King Fergus (1775–1801) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, 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 bas ...

. He won several races, but achieved greater success as a sire. He was British Champion sire in 1797 and his progeny included

St Leger Stakes The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over ...

winner Hambletonian, who was only defeated once in his 19 race career.

Background

King Fergus was a

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description ...

colt bred by Mr Carver and foaled in 1775. He was sired by the undefeated

Eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event which occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ...

. Eclipse was also one of the leading sires of the time, with his progeny also including Pot-8-Os,

Saltram Saltram House is a grade I listed George II era house in Plympton, Devon, England. It was deemed by the architectural critic Nikolaus Pevsner to be "the most impressive country house in Devon". The house was designed by the architect Ro ...

, Serjeant and Young Eclipse. King Fergus was the ninth foal of Creeping Polly, a daughter of Othello. King Fergus grew to stand 16

hands A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each "han ...

high and was "remarkably full of bone, great sinews, well shaped, and free from blemishes."

Racing career

King Fergus only raced once as a three-year-old, finishing second to Miss Wickham at

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

. At Bath on 27 September 1779 he started as the 1/5 favourite to win a 500

guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...

sweepstakes and beat Cinderwench to win the four-

mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a imperial unit, British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length; both are based on the older English unit of Unit of length, le ...

race. In October he was due to race Sir John Lade's Bet Boucher over two miles, but Lade paid a forfeit. In 1780, on the Monday of Newmarket's second spring meeting, he beat Sir John Lade's Knight Errant. Two days later at Newmarket he raced against Dorimant and Pot-8-Os in a 140 guineas race. King Fergus was leading as they passed the stands, but cast a shoe. Pot-8-Os won, with King Fergus in second place. In May 1780, at

Epsom Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...

, he won a £50 race comprising three four-mile heats. He beat Epsom, Jugurtha, Don Joseph, Chance, Neptune, Holyhock and Foppington, with King Fergus starting as the favourite (priced at about 8/11). In October he beat the

Duke of Cumberland Duke of Cumberland is a peerage title that was conferred upon junior members of the British royal family, named after the historic county of Cumberland. History The Earldom of Cumberland, created in 1525, became extinct in 1643. The dukedom w ...

's Pomona of three miles to win 200 guineas. Later in the month he beat

Lord Derby Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (29 March 1799 – 23 October 1869), known as Lord Stanley from 1834 to 1851, was a British statesman and Conservative politician who served three times as Prime Minister of the United K ...

's Guildford (who had started as the 1/2 favourite) to win 200 guineas. Two days later he beat five rivals to win a subscription stakes of five guineas each. Lord Grosvenor's Truth had started as the 4/6 favourite, with King Fergus at 7/4. King Fergus started the 1781 season at the first spring meeting at Newmarket, where he beat Whizgig, Prince Ferdinand, Young Tantrum, Little Isaac, Knight Errant and Tantini to win £50. Whizgig had started as the 6/4 favourite, with King Fergus at 2/1. At the same meeting he walked over for another £50. He later broke down and was retired from racing. His final race came in 1784, when he was put back into training. He finished second to Chocolate in the Lord Lieutenant's Purse at the

Curragh The Curragh ( ; ) is a flat open plain in County Kildare, Ireland. This area is well known for horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is on the edge of Kildare town, beside the Japanese Gardens. Pollardstown Fen, the larges ...

Stud career

After retiring from racing in 1781 he was purchased by John Croke, to stand as a stallion in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. After standing a few seasons in Ireland he returned to England and 1786 he stood at Red Lion Livery-Stables near

Park Lane Park Lane is a dual carriageway road in the City of Westminster in Central London. It is part of the London Inner Ring Road and runs from Hyde Park Corner in the south to Marble Arch in the north. It separates Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park to ...

Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, England, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road (England), A4 road that connects central London to ...

for a fee of 5gns and 5 s. In 1787 he stood in Catterick in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

, before moving to Shipton. By 1790 his fee had risen to 10gns and 10s 6 d. 1792 he moved from Shipton to

Maidenhead Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England. It lies on the southwestern bank of the River Thames, which at this point forms the border with Buckinghamshire. In the 2021 Census, ...

and stood for a fee of 15gns and 10s 6d. He returned to Shipton in 1793, with his fee rising again to 20gns and 10s 6d. For the next few years of his stud career he moved about from year to year, standing at

Egham Egham ( ) is a town in the Borough of Runnymede in Surrey, England, approximately west of central London. First settled in the Bronze Age, the town was under the control of Chertsey Abbey for much of the Middle Ages. In 1215, Magna Carta was ...

, Shipton, Turnford and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

from 1794 to 1797. The last few years of his life were spent in Boroughshire and by 1800 he fee had dropped back to 10gns and 10s 6d. He served very few mares in Ireland and his most notable son he produced there was Honest Tom, who won 24 races. In England King Fergus sired many top horses and was British Champion sire in 1797. He died in 1801.

Notable progeny

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stallion A stallion is an adult 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, "cre ...

, m =

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equidae, 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 th ...

'' King Fergus was the damsire to

Epsom Oaks The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 ya ...

winner Scotia. His son Overton was the sire of St Leger and Doncaster Cup winner Cockfighter. Beningbrough produced St Leger and Doncaster Cup winner Orville, Doncaster Cup winner Scud, Epsom Oaks and 4yo Great Subscription Purse winner Oriana, Epsom Oaks winner

Briseis Briseis (; , ), also known as Hippodameia (, ), is a significant character in the ''Iliad''. Her role as a status symbol is at the heart of the dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon that initiates the plot of Homer's epic. She was married to ...

and another Doncaster Cup winner Trophonius. Hambletonian sired Doncaster Cup winner Camillus. It is through Hambletonian's son Whitelock that King Fergus' sire line continues. Whitelock was the sire of Blacklock, who was the grandsire of

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...

winner Voltigeur.

Sire line tree

*King Fergus **Honest Tom **Overton ***Cockboat *** Cockfighter ****Gilliver ****Merryfield ***John O'Groat ***Rolla ***Alonzo **Poor Jack ** Young Traveller **Ormond ** Beningbrough ***Ashton ***Blue Devil ***Harefoot *** Orville **** OctaviusStudbook: Early NO
/ref> *****Little John *****Black-and-all-black *****Sir Huldebrand *****Cricketer **** Muley *****Robin Hood *****Morisco *****Outlaw *****

Leviathan Leviathan ( ; ; ) is a sea serpent demon noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, and the pseudepigraphical Book of Enoch. Leviathan is of ...

*****Rector *****Marvel *****

Margrave Margrave was originally the Middle Ages, medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a monarchy, kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain Feudal ...

***** Muley Moloch *****Dick *****Muleyson *****Gil Blas *****King Of Clubs *****Gilbert Gurney *****Dulcimer *****The Little Known *****Drayton *****Gibraltar *****Hautboy ***** Little Wonder *****Snoozer ****Belville ****Dinmont ****Fulford ****Don Juan **** Ebor ****Fitz Orville *****Windfall ****Allegro ****Master Henry ****Andrew *****

Cadland Cadland (1825–1837) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. In a career that lasted from April 1828 to 1831 he ran twenty-five times and won fifteen races, with several of his wins being walkovers in which al ...

****Richard ****Bizarre *****Mus **** Emilius *****Agreeable *****

Priam In Greek mythology, Priam (; , ) was the legendary and last king of Troy during the Trojan War. He was the son of Laomedon. His many children included notable characters such as Hector, Paris, and Cassandra. Etymology Most scholars take the e ...

*****Recovery *****St Nicholas *****Tantivy *****Chapman *****Ciudad Rodrigo *****Exile *****Marcus ***** Riddlesworth *****Sarpedon *****Young Emilius *****Hawker *****Lucius *****Mosquito ***** Plentipotentiary *****Coriolanus *****Operator *****Young Emilius *****

Mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

*****Riddlesworth *****The Steamer *****Euclid *****Mercer *****Sovereign *****Record *****Theon *****Pompey *****The Caster *****Elemi *****Tragical *****Mathematician *****Gambetti ****Ganymede ****Vargas ****Pollio ***Delville ***Rygantino ***Thorn ***Bedalian ***Hylas ***Phlebotomist ***

Scud A Scud missile is one of a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was exported widely to both Second and Third World countries. The term comes from the NATO reporting name attached to the m ...

Studbook: Early S
/ref> **** Sam ****Steeltrap *****Chancellor ****

Sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor'' ...

****

Actaeon In Greek mythology, Actaeon (; ''Aktaiōn'') was the son of the priestly herdsman Aristaeus and Autonoe in Boeotia, and a famous Thebes, Greece, Theban Greek hero cult, hero. Through his mother he was a member of the ruling House of Cadmus. Like ...

*****General Chasse *****St Martin *****Albion *****John Bull *****Gallant ***Trophonius ***Prince of Orange **Brother to Overton **Deserter ** Hambletonian ***Camillus ****Oiseau *****Flamingo ***** Rowton *****Revolution ****Magistrate *****Valentine *****Terror ****Consul ***WhitelockPortrait: Whitelock
/ref> **** Blacklock *****Blue Beard ***** Brutandorf *****Buzzard *****Greylock *****Streatham *****Brownlock *****Cock Robin *****Crowcatcher *****Hazard *****Belzoni *****Laurel *****Malek *****Popsy *****Robin Hood *****Silverlock *****Sparkler *****The Deer *****Ben Lomond *****Black Heddon *****Clinton *****Jour De Noces *****Olympus *****Pelion *****Poor Fellow *****Splinter Bar *****

Velocipede A velocipede () is a human-powered land vehicle with one or more wheels. The most common type of velocipede today is the bicycle. The term was probably first coined by Karl von Drais in French as ''vélocipède'' for the French translation ...

*****Young Blacklock *****Agitator *****Bolivar *****Navarino *****Niger *****Robin Redbreast *****Tamboff *****Thatcher ***** Tranby *****

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...

*****Wodenblock *****Acis *****Apuntador *****Bryan *****Crescent *****Belshazzar ***Camerton ****Bay Camerton ***Anticipation **Garswood **Johnny ***Master Jackey **WarterFoundation Sire: Warter
/ref>

Pedigree

''Note: b. =

Bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

, blk. =

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, br. =

Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing and painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors Orange (colour), orange and black. In the ...

, ch. =

Chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description ...

, gr. =

Grey Grey (more frequent in British English) or gray (more frequent in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning that it has no chroma. It is the color of a cloud-covered s ...

References

{{reflist 1775 racehorse births 1801 racehorse deaths British Champion Thoroughbred Sires Racehorses bred in the Kingdom of Great Britain Racehorses trained in the Kingdom of Great Britain Thoroughbred family 6