Last week, Emma posted about notorious stallions and how a few of them show up in her horse’s pedigree. I have grown more and more curious with Thoroughbred pedigrees over the years … considering I have owned a few off-track characters this shouldn’t be surprising.
But then, I am not really looking at racing pedigrees for racing talent. I am more curious to find what results in jumping talent! No doubt any Thoroughbred can clear a 3′ fence and all have the athleticism to perform in a variety of horse sports, but what do Thoroughbred pedigrees show as far as athleticism to excel at jumping, in scope, form, carefulness, and willingness?
I DON’T EFFING KNOW.
There’s not really an answer, other than possibly to notice patterns in the pedigrees of ex-racehorses you have had your own experiences with. Based on my personal experience, I tend to lean toward both Danzig and Alydar progeny as showing jumping talent. Even so, it’s a guessing game, as both stallions were prolific, especially Alydar. These are pedigrees cultivated out of a desire to breed top talent on the racetrack. These are not the pedigrees of top showjumping mounts, curated for scope, although Thoroughbred blood heavily influences many of those pedigrees. (You’ll want to click on the pedigree to make it bigger.)
I knew Eli had jumping talent before I set eyes on his pedigree, and only after the fact did his pedigree confirm any inklings I might still have toward a preference for Danzig and Alydar progeny. But I can also see that’s all on his sire’s side. I am less familiar with his dam’s lines, although his dam earned about what Eli did racing in fewer starts.
For former racehorses in new careers, we can really only work backwards, take educated guesses and possibly start to recognize patterns over time if we are looking for clues in the pedigrees about jumping talent.
I know Emma’s post related more to temperament than talent, but we all know I have a little, let’s say, flexibility when it comes to temperament as long as the talent is there. When I look back at the pictures of the sires in Eli’s pedigree I am most struck by, of course, Danzig and the look not only of arrogance, but utter contempt for everything coloring the horse’s countenance. Secondly, however, I am completely captivated by the conformation, fine head, and air of magnanimity and composure of his dam’s sire, Irish Tower. No idea how I got all that out of one picture, but after taking another long look at Eli’s pedigree thanks to Emma, I might be curious to follow Irish Tower progeny in the future, too.
If Thoroughbred pedigrees have you overwhelmed, stoke that confusion fire by reading this gem on Danzig and his far-reaching influence! You can also click through all the way back to foundation stallions on your horse’s pedigree on the Thoroughbred Database. You will probably get to the Darley Arabian and recognize a few names on your way back. I know most of y’all probably already know all this, but for first-time TB owners or people who have never searched for their Thoroughbred online, I hope this helps!
And if you’re interested in finding video or photos of your own Thoroughbred ex-racehorse but don’t know how, look up your horse’s Jockey Club name on Equibase. If your fur kid raced like mine did, check the Results tab for racetracks. From there, you can watch replay video from the tracks’ websites if your fur kid is young enough (Eli is, just barely)! To watch the video directly from Equibase, you’d need a membership. After watching a few races with Eli in them, I have a little idea about where his fear of/angst about crops may have originated. Coady Photography also allows you to search by Jockey Club names, which reminds me–I need to go buy that one winner’s circle picture of Eli that I found!
I had fun clicking through equibase and gleaning some more facts about my guy. Unfortunately he is too old to have any video up (he also raced at pretty podunk tracks haha). Still a lot of fun!
Irish Tower is 😍
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I just squeaked in under the wire with video. It looks like 2007 is the earliest video replay for a lot of the tracks.
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can always count on you for the best vocabulary.
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Can always count on you for the best vocab of all bloggers!
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You’d think I’d be better at Scrabble …
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OMG I didn’t even think to look for video through the tracks themselves…. I found photos that way but had just figured it was case closed when equibase told me I’d have to pay. Omg omg. To the Google!! (Again!!!)
Also tho – thanks for adding your voice in this too. I love reading all about these esp bc it just seems like there’s a lifetime of knowledge to be learned about race horses and the industry that produces them. So it’s cool learning everyone’s unique perspectives!
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I haven’t found a way to download replay video, just watch. Still fun, tho!
Thank YOU for inspiring such a fun informal hop 🙂
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I love Equibase!
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I could spend hours on it
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I wish that there was this much info on saddlebreds!
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It is pretty amazing how much is online for TBs. I had a TB a long enough time ago that we had to mail a check to the Jockey Club to get a pedigree based on the lip tattoo. So glad that is no longer necessary!
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Highness raced 46 times and there are videos for almost all of the races (most at the same track) but I don’t have a membership. Wompwomp. She never won though, lol
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I did one of these on Highness today too, but I didn’t analyze her pedigree for anything…she’s meant to race apparently, but no one told her that. She raced 46 times and never won. lol Most of the videos are on equibase but I don’t have a membership.
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Can you go directly to the track website and see if they have replay video? Or did the track shut down?
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No idea? It is in WV, so hard to tell. 😉
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I wish Val had done better a little later in life! Most of the videos are of Val falling out of the frame because he was so slow. Lol.
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Eli has pretty interesting bloodlines though. He’s got Bold Ruler in there 2x and I bet that’s where a bit of his tude comes from. All the Bold Ruler horses I’ve met were really talented but definitely had some opinions.
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Danzig contributes to it, too! I think Mr. Prospector also has a reputation for sass.
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So much sass from all over!
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Maybe it’s just a thoroughbred thing 😉
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Oh, Eli was dead last in every race he ran as a 4yr old lol
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I have a son of Irish Tower. His name is Green Fire. He is 23 years old, and this year just won the Charles R. Lindsay Memorial Trophy at his last show for Champion Field Hunter. I have owned him since he was 11, and have shown successfully with him in hunters, jumpers, equitation, and hunter paces. He’s still going, lol! I know one of his brothers is a big time 3-day horse in Canada. I think his name is Yellow Creek. This line is full of amazing jumpers 🙂
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That is awesome, great to hear! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for him in pedigrees. 🙂
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