Messenger (horse) facts for kids
Painting of Messenger by George Stubbs
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| Breed | Thoroughbred |
|---|---|
| Sire | Mambrino |
| Grandsire | Engineer |
| Dam | Turf Mare (Unnamed) |
| Maternal grandsire | Turf |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1780 |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Color | Gray |
| Breeder | Richard Grosvenor |
Messenger (1780 – January 28, 1808) was a famous English Thoroughbred horse. He was brought to the United States right after the American Revolution. Messenger is super important because he is the great-grandpa of Hambletonian 10. Hambletonian 10 is known as the father of all American Standardbred horses. Even though Messenger didn't race for a long time, many successful racehorses in the 1900s were related to him.
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About Messenger the Horse
Messenger was a gray Thoroughbred horse. He was born in England in 1780. He was most likely born at Oxford Stud in Balsham, Cambridgeshire.
Messenger's Arrival in America
In May 1788, a man named Sir Thomas Benger brought Messenger to Pennsylvania. Messenger traveled by ship. A story says that the eight-year-old horse was very energetic. He ran off the ship's ramp so fast that two men had to hold him. This was surprising because other horses were tired after the long trip.
In 1793, Messenger was sold to Henry Astor. Henry was the brother of John Jacob Astor. Later, Messenger was sold to C.W. Van Ranst.
Messenger's Appearance and Personality
Messenger looked strong and powerful. He had large ears that were always moving. His head was big and bony, and his nose was shaped like a Roman nose. His nostrils were large and flexible. He was about 15.3 hands tall. One writer said he carried himself in a "perfect and striking" way.
Messenger was more powerful than he was pretty. People who worked with him had to be careful. He could be a bit rough, so handlers had to make sure they didn't get hurt.
Messenger's Racing Career
Messenger won 10 out of 16 races in England when he was younger. His best racing years were 1783, 1784, and 1785. Messenger's races were usually shorter than two and a half miles. Many of his races were "match" races. In these races, the side bets were much bigger than the prize money.
His biggest win was at five years old. He won the King's Plate race. He was very good at short races, like one mile or one and a quarter miles. Even though his father was a trotter, Messenger never ran a trot race.
Messenger's Offspring and Legacy
Messenger was a very active breeding horse. In one season, he bred with 126 female horses. This was done naturally. Like other English stallions, Messenger was bred with mares all over Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. It was common back then for anyone who could pay to breed their mare with a touring horse.
An advertisement from 1788 in a Philadelphia newspaper announced Messenger's arrival. It said he was available to local mares for "the very low price of Three Guineas each Mare." This ad also included a drawing of the gray horse. Thoroughbred horses were rare in the area at that time. Because Messenger's babies were so successful, his breeding fee went up. It reached about $40, which would be about $2,900 today.
Famous Descendants
Even though the mares he bred with were not always the best, Messenger had many successful racehorse children. His daughter, Miller's Damsel, was also called "Queen of the American Turf." She gave birth to a horse named American Eclipse. His breeder thought he would be as great as the famous English horse Eclipse. American Eclipse became a champion.
American Eclipse was a great father to Thoroughbreds. He also started the harness breed. This is the modern-day American Standardbred horse. This happened through his great-grandson, Rysdyk's (Hambletonian 10). Messenger's genes also helped create the American Saddlebred and Tennessee Walking Horse breeds.
Other famous horses related to Messenger include Whirlaway, Equipoise, Man O War, and Gallant Fox. He also passed on genes for the expensive "Joe Young" horses. These horses were popular in the Kansas area in the early 1900s.
Messenger's Final Resting Place
Messenger died on January 8, 1808. He was 28 years old. He died at Townsend Cook's, near Oyster Bay, New York. He was buried with special honors under a large rock. This rock has a plaque with his name on it. It is located on Duck Pond Road in Matinecock, New York. In 1964, he was added to the United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame.
A horse historian named John Hervey said in the 1960s that Messenger was not the best racer. However, he "deserves recognition as an outstanding producer of thoroughbreds." This means he was amazing at having babies who became great racehorses.
See also
- Horse breeding
