Challedon (1936–1958) was an American

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Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...

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racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

. Bred in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

William L. Brann William Leavitt Brann (c.1877 – April 11, 1951) was an American businessman and Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder. Born in Washington, Indiana, William Brann graduated from Indiana University Bloomington and moved to New York City where ...

and Robert S. Castle, he raced under the colors of their Branncastle Farm.

Two-year-old-season

Racing at age two, Challedon won four of his six but was outshone by another colt named El Chico, who was voted that year's U.S. Champion 2-Yr-Old Colt.

Three-year-old-season

At age three, under

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

George Seabo George Seabo (July 2, 1911 - February 26, 1991) was an American jockey and trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses best known as a founding member of the Jockeys' Guild who rode future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Challedon to victory in the ...

, Challedon finished second in the 1939

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-yea ...

, eight lengths behind future Hall of Fame colt Johnstown. Then, in the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Graded stakes race, Grade I race run over a distance of ...

, Challedon won by a length and a half with the heavily favored Johnstown finishing off the board. For trainer Louis J. Schaefer, Challedon's win meant he became the first person to have both ridden and trained a Preakness Stakes winner. His feat would only be matched 30 years later by Johnny Longden. Challedon wasn't eligible to compete in the final leg of the U.S. Triple Crown and as such Johnstown had an easy time in winning the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nickname ...

. However, Challedon's wins in eight other important races that year, including a world record performance in the Tranter Purse raced at

Keeneland Race Course Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for it ...

, earned him the U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt honors. In a poll conducted by the ''Turf and Sport Digest'', Challedon was voted Horse of the Year, taking 156 of the possible 208 votes ahead of the two-year-old Bimelech, who received 36.

Four-year-old-season

In 1940, the four-year-old Challedon continued his winning ways, claiming victory under jockey George Woolf in the Hollywood Gold Cup and the Whitney Stakes. Beginning in September 1940, Don Cameron trained Challedon for owner

and won the Pimlico Special and Havre de Grace Handicap. Challedon still remains the only two-time winner of the prestigious grade one Pimlico Special Handicap. Cameron left Brann's employ in February 1941 and the horse's training was taken over by Whitey Whitehill. Challedon was voted 1940 U.S. Champion Male Handicap Horse and for the second straight year earned U.S. Horse of the Year honors, topping the ''Turf and Sport Digest'' poll with 84 votes ahead of Seabiscuit who received 34.

Five-year-old season

As a five-year-old, Challedon suffered a

tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...

injury and was bothered by cracks on the inside of a forefoot that saw him win no purse money. His season ended after just three races. The following year, for new trainer Edward Christmas Challedon returned to the winner's circle twice, including in the

Philadelphia Handicap The Philadelphia Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race held thirty-eight times between 1913 and 1950 at Havre de Grace Racetrack in Havre de Grace, Maryland. Run on dirt, the race was open to horses of either sex age three and older. F ...

, but had lost his drive and was retired to stand at

stud Stud may refer to the following terms: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay ba ...

at Gallaher Farm in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...

. While not a spectacular success as a

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" ...

, Challedon did produce thirteen stakes winners before passing away at the age of twenty-two after breaking a leg in his paddock. In 1977, he was inducted into the United States'

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred horse racing, Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and Horse trainer, trainers. In 1955, the museum ...

Breeding

References

External links

Challedon's pedigree and racing stats

Challedon at the United States National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

Challedon's offspring at the Triple Crown database by Kathleen Irwin and Joy Reeves
{{Preakness Stakes Winners 1936 racehorse births 1958 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Maryland Racehorses trained in the United States Preakness Stakes winners American Thoroughbred Horse of the Year United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees Thoroughbred family 12-c