To look at the racehorses of today, one may not be aware that all modern Thoroughbreds can be traced back to three Arabian sires. They were imported into England via the Middle East in the late 17th/early 18th centuries. These three horses were brought to England at different times. They became the most influential breeding sires in history.
Byerley Turk
Born in 1680, Byerley Turk first came when the stallion was allegedly captured from a Turkish officer during the 1688 siege of Buda in Hungary by an officer named Captain Robert Byerley. The stallion also could have come from England and later been involved in the war, so the origin is a bit of a mystery. Though this is the oldest of the three lineages and the least influential on modern racehorses in terms of the male line of descendants, it did produce the great Herod in 1758. The daughters of the Byerley Turk produced a famous female line that resulted in the legendary Eclipse.
Darley Arabian
Born in 1700, Darley Arabian is the second of the three. This Syrian-born colt was purchased by Thomas Darley. Darley, a wealthy British consult to Queen Anne, sent the stallion to Aldby Park near York, England. The horse remained in stud until his death in 1730. The Darley Arabian was never a racer, and the mares he was mated with weren’t particularly the best of the best. However, his lineage remains strong in today’s top Thoroughbred pedigrees, with Northern Dancer as a standout. Interestingly the Darley Arabian was also the great-great-grandsire of Eclipse. The Darley Stallion is thought to be the most influential of the three foundation stallions on the Thoroughbred breed.
Godolphin Arabian
Born in Yemen in 1724, Godolphin Arabian actually came over from France into England by Edward Coke in 1729. The horse was originally given to King Louis XV as a gift from the Emperor of Monaco before Coke acquired him. When Coke died, the horse went to Roger Williams and eventually to Lord Godolphin to stand stud near Newmarket in England. Many of the facts surrounding the Godolphin Arabian’s history are lost to us. The story has been fictionalized often. We do know that his presence is most notably famous for producing the greatest racehorse of all time, Man O’ War. Today, the mighty Tiznow represents the line as the only two-time winner of the Breeder’s Cup Classic. A famous quote from 1850 stated, “The blood of the Godolphin Arabian is in every stable in England.”
In truth, there are over 160 stallions of Oriental (Arab, Barb, and Turkomen) breeding. Known for their speed and endurance, that can be traced to the origins of the Thoroughbred. And yes, the ladies are represented, too, as approximately 15 English mares used as foundation breeding stock can claim. Genetically, one study has shown that 95% of all male Thoroughbreds can trace their male lineage to the Darley Arabian. In modern pedigrees, however, more horses are linked to the Godolphin Arabian (approx. 13.8%) than to the Darley (6.5%) or the Byerley (3.3%). Most of the horses running today can be traced to a total of around 27 or 28 stallions from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Owners and breeders carefully comb through a horse’s pedigree. They are looking for strong male and female bloodlines to try to produce the fastest and the best racers when determining which horses to breed with. Arabian horses are not raced in America today. They are more likely to be show horses or for personal ownership and pleasure riding. Known for their sheer beauty, high spirits, and noble air, the Thoroughbred breed has established its own firm footing on and off the track.
