Sir Archy (or Archy, Archie, or Sir Archie; 1805–1833) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse considered one of the best racehorses of his time and later one of the most important sires in American history. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1955.

Early life

Born and bred in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

by two Americans, Capt. Archibald Randolph and Col.

John Tayloe III John Tayloe III (September 2, 1770March 23, 1828), of Richmond County, Virginia, was a planter, politician, businessman, and tidewater gentry scion. He was prominent in elite social circles. A highly successful planter and thoroughbred horse b ...

, Sir Archy's sire was the inaugural Epsom Derby winner

Diomed Diomed, foaled in 1777, was an English Thoroughbred race horse who won the inaugural running of the Derby in 1780. He was subsequently a successful sire in the United States. Racing years A bright chestnut standing 15 hands 3 inchesAhner ...

, who had been imported from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

as an older horse by Tayloe. His dam, a blind mare named Castianira, had been purchased in England by Tayloe for his own Mount Airy Farm, but was bred on shares with his friend Randolph. Sir Archy, Castianira's second foal, was born on Randolph's Ben Lomond Plantation on the James River in Goochland County. The colt, dark bay with a small patch of white on his right hind

pastern The is a part of the leg of a horse between the fetlock and the top of the hoof. It incorporates the long pastern bone (proximal phalanx) and the short pastern bone (middle phalanx), which are held together by two sets of paired ligaments to fo ...

, was originally named "Robert Burns"; Tayloe changed the colt's name in honor of Randolph.

On the track

When Sir Archy was two, Tayloe and Randolph sold him to Ralph Wormely IV for $400 and an unknown filly. When Wormely later decided to quit horse racing Sir Archy was offered for sale, but there were no takers. Still owned by Wormely, Sir Archy made his first start in the Washington Jockey Club Sweepstakes late in his three-year-old season. At this point, he already stood high. Though Sir Archy had not yet recovered from a case of strangles, Wormely ran him rather than pay a forfeit fee. Still unwell, Sir Archy made his second start a month later at the Fairfield Sweepstakes in Richmond, Virginia. Though he won only the third heat and finished third overall to Col. William Ransom Johnson's colt True Blue, Johnson promptly bought Sir Archy for $1,500. Now in the hands of Johnson's trainer, Arthur Taylor, Sir Archy became one of the greatest runners of his day, excelling in four-mile heats. Johnson wrote, "I have only to say that, in my opinion, Sir Archy is the best horse I ever saw, and I well know that I never had any thing to do with one that was at all his equal; and this I will back; for, if any horse in the world, will run against him at any half way ground, four mile heats, according to the rules of racing, you may consider me $5000 with you on him. He was in good condition this fall, (1809) and has not run with any horse that could put him to half speed towards the end of the race." One of his most important matches was with Blank, in which Sir Archy won the first heat in 7:53 – the fastest time ever run to that point south of the James River. Following that race, he was purchased for $5,000 by General

William Richardson Davie William Richardson Davie (June 20, 1756 – November 29, 1820) was a Founding Father of the United States, military officer during the Revolutionary War, and 10th Governor of North Carolina, from 1798–1799. A member of the Federalist Part ...

, the governor of North Carolina. Davie retired the horse to stud because there were no opponents willing to race against him. His record on the racetrack was 7 starts, with 4 wins and 1 second.

At stud

Sir Archy then became what most experts consider to be the first great Thoroughbred stallion bred in America. He went to stud, at first under Davie, then under Davie's son, who appears to have stood the stallion in Virginia for a couple of years. Then William Amis bought Sir Archy, and stood the horse for 17 years at his plantation,

Mowfield Mowfield is a historic plantation house located near Jackson, Northampton County, North Carolina. It was built about 1802, and is a two-story, five bay by two bay, Georgian / Federal style frame house with a two-story ell. Each section is cove ...

, near the

Roanoke River The Roanoke River ( ) runs long through southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Ap ...

in Northampton County, North Carolina. Even at the advanced age of 24, Sir Archy's stud fee was $100. Amis' son estimated that during the years he stood at Mowfield, Sir Archy earned $76,000 in stud fees. The stallion became known as the Godolphin Arabian of America, meaning that his influence on the American Thoroughbred was as important as the Godolphin Arabian's influence on European breeding. Like the "Blind Hero of Woodburn", Lexington — who was his great–grandson — Sir Archy became one of America's greatest foundation sires. Throughout the 1820s, the fastest horses in America were descendants of Sir Archy. In 1827, the Washington DC Jockey Club and the Maryland Jockey Club announced that only a limited number of horses were eligible to run in their races. Although the fine points of the announcement were complex, it effectively barred all horses sired by Sir Archy; his offspring were so successful that few, if any, horses not sired by Sir Archy bothered to race. Both Jockey Clubs admitted they were concerned about their long-term viability.

Sir Archy's progeny

Turf historian John Hervey wrote: "Before nor since, nothing has been known in America to equal the manner in which the Archys dominated both turf and stud for over half a century, beginning with the debut of his first crop of foals, in 1814 and culminating with the last of the sixteen seasons of premiership of his inbred great-grandson Lexington in 1878."

As sire

Siring at least 31 racing champions, and influencing the American Quarter Horse through his son Copperbottom, the following is a list of some of his most notable offspring: *

Timoleon Timoleon ( Greek: Τιμολέων), son of Timodemus, of Corinth (c. 411–337 BC) was a Greek statesman and general. As a brilliant general, a champion of Greece against Carthage, and a fighter against despotism, he is closely connected ...

(foaled 1814; considered the best race horse of his day, sire of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

) * Bertrand (foaled 1826. Some call him Sir Archy's best; became a national leading sire in his own right) * Sir Charles (foaled 1816; national leading sire in 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833 and 1836) * Sumpter (foaled 1818; won eight consecutive races when races were grueling heats. Became a broodmare sire of great note) * Stockholder (foaled 1819; most popular sire in Tennessee at the time. His daughters were extremely successful producers) * Lady Lightfoot (foaled 1812; records are incomplete but she may have won 30 – 40 races, racing through age 11. In her first try, she ran the fastest heats in Maryland up to that time. As a broodmare, she produced eight foals in nine years. One, Black Maria, was considered better than her dam) * Reality (foaled 1813; a filly rated at least as good as Sir Archy or Boston by William R. Johnson. He owned all three at various times) * Henry (foaled 1819; a very good racehorse, a popular sire, and the only horse to ever defeat American Eclipse) * Sally Hope (foaled 1822; won 22 of her 27 races, the last 18 in succession) * Flirtilla (foaled 1828; influential carrier of Sir Archy's blood )

As grandsire and beyond

Into the second generation, Sir Archy's influence became even more pronounced. This was partly because inbreeding to Sir Archy and to his sire, Diomed, became quite fashionable among American breeders. In Sir Archy's case, he was bred back to his daughters and his sire's daughters. This kind of inbreeding, ordinarily risky, was successful for the Sir Archy-Diomed line. * Bonnets o' Blue (by Sir Charles out of Reality; dam of

Fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion i ...

.) * Lexington was by

, who was sired by Timoleon.

Retirement

At the age of 26 Sir Archy ended his stud career in 1831, living for two more years until his death in 1833 on June 7. Coincidentally, this was the same day that one of his greatest sons (Sir Charles) also died. Sir Archy was one of the first few horses inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1955. Sir Archy's burial location is disputed between two locations: *Claimed site one: Sir Archy is buried, along with his groom and canine companion, at Ben Lomond Farm in Goochland, Virginia where he was born. A historical marker, erected by the Goochland County (Virginia) Historical Society in 1972, marks his grave. The grave is surrounded by a stone wall and is now hidden by trees in the southeast corner of a field at the top of the farm acreage. * Claimed site two: Sir Archy is buried at the Mowfield Plantation in Northampton County North Carolina, just west of the town of Jackson. He resided there from 1818 until his death in 1833. His exact location of burial is unknown. The original plantation house still stands. However, when it was renovated, the property owners preferred to live in the house, and updated the interior for modern convenience.

Pedigree

* Sir Archy is

inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

3s x 4d to Herod, meaning Herod appears in the third generation of the sire's side of the pedigree and in the fourth generation of the dam's side.

Sire line tree

*Sir ArchySir Archy HOF
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/ref>
/ref>
/ref> **Cicero **Sir Arthur **Director ***Aratus ****John Henry **Grey Archy **Spring Hill **Tecumseh **Young Sir Archy **Columbus **Warbler **Walk-In-The-Water **

***Washington ***Marquis ***Sir John Falstaff ***JacksonJackson Pedigree
/ref> ***

Boston
/ref> ****Arrow ****Wade Hampton ****Arlington ****Cost Johnson ****Ringgold *****Woodford *****Ringmaster *****Tipperary ****Commodore *****Gen. Rosseau ****Red Eye ****Cracker *****Billy Cheatham *****Bruce ****Big Boston ****Jack Hawkins *****Odd Fellow ****Bob Johnson ****Lecomte *****Sherrod *****Umpire **** LexingtonLexington
/ref> *****Daniel Boone *****Goodwood *****Colton *****Lightning *****Optomist *****Uncle Vic *****Bulletin *****Jack Malone *****Lexington (Embry) *****Thunder *****Avalanche *****Censor *****Frank Boston *****Harper *****Jim Sherwood *****Lexington (Hunter) *****War Dance *****Union Jack *****Copec *****Rogers ***** Asteroid *****Beacon *****Chesapeake *****

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

*****Donerail *****

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

*****Loadstone *****

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

*****Ulverston *****Woodburn *****Ansel *****Bay Dick *****Gilroy *****Harry of the West *****Luther *****Veto *****Edinborough *****Jonesboro *****King Lear *****Lee Paul *****Lever *****Merrill *****Norway *****Red Dick *****Watson *****Baywood *****Concord *****King Tom *****Marion *****Bayonet *****Crossroads ***** General Duke *****Hazard *****HotspurHotspur Pedigree
/ref> *****Paris *****Pat Malloy *****Vauxhall *****Barney Willams *****Chillecothe *****Foster *****

Kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

*****Pilgrim *****

Preakness Preakness may refer to: * The Preakness or Preakness Stakes, an American flat thoroughbred horse race held in Baltimore, Maryland * Preakness (horse), an American thoroughbred racehorse from Preakness Stables * Preakness, New Jersey, a section of W ...

*****Creole Dance *****

Harry Bassett Harry Bassett (1868–1878) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 1871 Belmont Stakes and an outstanding racehorse of the 19th century. He also won a number of other stakes races, and was named the Champion male of his age grou ...

*****Monarchist *****Pimlico *****Wanderer *****Tom Bowling *****Acrobat *****Breathitt *****Jack Boston *****King Bolt ***** Tom Ochiltree *****Charley Howard *****Fiddlesticks *****

Shirley Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American film * ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bas ...

*****Brown Prince *****Frederick the Great ***** Duke of Magenta *****Uncas ****Piketon ****Zero *****Judge Leonard **Carolinian **Contention **Kosciusko ***Pulaski ***Clermont ****Minor ***Woodford ***Romulus ***Greybeard **Napoleon **Virginian ***Byron ***Mercury ***Sidi Hamet ****Berthune *****Don Juan ****Andrew Hamet **Rattler ***Marylander ** Sir Charles ***Collier ***Andrew ****Count Zaldivar ***Frank ****Jim Bell ***Wagner ****Oliver ****Voucher *****Whale *****Rupee *****Restless ****Monte ****Cary Bell ****Ashland ****Charley Ball ****Wagner Joe ****Jack Gamble *****Jack Gamble Jr. ****Red Jacket ****Starke *****Wissehrad ****Endorser *****Excel ****Joe Stoner ****Neil Robinson ****Rynodyne *****Blarneystone **Sir William **Childers **Roanoke ***Grey Beard ****Santa Anna ***John Hancock **Muckle John **Sumpter ***Almanzor ***Brunswick **Henry ***Robin Hood ***Gerow **John Richards ***Corsica **Stockholder ***Pumpkin Boy ****Tempest *****Bob Perkins **Arab ***UnionUnion Pedigree
/ref> ** Bertrand ***McDonough ***Richard Singleton ***Woodpecker ****Grey Eagle *****Bulwer ***Bertrand Jr. ****Hero *****Jeff Davis ***John Bascombe ***Gauglion Gangle **Cherokee ***Whalebone ****Arnold Harris **Marion ***Cymon ***John Blount **Phoenomenon **Sir Richard **Sir William of Transport ***Sir Leslie ****Celestian ****Gazan *****Monarch ***Plato **Robin Adair **Gohanna **Occupant ***Waxy **Pacific ***Epsilon ****Castor ****Bill Alexander ****Memnon **Saxe Weimer **Crusader **Sir Archy Montorio ***Rodolph **Giles Scroggins **Industry ***Goldboy **Merlin **Red Gauntlet **Tarriff **Hyazim **Wild Bill ***Gandor ** CopperbottomCopperbottom
/ref>
/ref> ***GolddustGolddust Pedigree
/ref> ***Rock ****Rocket *****Buck ***Copperbottom (Captain Edwards)Captain Edwards Copperbottom Pedigree
/ref> ****Copperbottom (Rucker)Rucker's Copperbottom Pedigree
/ref> **Longwaist **Zinganee ***George Martin

References

External links

Sir Archy's pedigree and illustration
{{short description, 19th-century American Thoroughbred stallion 1805 racehorse births 1833 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Virginia Racehorses trained in the United States United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees Byerley Turk sire line Thoroughbred family 13