Lord Lyon and my Girls!!

Both my girls are related to Lord Lyon, the third British Triple Crown winner in history, in 1866. He started 21 times and won 18 of them. He was a good stallion, and his influence is felt through his kid Minting. He also was the leading earner among the famous Stockwell's progeny. My girls are related to him through his dad, Stockwell, and through Touchstone. In the racing painting, Harry Hall is the artist depicting Lord Lyon's win in the St. Leger! Actually, it represents Sir Sutton's Lord Lyon winning against Lord Ailesbury's Savernake! Here are two cool things about his name. There is a pub named after him in the heart of racing country in England!! And the Lord Lyon Court is the Scottish administrative unit that controls all badges and heraldry!! You can read more about him and his bar and his royal badges at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_of_the_Lord_Lyon

or

http://www.heraldry-scotland.co.uk/lyoncourt.html

or

http://www.lordlyon.com/

or

http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Stockwell.html

Hailee's Diamond Jubilee!

Hailee is related to Diamond Jubilee, born in 1897 to his owner/breeder, the future king, Edward VII. He is in Hailee's Lena Valenti line. He won many races, including the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, St. Leger Stakes, Eclipse Stakes, Boscawen Stakes and Newmarket Stakes. So, yes, he is an English Triple Crown winner!! Hailee has Diamond Jubilee and Lord Lyon as her unique English Triple Crown winner to bring her and Violet's ETC relations to 11 out of 15!! He had flawless conformation, but a nasty temper. He once savaged a jockey and he was often rearing. He was not allowed to be beaten because his owner didn't want to ruffle his feathers or break his spirit! In England, he sired the important mare, Taormina who among others foaled Traumer, a stakes winner and stud in the United States. Taormina and Traumer are in Hailee's family tree!! Diamond Jubilee was sent to Argentina where he was a leading sire in 1914, 1915, 1916, and 1921. He passed in 1923. You can read more about Diamond Jubilee at the following links: http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument?id=1038 or http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/StSimon.html

Stockwell and My Girls!

My girls are related to the 1849 born Stockwell who was considered "the very incarnation of ugliness" and "a bit savage," but also considered to be a very fine racer and the "emperor of stallions." He was 7 times the leading sire in England and the leading sire of the 1860s. His progeny through Phalaris were responsible for 70% of the stakes winners in the 1990s. Violet shares these Phalaris connections through Nasrullah, and Turn-To. Northern Dancer and Raise a Native are also part of this illustrious history, though only indirect relations to my girls. Hailee shares in Stockwell's glory through his English Triple Crown-winning progeny Lord Lyon, as well as his other progeny Man o' War and Doncaster! Stockwell is responsible for carrying the Eclipse line through to the modern day thoroughbred. When I look at my girls, I can see his nobility shining through. What beautiful girls I have! You can read more about their champion relative at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockwell_(horse)

or

http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Stockwell.html

or

http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Bios/Stockwell.htm

Violet's English Triple Crown Relatives!

So, we have a Triple Crown series in the United States with the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes. But England has had a Triple Crown Series for many years before our young one! Their Triple Crown consists of the 2,000 Guineas (at 1 mile), the Epsom Derby (at 1 1/2 miles), and the St. Leger Stakes (at 1 mile 6 furlongs and 127 yds). Of the 15 English Triple Crown winners, I found after a casual search that Violet is related to 9 of them! She's related to the very first four, and then her last Triple Crown winner was in 1918. Here are her famous English Triple Crown family members: West Australian (1853), Gladiateur (1865), Lord Lyon (1866), Ormonde (1886), Isinglass (1893), Flying Fox (1899), Rock Sand (1903), Gay Crusader (1917) and Gainsborough (1918). The last English Triple Crown winner was in 1970, by the name of Nijinsky. Gainsborough, Violet's most recent English Triple Crown family winner, is in the photo. His sire was Bayardo who also sired Gay Crusader. Gainsborough's dam was Rosedrop, a filly who won the 1910 Epsom Oaks. When Gainsborough retired, he had a brilliant stud career and produced many stakeswinners, such as Violet's Hyperion, and also produced many major studs and breeding mares. Suave, as well as fast! You can read more about the English Triple Crown and Gainsborough at the following links:

http://www.sportingchronicle.com/racing/englishtriplecrown.html

http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument;jsessionid=3FF8916E880D7EC8C17217C47121DCEB?id=868

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gainsborough_(horse)