Flying Childers

Flying Childers was a famous 18th century thoroughbred racehorse born in 1714, and is often cited as the first truly great racehorse in the history of Thoroughbreds.

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Flying Childers


caption = Flying Childers
sire = Darley Arabian
grandsire =
dam = Betty Leedes
damsire = Wharton's Careless
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1714
country = Great Britain flagicon|UK
colour = Bay, 4 stockings
breeder = Colonel Leonard Childers of Cantley Hall
owner = 4th Duke of Devonshire
trainer =
record = 7: 7-0-0
earnings =
race =
awards = referenced in Henry David Thoreau's "Where I Lived and What I lived For"
honours = Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse
updated = August 26, 2007

Breeding

Flying Childers was out of Betty Leedes, a mare by Careless. Careless was by the great stallion Spanker, and both were thought to be the best racehorses of their generation. His sire was the great Darley Arabian, one of the 3 foundation stallions of the Thoroughbred breed. Betty Leedes was one of the few outside mares allowed to breed to the Darley Arabian by his owner, which was mostly kept as a private stud.

Racing career

Flying Childers gained the name of his breeder, Colonel Leonard Childers, in addition to his owner, the Duke of Devonshire, often being referred to as either Devonshire Childers of Flying Childers. Although the Duke received many offers on the colt, including one to pay for the horse's weight in gold, he remained the animal's owner throughout his life.

First racing at age 6, the 15.2 hand colt won his maiden race, held April 1721 at Newmarket, to defeat Speedwell. He then won his second race in October, also at Newmarket, in a walk over, and his third race against half-brother Almanzor. As a seven-year-old, he won his one start, a race at Newmarket where he beat Chaunter. In 1723, he won both his starts by walk over, one in April at Newmarket, the other a matchrace against Bobsey, who forfeited. Flying Childers then retired to stud.

Breeding career

Flying Childers stood as a private stallion at the Duke's Chatsworth estate in Derbyshire, until his death in 1741 at age 26. His offspring included several full-siblings by the Bastro Mare: Blacklegs (br. 1728), a successful racehorse and sire for the Duke, Snip (b. 1736), a fairly unsuccessful racehorse who sired the great stallion Snap, Second (br. 1732), who beat both Sultan and Partner in 1737, Bay Basto (1729), Hip (1733), and Brown Basto (1738).

He also sired Spanking Roger (ch. 1732), unbeaten against some of the best horses in the country except for one race where he threw his rider, Roundhead (ch. 1733), Fleec'em, Steady, and Blaze (b. 1733). Blaze was especially important, producing Sampsom, Scrub and Childers, Shales (founding sire of the Norfolk Roadster, great influence on the Hackney) and Messenger, the founding sire of the Standardbred and very important in the Tennessee Walking Horse. Lastly, Flying Childers was the damsire of the foundation Thoroughbred Herod

References

* [http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/flying+childers Flying Childers' pedigree]
* [http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/FlyingChilders.html Flying Childers on Thoroughbred Heritage site]

External links

* http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/12600/12603/childers_12603.htm