TOABH - The History of the Horse

Beka over at The Owls Approve is celebrating her Archie's 18th birthday, and asking all of us to get in on the celebration. With a question letting me rattle on about Guinness' history, how could I refuse?!

History of the Horse

Before you met, where was your horse?  Who bred him/her?  What do you know about his sire and his dam?  What do you know where he came from?  Tell me about the time before he had a trainer.

 

Lucky for me, Guinness is an OTTB with an easily readable tattoo, making his history easy to find!

 

Guinness was born "Logic Lane" in 1998 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. His breeding was arranged by Mrs. T Brudenell (Also known as Amanda Skiffington, or Amanda Brudenell... because England) and Campbell Stud. He is Irish bred, by the Never-Bend grandson Lahib and out of the Mill Reef daughter Reflection.

 

Lahib (Riverman (by Never Bend) x Lady Cutlass (by Cutlass))won several Grade 1 stakes. He seems to have sired many moderately successful racehorses, but was not a standout sire. He and his sire both do seem to stamp their progeny. Guinness gets his looks from this side of the family, for sure. He's almost a carbon copy of his grandsire, Riverman.

Riverman (Never Bend x River Lady x Prince John)

Reflection was bred by The Queen of England (Seriously. True story.). Her sire, Mill Reef (by Never Bend, making Pig a double Never Bend great grandson.) was a stunning racehorse. Crowned European Horse of the Year, Champion 3-Year-Old in England, and Champion Older Horse, he had a record of 6 consecutive Group One (similar to Grade One in the states) races. His record stood for 30 years. By Never Bend and out of a Princequillo mare, Mill Reef was a fantastic sire. 

Mill Reef (Never Bend x Milan Mill x Princequillo)

Despite her breeding, Reflection never raced. Her other foals were a mixed bunch. It appears Guinness did have one full brother, but records on him are very slim. I don't think he lived long enough to race. Since the mare was immediately put back to Lahib for Guinness, I assume Pig's full brother died before he was a year old. One half brother of Guinness, Shaft of Light (GB) by a Caro grandson (and bred by The Queen), did go on to a successful career, winning over $100,000 on the track.

 

It appears that Reflection was sold or lent to Mrs. T Brudenell shortly prior to Guinness' breeding. With the royal blood passed from both of his parents, it's really a shame he didn't turn out to be a more successful racehorse. Maybe the double Never Bend/Princequillo lines cancelled each other out?

An InLinkz Link-up