Byerley Turk bbr c 1680c. Sire Line Byerley Turk.

Described as a fiery Arabian stallion, a horse of elegance, courage and speed, he was the earliest of three Oriental stallions who between them would become the progenitors of every living thoroughbred. The Byerley Turk was the great great grandsire of King Herod (b c 1758), the Darley Arabian the great great grandsire of Eclipse (ch c 1764) and the Godolphin Arabian the grandsire of Matchem (b c 1748).

His name is recorded in the General Stud Book as the Byerly Turk, however, the correct spelling is Byerley Turk, after the name of his owner, Colonel Robert Byerley (1660-1714).

There is considerable speculation about the origin of the Byerley Turk, however, there is no evidence to support either his importation or the notion that he was foaled in England.

C M Prior speculates that his origin was probably similar to that of the Lister Turk. "The Lister Turk was brought to England about 1687, by the young Duke of Berwick, who had joined Charles of Lorraine's forces in wresting Buda from the invaders. It is quite probable that the Byerley Turk came from the same seige, as his owner was at that date a free lance as regards the army, being only the Captain of a small irreguluar force of his own raising in the North, which was not incorporated with the Sixth Dragoon Guards (the Carabiniers) till 1688" [Royal Studs:83].

While both the General Stud Book and Roger Upton state that the Lister Turk was captured at the seige of Buda, neither mention that place in the history of the Byerley Turk [GSB 1:389, Newmarket and Arabia]. Others have suggested that the Byerley Turk was captured at the seige of Vienna in 1683. The eminent Swedish authority, C G Wrangel, stated that "three turkish stallions were captured at the siege of Vienna, among those the Byerly Turk" [Handbok for hastvanner:34]. In such a case, the Byerley Turk may well have been one of the three horses, the "browne," that so captivated John Evelyn that he wrote of them in his Diary. "They trotted like does as if they did not feel the ground. Five hundred guineas was demanded for the first ; three hundred for the second and two hundred for the third, which was browne. All of them were choicely shaped but the last two not altogether so perfect as the first. It was judged by the spectators among whom was the King, the Prince of Denmark, Duke of Yorke and several of the Court, noble persons skill'd in horses, especially M. Faubert and his sonn (provost master of the Academie and esteemed of the best in Europe) that there were never seene any horses in these parts to be compare'd with them" [Diary of John Evelyn, 17th December, 1684].

Without revealing the origin of the horse, all the early versions of the General Stud Book specifically note that both man and horse were in Ireland: "BYERLY TURK, was Captain Byerly's charger in Ireland, in King William's wars (1689, &c.)" [GSB 1:389]. His presence in Ireland is further alluded to by the Down Royal Corporation of Horse Breeders, (created by King James II in a Royal Charter of 1685), Ireland, who state that the Byerley Turk raced at Downpatrick on his way to the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

Mr Prior further notes that the military records of the recently promoted Lieutenant Colonel Byerley show that he "served with distinction in Ireland, and having taken with him the Turk who bears his name, rode him as a charger in the campaign of 1689-90. At the Battle of the Boyne he was so far ahead reconnoitering the enemy that he narrowly escaped capture, owing his safety to the superior speed of his horse" [Early Records:143].

When Colonel Byerley retired from military service, the Byerley Turk went to stud, first at Midridge Grange, then, from 1697, at Goldsborough Hall, near Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.

Although he did not cover many well-bred mares, he did well with his opportunities. While his best sons were Basto and Jigg, his other offspring included a number of good runners, such as the Duke of Rutland's Archer, the Duke of Kingston's Sprite and Lord Godolphin's Byerley Gelding.

Robinson Crusoe (GB)

ch c 1723 (Jigg - Mare, by Spark). Sire Line Byerley Turk. Family 11. There is some evidence that there is a missing cross between Robinson Crusoe and Grey Wilkes. His dam is recorded in the Turf Register as Bastard [Pick 1:23]. According to An Introduction to a General Stud-book, Robinson Crusoe was by Jigg, his dam, Bastard, out of Old Wilkes, a daughter of Old Hautboy [Intro:183]. The General Stud Book of 1891, which had access to Mr Crofts papers [GSB 1:393], has revised this to read that his dam was a mare by Bustard. However, an advertisement gives his pedigree as "...the famous Horse call’d Robinson Crusoe, bred by Mr Robinson of Easeby: He was got by Jigg, out of a Sparke Mare, from a Snake Mare, the full Sister to the famous Egerston’s Mare (Country Wench) out of a Hautboy Mare bought of Mr Wilk’s: Her Dam being a Pett-Filly Mr Wilk’s bought of Mrs Betty D’Arcy, which was a Foal of her Brother Mr Christopher D’Arcy’s, out of a Royal Mare:..." [Newcastle Courant, Saturday, March 17. 1732-3. Numb. 412]. Bred by Mr Robinson of Easby, near Richmond, Yorkshire, from his home-bred Bustard Mare, he was sold to Mr Bathurst. Described as standing 15 hands 2 inches he was large, strong and well-marked. In 1728 he won a 300gs match at Middleham from Mr Anderson's grey horse. In 1729 he won the King's Plate at Newmarket, beating the Duke of Ancaster's Gentleman (gr c 1723), the Earl of Portmore's Spot (gr c 1723) and 4 others. He also won the King's Plate at York, beating the Duke of Ancaster's Gentleman whilst distancing a field of 8 in the first heat. He was next unplaced for King's Plate at Lincoln, won by Mr White's Spot. In 1730 at Newmarket he won the King's Plate, taking four heats to defeat the Duke of Ancaster's Gentleman, Lord Portmore's Spot, Mr Mackworth's Now or Never, Sir Robert Fagg's Archer and Lord Godolphin's Brocklesby. The same year he finished 2nd in the first heat for a £40 Plate at Newcastle-upon-Tyne but was withdrawn from the second heat, with the Plate going to Sir William Middleton's Scipio (ch c). He then went unplaced for a £40 Plate at York, won by Mr Bowes's Whitefoot. Purchased for the stud by David Place, he covered at Hutton-Rudby, near Yarm, Cleveland in 1731, and thereafter at Benjamin Scaife's "The Sign of the Black Lyon" in Stockton, Durham.  Although he got a number of good runners he left no stock that bred on.

Shock (GB)

b c 1729 (Jigg - Sister to Old Country Wench, by Snake). Sire Line Byerley Turk. Family 11. Bred by Mr Robinson of Easby, and sold successively to John Thynne Howe, later 2nd Baron Chedworth and Francis, 2nd Earl of Godolphin. In 1734 at Newmarket Shock won 200 guineas beating Lord Portmore's Sutty-Dun over four miles. The following October he won the 275 guineas stakes, beating Lord Gower's Spider, the Duke of Somerset's Chance, the Duke of Devonshire's Spot, Mr Honeywood's Mark's-Hall, Sir Michael Newton's Miss Parrot and four others over four miles. Despite his very high form he started only twice due to an undisclosed "misfortune" which ended his turf career. He stood at Easby in 1750 and 1751 for a fee of 10 guineas. Among his progeny were the stallions Bolton (b c 1752) and Shock* (b c 1750), and the dam of Granby (b c 1762 Belsize Arabian). Shock died in 1753.