare (dam of Volunteer), and others. Herod's dam, Cypron (1750 bay filly), was bred by Sir W. St Quintin. Herod was a half-brother Lady Bolingbroke (dam of Tetotum, Epsom Oaks) and a mare (1757) (dam of Clay Hall Marske) by Regulus.[2]

Description edit

Herod was a fine, bay horse standing 15.3 hands high with a small star and no white on his legs.[3] He was a powerful horse that was especially good at four-mile distances.[4]

Racing career edit

Herod began racing at five, the usual age to begin training for this period, in October 1763 winning a race on the four mile Beacon course at Newmarket. At age six, he won another race at Newmarket, followed by a four-miler at Ascot and a match against Antinous over the Beacon course. When he was seven, his owner died and he was sold in a dispersal sale to Sir John Moore, and it wasn't until 1766 that he returned to the track, where he won again against Antinous in a match over the same course.

His career began to close at this point, as he lost to Ascham, then to Turf, and then finished last in a race at York, after a bleeding attack. He started twice the following year, before retiring to stud.

Breeding career edit

Herod retired in 1770 and stood at the stud of Sir John Moore at Neather Hall, for a fee of 10 guineas, later raised to 25 guineas.[3] He was the leading sire in Great Britain eight times, (1777 to 1784), before his son, Highflyer (1785 to 1796, 1798) and grandson Sir Peter Teazle (1799 to 1802, and 1804 to 1809) took over. Herod's male line continues today in the pedigree of the 2007 Eclipse Stakes winner, Notnowcato. His most important offspring include:

  • Florizel: 1768 bay colt, won 16 races out of 23 starts. Sired Diomed, winner of the first Derby and incredibly influential sire in America.
  • Fortitude: sire of John Bull
  • Highflyer: 1774 bay colt, the most important son of Herod. Unbeaten in 14 races, leading sire several times, one of the 4 foundation lines of the classic Thoroughbred. Got Sir Peter Teazle, Rockingham, Delpini, Escape, St. George, and broodmare Prunella.
  • Justice: sired Rhadamanthus, Daedalus, and Trifle
  • Phoenomenon: won the St. Leger, leading sire
  • Woodpecker: 1773 chestnut colt, won the Craven Stakes in 1778, 1779 and 1781, and a 1,400 guineas handicap sweep in 1780 and 140 guineas purse at Newmarket in 1781, both times beating Potoooooooo (pronounced "Pot eight oes"). Although Woodpecker was initially overshadowed by the success of Highflyer, it is Woodpecker who is responsible for the continuation of the Herod sire line to the present day. Woodpecker sired Buzzard, sire of Selim who in turn sired Sultan, six time leading sire, who in turn sired Bay Middleton, another leading sire in the mid 1800s.[5]

Herod sired the winners of 497 races worth £201,505.[4]

He was still covering mares until his death, at age 22, at Netherhall (written as Neather Hall in the old calendars) on 12 May 1780.[3][6]

Sire line tree edit

Pedigree edit

Pedigree of Herod, bay stallion, 1758
Sire
Tartar
ch. 1743
Partner
ch. 1718
Jigg
br. 1701
Byerley Turk
Spanker Mare
Sister to Mixbury Curwen's Bay Barb
Curwen Spot Mare
Meliora
ch. 1729
Fox
b. 1714
Clumsey
Bay Peg
Milkmaid
1720
Whartons Snail
Shields Galloway
Dam
Cypron
br. 1750
Blaze
1733
Flying Childers
b. 1715
Darley Arabian
Betty Leedes
Confederate filly
1720
Grey Grantham
Rutland's Black Barb
Salome
blk. 1733
Bethells Arabian
c.1711
(unknown)
(unknown)
Champion Mare Graham's Champion
Darley Arabian Mare

References edit

  1. ^ Craig, Dennis, Breeding Racehorses from Cluster Mares, J A Allen, London, 1964
  2. ^ ASB - Cypron Retrieved on 2009-8-14
  3. ^ a b c Montgomery, E.S, “The Thoroughbred”, Arco, New York, 1973 ISBN 0-668-02824-6
  4. ^ a b Ahnert, Rainer L. (editor in chief), “Thoroughbred Breeding of the World”, Pozdun Publishing, Germany, 1970
  5. ^ "Historic Sire Lines". www.bloodlines.net. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  6. ^ Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World
  7. ^ a b c d e Byerley Turk Line
  8. ^ a b c Herod Sire Line
  9. ^ Portraits: Herod
  10. ^ a b c d e Biography: Herod
  11. ^ Foundation sire: Florizel
  12. ^ Portraits: Diomed
  13. ^ Sir Archy HOF
  14. ^ Sir Archy
  15. ^ a b c d The Bloodlines Chart
  16. ^ "Copperbottom" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  17. ^ "Lost Bloodline". Archived from the original on 2019-10-28. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  18. ^ Portraits: Duroc
  19. ^ "American Star". Archived from the original on 2020-07-21. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  20. ^ Foundation sire: Play or Pay
  21. ^ a b Studbook: Early P
  22. ^ a b c Studbook: Early S
  23. ^ Studbook: Early M
  24. ^ Foundation sire: Magnet
  25. ^ a b Studbook: Early D
  26. ^ Foundation sire: Plunder
  27. ^ Foundation sire: Postmaster
  28. ^ Foundation sire: Mufti
  29. ^ Biography: Mufti
  30. ^ a b Foundation sire: Woodpecker
  31. ^ Foundation sire: Buzzard
  32. ^ Buzzard
  33. ^ a b Studbook: Early C
  34. ^ Selim Sire Line
  35. ^ Foundation sire: Selim
  36. ^ Foundation sire: Chanticleer
  37. ^ Biography: Chanticleer
  38. ^ Foundation sire: Dragon
  39. ^ a b Highflyer Sire Line
  40. ^ a b c d e f g Portraits: Highflyer
  41. ^ Biography: Highflyer
  42. ^ Foundation sire: Delpini
  43. ^ Biography: Delpini
  44. ^ Foundation sire: Evander
  45. ^ Foundation sire: Rockingham
  46. ^ a b Studbook: Early QR
  47. ^ General Stud Book
  48. ^ Foundation sire: Noble
  49. ^ Portraits: Sir Peter Teazle
  50. ^ Biography: Sir Peter Teazle
  51. ^ Studbook: Early UV
  52. ^ Portraits: Sir Harry
  53. ^ Foundation sire: Haphazard
  54. ^ Biography: Haphazard
  55. ^ Portrait: Walton
  56. ^ Biography: Walton
  57. ^ Portrait: St Patrick
  58. ^ Portrait: Paulowitz
  59. ^ Racing Calendar 1817
  60. ^ Foundation sire: Spadille
  61. ^ Foundation sire: Escape
  62. ^ Biography: Escape
  63. ^ Foundation sires: T
  64. ^ Biography: Traveller
  65. ^ Foundation sire: Skyscraper
  66. ^ Biography: Skyscraper
  67. ^ Foundation sire: Walnut
  68. ^ a b c Studbook: Early W
  69. ^ Biography: St George
  70. ^ Foundation sire: Moorcock
  71. ^ Foundation sire: Diamond
  72. ^ Biography: Diamond
  73. ^ Foundation sire: Justice
  74. ^ Foundation sire: Rhadamanthus
  75. ^ Foundation sire: Il' Mio
  76. ^ Foundation sire: Anvil
  77. ^ Biography: Anvil
  78. ^ Foundation Sire: John Bull
  79. ^ Studbook: Early T
  80. ^ Studbook: Early B
  81. ^ Foundation sire: Phoenomenon
  82. ^ Studbook: Early NO
  83. ^ Biography: Antonio
  84. ^ Foundation sires: B

External links edit