Standardbred Profiles

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Hambletonian 10 (or Rysdyck's Hambletonian)

Foundation sire of the Standardbred family; grandson of the Thoroughbred, Messenger.  Hambletonian 10, as the stud book lists him, was foaled in 1849 in Chester, New York.  His future greatness was guessed by only one person, his owner's hired man, William Rysdyck, who bought the colt for $125.  Hambletonian matured an immensely strong if not very handsome horse, who in 24 years at stud sired 1,300 foals with at least 40 blazing runners among them.  His stud fee rose to $500.  (I have seen the man's name spelled both Rysdyk and Rysdyck.)

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Messenger

Messenger was a grey Thoroughbred stallion, 15.3 hands high, descended from the Darley Arabian.  As a three-and-four-year-old, he won several races under saddle near London.  He was sold in 1788 to a Thomas Benger of Philadelphia, where horse racing was forbidden at the time, driven to New York and sold to a brother of John Jacob Astor.  Messenger is probably one of the best known ancestors of the Standardbred breed.

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Bellfounder

Bellfounder, often known in the U.S. as Imported Bellfounder, was foaled in 1815 and brought to the U.S. from Norfolk, England, in 1822.  He was a bright bay, just fifteen hands high, and a natural trotter with great speed and power, capable of covering 17 miles in an hour.  Like Messenger, he went into stud service in New York State and sired many trotters and pacers.  He died on Long Island in 1843.

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