13 Annotations

First Reading

cumsalisgrano  •  Link

Whoa betide: see Newmarket, Epsom, for some GG's on the Gallop, Gee up ....Haw...

Pedro  •  Link

The Newmarket Plate.

THE ORIGINAL ARTICLES FOR THE PLATE RUN AT NEWMARKET IN OCTOBER
INSTITUTED BY KING CHARLES THE SECOND IN 1665 AND FIRST RUN IN 1666
[As published in Hore's History of Newmarket, volume II, pages 246 to 249]

set out the 16th of October, in the 17th year of the Reign of King Charles the Second, which Plate is to be rode for yearly the second Thursday in October, for ever, Anno Dom. 1666. -

http://www.highflyer.supanet.com/…

Pedro  •  Link

The Sport of Kings.

Horse racing, the favorite pastime of King Charles II began to be called "The Sport of Kings" during his reign. Charles II acquired foreign mares to improve the English horse through his marriage to Catherine of Braganza (1638-1705). The queen consort was the daughter of John IV of Portugal. She was married to Charles in 1662. As part of her dowry England secured Bombay and Tangier. The mares imported from Tangier and the resulting stock came to be called the "royal mares." This breeding stock would form the basis of the mares later bred with imported middle-eastern stallions to develop the Thoroughbred horse.

http://www.georgianindex.net/Spor…

(My Lord Sandwich also brought a Barbary horse back from Tangier...Ollard)

Elizabeth  •  Link

What is the name of the horse that won the 1675 Newmarket Plate ridden by King Charles II himself, the only English king in history to be a jockey and at least
in this race a successful one.

I cannot find the name of the winning horse.Didn't they keep records of the names of the horses who won races?

Mary  •  Link

Charles II at Newmarket.

According to Antonia Fraser, Charles won the Plate on two occasions, 1671 and 1675, but she does not record the name of the horse on either occasion.

Mary  •  Link

Further notes on horse-racing.

If you go to www.bloodlines.net/TB/Early Races 1650-1700.htm you will see that Charles' horse Blew Capp was having considerable success in April 1675. He is not stated to have been the horse ridden by Charles himself in winning the Newmarket Plate, but this must be a possibility.

Michael Robinson  •  Link

Chrles II as owner/rider

"Blew Capp," with Charles II up, stated to be the winner in 1675, includes also a few other details of Charles racing carer:-
Osmund Airy 'Charles II' London/NY: Goupeil & Co. 1904 p. 205
http://books.google.com/books?id=…

Elizabeth  •  Link

Blew Capp is the likely name of the winning horse ridden by King Charles II in 1675 so thanks so much for the help.
I did not realize Charles II won the same race earlier in 1671.It is a great piece of historical trivia to know the only English king who was a jockey and a winning one of a race he established and for which he created the rules if I have that right. And now I probably know the name of the winning horse as well. Great.

Second Reading

Third Reading

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"FROM 1615 TO 1625, George Villiers was the favorite and “sweet wife” of King James. Villiers parlayed his homosexuality — not to mention his other talents, including a outstanding gift for horsemanship — into vast wealth and political power. An accomplished rider, he was involved in several colorful incidents, notably a struggle for ownership of a famous breed of racehorse, the Sheffield Barb."

This is a story about how Villiers, a country boy, used horses to become the most powerful courtier in England, as told in
The Horseman in King James I
By PATRICIA NELL WARREN
https://glreview.org/article/arti…

Barbe horses were also brought back from Spain by Prince Charles and George Villiers in 1623 when they went a-courting.

"The farewell presents, too numerous to be fully recited, were magnificent. Among them were, given to Prince Charles by King Phillip, 18 Spanish jennets, 6 Barbary horses, 6 mares, and 20 foals. These superb animals were covered with cloths of crimson velvet, guarded with gold lace; one of them being distinguished by a saddle of fine lamb-skin, the other “furniture” being set with rich pearl; among a number of cross-bows which were given, those used by the Dukes of Medina Sidonia and Ossunia, in the wars, were peculiarly valuable to the Prince.
"To Buckingham’s share, among others, were several Spanish jennets, and Barbary or Arabian horses, and a splendid diamond girdle, worth 30,000 crowns.
"The Queen presented the young Prince with linen, and skins of ambar and of kids, their scent and perfume amounting in value to many thousand crowns."

Fortunately, Prince Charles left the Infanta behind.

from LIFE AND TIMES OF GEORGE VILLIERS.
FROM ORIGINAL AND AUTHENTIC SOURCES.
BY MRS. THOMSON,
IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. II.
LONDON:
HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,
13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
1860.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY R. BORN, GLOUCESTER STREET,
REGENT’S PARK.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5…

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