Eleanor (horse) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eleanor |
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Eleanor, c. 1801, in a painting by Richard Denew
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| Sire | Whiskey |
| Grandsire | Saltram |
| Dam | Young Giantess |
| Damsire | Diomed |
| Sex | Mare |
| Foaled | 1798 |
| Country | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Charles Bunbury |
| Owner | 1) Charles Bunbury (1798–1821) 2) Mr. Rush (1822–c.1824) |
| Trainer | Cox or J. Frost |
| Record | 46: 29-8-1 |
| Major wins | |
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Eleanor (born 1798 – died around 1824) was a famous British Thoroughbred racehorse. She was bred by Charles Bunbury. Eleanor made history by becoming the very first female horse to win The Derby. This was a huge achievement!
She also won the 1801 Epsom Oaks, another very important race. Eleanor won many other races too. She stopped racing when she was eight years old. After that, she became a broodmare for Bunbury. This means she had foals (baby horses) to continue her amazing bloodline. Her children and grandchildren became famous racehorses too, like Muley, Pocahontas, Stockwell, and Leviathan.
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Eleanor's Early Life
Eleanor was born in 1798 at Barton Hall. This was the home of her breeder, Charles Bunbury. She was a beautiful bay filly (a young female horse). She had a small white star on her forehead. She also had a white sock marking on her left back foot.
Her Parents
Eleanor's father was a horse named Whiskey. Bunbury bought Whiskey in 1793 after his racing career. Whiskey was born in 1789 and was bred by the Prince of Wales. He won many races before he was four years old.
Her mother was a mare named Young Giantess. She was born in 1790. Young Giantess's father was Diomed. Diomed was the winner of the very first Epsom Derby. He was also owned by Bunbury. Young Giantess was a great mother horse. She had many important foals, including Eleanor.
Eleanor's Racing Career
Eleanor started her racing career as a three-year-old. She was owned by Charles Bunbury her whole career. She won 29 out of 48 races! That's a lot of wins. Her trainer was either Cox or J. Frost. People said her trainer once exclaimed, "Depend upon it, that Eleanor is a h—l of a mare!" This showed how amazing they thought she was.
Making History in 1801
In 1801, when she was three, Eleanor became the first filly to win The Derby. This was a huge moment in horse racing history! The very next day, she also won the Epsom Oaks. Winning both races in the same year was incredibly rare. It didn't happen again for 56 years! Only six fillies have ever won the Epsom Derby. Even fewer have won both the Derby and the Oaks.
Her main jockey for most of her races was John Saunders. Eleanor stopped racing when she was seven years old. She then went back to Barton Hall to become a broodmare.
Highlights of Her Wins
Eleanor's first race was on April 20 in Newmarket. She won 250 guineas. The Derby was her second race ever, and she won it against nine colts and one other filly. The day after the Derby, she won the 550-guinea Oaks.
She continued to race and win for several more years. She won races like the King's Plate and various sweepstakes. She often carried more weight than other horses as a handicap. This showed how good she was. Even when she was older, she kept winning. She won three races at the Egham meeting in 1805. She finally retired after the 1805 season.
Eleanor's Life as a Mother
Eleanor retired from racing in 1806. She went to live at Bunbury's Barton Hall. Charles Bunbury passed away in 1821. All his horses were sold in 1822. Eleanor was sold for over £91. She likely died in 1823 or 1824.
Her Famous Offspring
Eleanor had ten foals between 1807 and 1823. While many of her foals weren't big racing stars themselves, some of them became very important parents. They passed on her amazing genes to future generations of racehorses.
- Muley (born 1810): He was Eleanor's most famous son. Muley became a very successful father horse. He had many good racers, including Margrave and Vespa. His daughter, Marpessa, had a foal named Pocahontas. Pocahontas became the mother of Stockwell, one of the most important horses in Thoroughbred history! Muley also had a son named Leviathan, who became a top father horse in the United States.
- Bay filly (born 1814): This daughter of Eleanor was known as "Picton's dam" because she had a successful racing son named Picton. She later moved to France and then back to England, continuing to have foals.
- Active (born 1820): This daughter of Eleanor also became an important mother horse. Her granddaughter, Woodburn, was a key horse in creating the Standardbred breed. Standardbreds are famous for harness racing.
Eleanor's legacy lives on through her many descendants. They have continued to win races and influence horse breeds for centuries!
