DIVISION – PROGENITORS
The Birdcatcher families or sire-lines are charted here; the following sidebars expand the Isinglass and Teddy families. (The huge Cyllene/Phalaris family will be covered next month.) Those who own Thoroughbreds bred for steeplechasing, jumping or other “sport horse” divisions will find many of their horses’ ancestors here. Note the thickly-muscled, “rounded” look of most of these individuals. They tend to be somewhat long and soft in the back and “stand over a lot of ground,” measuring longer from breast to point of buttock than their withers height. Isinglass is the exception, and even from this very early example we learn the importance of having something other than Eclipse blood in the pedigree. Isinglass takes after his dam’s dams, who are descended (i.e., in “tail female”) from Herod.
Bend Or 1877 (by Doncaster out of Rouge Rose, by Thormanby, a Herod-line horse). Note the broad, rather soft back.
Isinglass 1890 (by Isonomy, out of Dead Lock, a Touchstoneline mare). The Touchstone line was highlighted in our last installment.
Teddy 1913 (by Ajax out of Rondeau, by Bay Ronald). This thickly-muscled horse stands over a little less bone than would be ideal. The tendency toward loss of bone, as well as loss of visible withers height, grows with increasing Eclipse blood.