Gaines' Denmark (foaled 1851) was one of the most influential

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

s in the development of the

American Saddlebred The American Saddlebred is a horse breed from the United States. This breed is referred to as the "Horse America Made". Descended from riding-type horses bred at the time of the American Revolution, the American Saddlebred includes the Nar ...

Life

Gaines' Denmark was

foal A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. When the foal i ...

ed in 1851. He was a black stallion with two white hind socks, sired by

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

and out of a

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

known as the Stevenson mare. Gaines' Denmark sired four influential sons: Washington Denmark, Diamond Denmark, Star Denmark, and Sumpter Denmark. Upon the start of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Gaines' Denmark was put into a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

troop led by

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

General John Hunt Morgan. Although Gaines' Denmark survived the war, he did not accomplish much as a sire after it. Prior to the war, he was used as a

show horse A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer fo ...

. Today, he is considered one of the

progenitor In genealogy, the progenitor (rarer: primogenitor; german: Stammvater or ''Ahnherr'') is the – sometimes legendary – founder of a family, line of descent, clan or tribe, noble house, or ethnic group.. Ebenda''Ahnherr:''"Stammvater eines G ...

s of the modern American Saddlebred.

Sire line tree

*Gaines' DenmarkGaines' Denmark sons and grandsons #1
/ref> **Washington Denmark ***King William ****Black Eagle *****Black Squirrel ***Cromwell ****Washington *****Preston ***Jewel Denmark ****Beau Brummel of Kenmore **Star Denmark **Diamond Denmark ***Montrose ****Moss Rose ****King Lee RoseWORLD’S GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP FIVE-GAITED STAKE
/ref>King Lee Rose Offspring
/ref> *****Nickel Plate *****Guided By Love *****Cascade **Lail's Denmark Chief ***Crigler's Denmark ****Rex DenmarkGaines' Denmark sons and grandsons #2
/ref> ***** Rex McDonald *****Rex Donnell **Sumpter Denmark

References

{{US Warhorses navbox Individual American Saddlebreds