Herod (horse) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Herod
Herod (King Herod)
Sire	Tartar
Grandsire	Partner
Dam	Cypron
Damsire	Blaze
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1758
Country	Great Britain
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Prince William, Duke of Cumberland
Owner	Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, Sir Sir John Moore
Earnings	ca. £4,500
Awards
Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland (1777, 1778, 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783, 1784)
Last updated on 14 August 2009

Herod (originally called King Herod) was a very famous Thoroughbred racehorse. He was born in April 1758 and lived until May 1780. Herod was one of the three most important horses that helped create the modern Thoroughbred breed. The other two were Matchem and Eclipse. Herod was especially important because he kept the bloodline of an older, famous horse called the Byerley Turk alive.

Herod's Early Life and Family

Herod was born in 1758. His breeder was Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, a royal family member. Herod's father was a great racehorse named Tartar. Tartar won many important races, including several "King's Plates." Herod's mother was a bay mare named Cypron. She was bred by Sir W. St Quintin. Herod also had a half-sister named Lady Bolingbroke.

What Herod Looked Like

Herod was a beautiful bay horse. He stood about 15.3 hands high, which is quite tall for a horse. He had a small star mark on his forehead. He did not have any white markings on his legs. Herod was known for being a very strong horse. He was especially good at running long distances, like four-mile races.

Herod's Racing Career

Herod started his racing career when he was five years old. This was a common age for horses to begin training back then. In October 1763, he won his first race at Newmarket. It was a four-mile race.

When he was six, Herod won another race at Newmarket. He also won a four-mile race at Ascot. Then he won a special "match race" against a horse named Antinous. A match race is when only two horses compete.

When Herod was seven, his owner, Prince William, passed away. Herod was then sold to Sir John Moore. He didn't race again until 1766. When he returned, he won another match race against Antinous.

After this, Herod's racing career began to slow down. He lost a few races. In one race at York, he finished last because he had a health issue. He raced two more times the next year. Then, in 1770, he retired from racing to become a breeding stallion.

Herod's Breeding Career

Herod became a breeding stallion in 1770. He lived at Sir John Moore's farm. At first, his breeding fee was 10 guineas, but it later went up to 25 guineas. This means people paid a lot of money to have their mares bred to him.

Herod was an incredibly successful breeding horse. He was the top breeding stallion in Great Britain eight times in a row! This was from 1777 to 1784. His son, Highflyer, and his grandson, Sir Peter Teazle, also became top sires later on.

Herod's male bloodline is still alive today. For example, the horse Notnowcato, who won the Eclipse Stakes in 2007, is a descendant of Herod.

Some of Herod's most important children include:

• Florizel: This bay colt was born in 1768. He won 16 out of 23 races. Florizel's son, Diomed, won the very first Derby race. Diomed became a very important breeding horse in America.
• Highflyer: Born in 1774, Highflyer was Herod's most famous son. He never lost a race in his 14 starts! Highflyer was a leading sire many times. He is considered one of the four main foundation lines of the modern Thoroughbred.
• Woodpecker: This chestnut colt was born in 1773. He won several important races. Even though Highflyer was more famous at first, Woodpecker is the one who carried on Herod's male bloodline to the present day. Woodpecker's son, Buzzard, and his grandson, Selim, were also very important sires.

Herod's children won a total of 497 races. They earned a huge amount of money, over £200,000!

Herod continued to breed mares until he passed away. He died at the age of 22 on May 12, 1780.