Spanker (foaled 1678), sometimes called Old Spanker or the Pelham Arabian, was a British
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 ...
who sired many important horses in the history of the breed. He was said to be the best horse in Newmarket, the home of British racing, during the reign of Charles II.
History
Spanker was a
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 ...
horse. His
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" an ...
and
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...
by Charles Pelham, although some accounts have him bred by
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 19th Baron de Ros (30 January 1628 – 16 April 1687) was an English statesman and poet who exerted considerable political power during the reign of Charles II of England.
A Royalist during the Engl ...
and only later passing into Pelham's hands.
He went on to sire some important horses in the breed including Careless, St. Martin, and Young Spanker, who went on to sire the dam of
Basto
Jef Martens (), better known by his stage name Basto (stylized as Basto!), is a Belgian record producer, musician and DJ. He primarily produces electro house music, and he is signed to the ARS label. He has produced using various aliases such a ...
.
See also
*
List of historical horses
This list includes actual horses that exist in the historical record. Racehorses are listed at List of racehorses.
Racehorse
See List of racehorses and List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses
Famous horses
* Bamboo Harvester, portrayed a ...