Pumpkin (GB)
 
 


Pumpkin

George Stubbs painted both portraits of Pumpkin shown here. The portrait at the top belonged to Paul Mellon. In the mid-1930s, when Paul Mellon was a young man, he came across this painting in a London shop. At that time, Stubbs had faded into relative obscurity in the art world. The horse in the top portrait captured Mellon's eye--it is a remarkably lifelike rendering even for Stubbs, and one can almost see the nostril quiver as he sniffs the grain. Mellon not only bought the painting, he subsequently began a systematic search for paintings by Stubbs. What followed not only resurrected Stubbs's reputation as an artist but launched what became the single most important collection of racing art in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sire Line


Matchem

 

 

Pumpkin ch c 1769 (Matchem - Pratt's Old Mare, by Squirt). Sire Line Matchem. Family 24.

Pumpkin was bred by Mr John Pratt, who also owned his dam, the remarkable Old Squirt Mare. Squirt Mare (ch f 1750 Squirt), bred by the Duke of Bolton, produced seventeen foals between 1755 and 1774. Two of them died young, three were never trained and the other twelve were good runners. Amost all of Family 24 descends from her, including the influential stallion The Baron (ch c 1842 Birdcatcher). She died in August of 1777.

Prior to his turf career Pumpkin was purchased by the Hon Thomas Edward Foley, later 2nd Baron Foley, who also owned Firetail (b c 1769 Squirrel). He was sold before the start of his final year on the turf, 1776, to Mr Codrington, and then half way through this year he was again sold to the Rt Hon Charles James Fox, a racing confederate of Lord Foley.

From twenty-four starts he won sixteen races worth 6,090 guineas, nine hogsheads of claret and the Newmarket October Cup, valued at over one hundred guineas. His victory in his very first race in 1772 by half-a-neck over the favoured Denmark was thought to be one of the finest ever run.

In spite of his distinction on the racecourse and his impeccable pedigree Pumpkin was at best mediocre in the stud, as reflected in his declining fee. He stood at Rushbrook, near Bury, Suffolk, in 1777 and 1778, for a fee of ten guineas, the following two years at the Green Farm, near Stoney Stratford, Buckinghamshire, for five guineas, and in 1792, at Highflyer Hall, near Ely, Cambridgeshire, for two guineas.

His best offspring was his daughter Seedling (b f 1784), bred by Lord Foley, the dam of the Ascot Gold Cup winner Master Jackey (ch c 1804 Johnny) and the Woodcote Stakes winner Miss Seedling (b f 1806 Totteridge). Another daughter, Pumpkin Mare (b f 1785), produced Lady Bull (b f 1796 John Bull), also called Lady Jack Bull, who was sent to Virginia in 1799 where she was trained but had no success on the turf.

 
Pedigree
Pumpkin Matchem Cade Godolphin Arabian
Roxana
Sister to Miss Partner Croft's Partner
Brown Farewell
Squirt Mare Squirt Bartlet's Childers
Sister to Old Country Wench
Mogul Mare Mogul
Camilla
Race Record
 
At 3: all at Newmarket, won a 500 guineas match at the First Spring meeting defeating Mr Ogilvy's Denmark (b c 1764 Regulus) over the Ditch In course (2 miles, 97 yards), won a 200 guineas match, Second Spring, beating Mr Blake's Lady Abbess (br f Young Cade), won a 100 guineas match, October, beating Lord Clermont's Papillon (br f 1769 Snap), later the dam of Sir Peter Teazle (br c 1784 Highflyer), at the same meeting won a 1000 guineas match, beating Mr Blake's Firetail (b c 1769 Squirrel) over the Ditch In course, won a 500 guineas match in November, beating Lord Clermont's Conductor (ch c 1767 Matchem) over the Ditch In course.
 
At 4: all at Newmarket, won a 100 guineas & hogshead of claret each sweep, First Spring, beating Lord Clermont's Sempronius (br c 1769 Latham's Snap) and two others over the Beacon Course (4 miles, 1 furlong, 138 yards), won a 200 guineas match, Second Spring, beating Lord Clermont's Ainderby (b c 1769 Matchem) over the Beacon Course, won 600 guineas and the Gold Cup in October, beating Mr Strode's Ranger (b c 1768 Chesnut Ranger) and Lord Grosvenor's Rarity (b f 1769 Matchem) over the Beacon Course, lost a 500 guineas match, First Spring, to Firetail over the Rowley Mile (1 mile, 1 yard), the time said (perhaps optimistically) to have been one minute, four and a half seconds, lost a 500 guineas match in October to Lord Ossory's Augur (b c 1768 Prophet) over the Beacon Course, lost a 1000 guineas match, Second October, to Rarity over the Beacon Course.
 
At 5: all at Newmarket, won a 500 guineas match, First Spring, beating Lord Grosvenor's Evergreen (b c 1769 Herod) over the Beacon Course, won a 500 guineas match "by a neck" in October from Lord Ossory's Chalkstone (b c 1769 Herod) over the Beacon Course, won a 500 guineas match, Second October, from Mr Blake's Mareschal (br c 1770 Saanah Arabian) over the Beacon Course and conceding more than a stone, won a 300 guineas match, Houghton, beating Lord Clermont's Priestess (b f 1767 Matchem) over the Beacon Course, collected a 275 guineas compromise, Second Spring, for a 500 guineas match against Sir James Pennyman's North Star (b c 1768 Matchem), collected 500 guineas forfeit, Second Spring, for a 1000 guineas match against Lord Grosvenor's Mambrino (gr c 1768 Engineer), lost a 500 guineas match in October to Mareschal over the Ditch In Course.
 
At 6: all at Newmarket, won a 500 guineas match, First Spring, beating Lord Abingdon's Takamahaka (ch f 1770 Julius Caesar) over the Beacon Course conceding a stone, won a 200 guineas match, First Spring, beating Lord Abingdon's Harapha (ch c 1769 Herod) over the Beacon Course, the same day won a 200 guineas match, beating Lord Abingdon's Braganza (ch c Herod) over the Beacon Course, 2nd in 200 guineas each sweep, Second Spring, won by Lord Clermont's Johnny (b c 1769 Matchem), beating Mr P Wentworth's Ancaster (b c 1768 Blank) over three miles conceding six pounds to Johnny and more to Ancaster, lost a 300 guineas match in October to Lord Clermont's Mark Anthony (b c 1767 Spectator), over the Beacon Course, lost a 180 guineas sweep, Second October, to Lord Grosvenor's Maiden (ch f 1770 Matchem), Maiden being a full-sister to Pumpkin.
 
At 7: all at Newmarket, won a purse of 400 guineas in October, beating Mambrino and Sir C Sedley's Trentham (br c 1766 Sweepstakes) over the Beacon Course, collected a 50 guineas compromise in October for a 200 guineas match against Lord Clermont's Amethyst (ch c 1768 Brilliant), 2nd for a 50 guineas each sweep, Second October, his final race, won by Lord Clermont's Fireaway (gr c 1770 Squirrel).