John Bull (horse) facts for kids

John Bull (1789–1812) was a famous British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A sire is a male horse used for breeding. In his racing career, which lasted from April 1792 to April 1793, he ran three times and won two races. In 1792, he won the Great Produce Stakes in his very first race. He then went on to win the important Derby that same year. He only ran one more race after that, but he did not win.

About John Bull

John Bull was a very large and strong horse. He had a beautiful chestnut coat, which is a reddish-brown color. He was born in 1789 and was bred by his owner, Lord Grosvenor.

John Bull's mother was a mare (female horse) named Xantippe. His father was Fortitude. His grandfather on his mother's side was the legendary racehorse Eclipse.

John Bull's Racing Career

1792: A Winning Year

John Bull started his racing career in 1792 when he was three years old. His first race was the Great Produce Stakes. This race was held at the Newmarket Craven meeting in April. The race was about 1.25 miles long.

Many horses were entered, and nine actually ran. John Bull was the favorite to win. He won the race, beating two horses named Ormond and Hotspur. He won a very large prize of 4,200 guineas. A guinea was a type of old British money.

Next, John Bull raced in the famous Derby at Epsom on May 24. He was again the favorite to win this big race. Seven horses competed in the Derby. Ridden by jockey Frank Buckle, John Bull won! He beat a horse named Speculator, who was not expected to win.

John Bull was supposed to race again in October. This was a special "match race" against another horse named Vermin. However, John Bull was taken out of the race. Lord Grosvenor had to pay a fee of 300 guineas because John Bull did not run.

1793: Four-Year-Old Season

More than ten months after winning the Derby, John Bull raced again in April 1793. He was now four years old. He ran in a four-mile race with five other horses. This time, he did not finish among the top horses.

John Bull's Breeding Career

After his racing career, John Bull became a breeding stallion. This means he was used to father new racehorses. He started his breeding career in a place called Oxcroft in Cambridgeshire.

In 1796, it cost 20 guineas to breed a mare with John Bull. This was the same price as another famous stallion named Potoooooooo. A year later, John Bull moved to Figdale, near Chester. His breeding fee was lowered to 15 guineas.

From 1808, he moved to Scotland. He stood at Auchins in Ayrshire for 10 guineas until at least 1810. John Bull passed away in the spring of 1812.

He was a very successful sire. Many of his offspring became winners. John Bull was considered one of the most popular breeding stallions of his time, second only to Sir Peter Teazle.

One of John Bull's most famous descendants was Copenhagen. Copenhagen was the horse ridden by the Duke of Wellington during the famous Battle of Waterloo. Copenhagen carried the Duke for 17 hours straight during the battle!

John Bull's Family Tree