Sweetbriar (horse) facts for kids

Sweetbriar was a famous British racehorse born in 1769. He was a special kind of horse called a Thoroughbred, known for racing. Sweetbriar was amazing because he won every single one of his eight races! He even beat another famous horse named Firetail in a special one-on-one race. After his racing days, Sweetbriar became a successful father to many racehorses, including Assassin, who won the important Epsom Derby race.

Sweetbriar's Early Life

Sweetbriar was a chestnut-colored male horse, called a colt, born in 1769. He was bred by a person named Thomas Meredith. Sweetbriar's father was a successful racehorse named Syphon, who had won the Great Subscription Purse. Syphon was also the father of another horse named Sweetwilliam. Sweetbriar's mother was a horse whose father was named Shakespeare.

Sweetbriar's Racing Wins

Sweetbriar started his racing career in October 1773 at Newmarket Racecourse. In his very first race, he won a "Sweepstakes" race. This meant several owners put money into a pot, and the winner took it all. Sweetbriar beat horses like Chalkstone, Milliner, Consul, and Chesterton. Chalkstone was the favorite to win that day, but Sweetbriar proved them wrong!

More Wins in 1773

Later that October, Sweetbriar raced Chalkstone again in a "match race." A match race is when only two horses race against each other. Sweetbriar won again! At another meeting, he beat a horse named Porsenna. Sweetbriar was becoming a favorite with the people watching the races.

Undefeated in 1774

In the spring of 1774, Sweetbriar faced Chalkstone for a third time in a big 1000 guineas race at Newmarket. Both horses were equally favored to win, but Sweetbriar won once more! He then had another 1000 guineas match race against Firetail, who had won the Craven Stakes. Sweetbriar was the clear favorite and won this race too. In October, he won a 140 guineas race against Lamplighter. Just two days later, Sweetbriar won another Sweepstakes race, beating Telemachus and Joquille.

His Final Race

In October 1775, Sweetbriar had his final race. He won the Newmarket Cup without even having to run! This is called a "walkover" because no other horses showed up to race against him. Sweetbriar retired from racing, having won every single race he ever entered. He was truly an undefeated champion!

Sweetbriar's Life as a Father

After his amazing racing career, Sweetbriar became a "stallion." This means he was used for breeding. He mostly bred with mares (female horses) owned by Grosvenor. Sweetbriar was quite successful as a father. One of his most famous sons was Assassin, who won the important Epsom Derby race in 1782. Sweetbriar also had two daughters named Flyer and Hare. Flyer became the mother of two other Derby winners, Rhadamanthus and Daedalus. Hare's daughter, Tippitywitchet, also became a very important mother horse, known for her strong family line.

Family Tree

See also

• List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses