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H, ARABIAN, 1724
| Color: b Height: 14h Few horses have as much legend associated with them as does the Godolphin Arabian, but little evidence can corroborate the stories of him being found pulling a water cart in the streets of Paris, or being used as a teaser, or the dramatic stallion battle with Hobgoblin over the lovely, but fickle, mare Roxana The facts regarding his origin are few. He was imported from France in 1729 by Mr. Edward Coke, a gentleman with personal connections in France, especially with the Duke of Lorraine. The Duke of Lorraine, later Emperor Francis I of Germany, also figures in the history of the Belgrade Turk. Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, brother-in-law of Edward Coke, purchased the Belgrade Turk from the Duke and brought him to England. It can be presumed that Coke acquired the Godolphin Arabian via the French court, possibly from the Duke himself The stallion was probably one of several presented as tribute to the King of France by the Bey of Tunis. While in France he was described by Vicomte de Manty, who said his name was Shami, that he was beautifully-made although half starved, with a headstrong temperament that made him unloved among the barn staff. Its very likely that he was in poor physical condition following his voyage from Tunis to the court of the French king, but its unlikely that he ever was reduced to pulling a water cart in Paris Whatever his history, Mr. Coke brought the Arabian to England and stood him at his recently purchased Longford Hall in Derbyshire; in Cokes stud book he is referred to as ye Arabian. The official story of the Arabian, later known as Lord Godolphins, begins in 1731, when he covered Mr. Cokes Roxana, (ch.f. 1718) by the Bald Galloway, who was bred by Sir William Strickland. The following spring, Roxana foaled a bay colt by the Arabian, named Lath, who was said to be a very elegant and beautiful horse, and who was later sold to the Duke of Devonshire Coke died in August, 1733 at the young age of 32. In his will, he left his small group of mares and foals, including Roxana and Lath, to a personal friend and fellow horseman, Francis, the second Earl of Godolphin, son of the controversial figure, Sidney, the first Earl. His stallions, including the Arabian, Whitefoot, and Hobgoblin, were left to another friend, Roger Williams. In 1733, the Earl acquired the Arabian from Williams, which is how the horse became known as the Godolphin Arabian. He was moved to the Earls stud near Babraham in the Gog Magog Hills in Cambridgeshire, not far from the racing town of Newmarket. Lord Godolphins mansion lay within the boundaries of the Iron Age fort known as Wandlebury Ring. The mansion was leveled in 1956, but the stables and other buildings remain on site Lath was considered to be the best racehorse of his day, and the best since Flying Childers. He was only a moderately successful stallion for the Duke of Devonshire, and his most influential offspring were generally mares out of daughters of Flying Childers, who also stood at Chatsworth, including Brown Betty, Gipsy, and several mares named on a theme: Crazy, Ancaster Crazy, Devonshire Crazy, and a sister to Crazy Lath was outstanding, but the Godolphin Arabian sired an even better one in Lord Chedworths Regulus (b.c. 1739) out of Grey Robinson by Bald Galloway, who was undefeated in his racing career, including seven Kings Plates won as a six-year-old Died in 1753 at an advanced age estimated to be 29 years (presuming he was a mature stallion of five or six upon his arrival in England) |
| GODOLPHIN ARABIAN* b 14h 1724 ARABIAN | ||||||||||||||||||
| * - Photo Available | ||||||||||||||||||
