Sire Line

Leedes Arabian

Bred by Edward Leedes at his well known and successful stud in North Milford, Yorkshire, he was half brother to Jigg (c 1701 Byerley Turk), a progenitor of the Byerley Turk sire line. His sister is the taproot mare of Family 6-a. Later the property of Mr. Holloway, Queen Anne purchased him in 1705 for £1000 and gave him to her consort, Prince George of Denmark.

He stood at the Royal Stud at Hampton Court. His best sons were the racehorse Ashridge Ball and the sire Hazard (b c 1726). Hazard has the distinction of appearing in the pedigree of Mousetrap* (b c 1771 Warren's Careless), the latter the sire of the early American stallions Lockhart's Cassius (b c) and Huntsman (b c 1789).

His most influential daughters were both unnamed. Leedes Mare was the dam of Sister to Bandy (b f 1731 Godolphin's Whitefoot). Sister to Bandy was the dam of Bajazet (b c 1740 Godolphin Arabian) and of Brown Betty (b f 1737 Hobgoblin), from whom most of Family 21 descends. Sister to Bandy was also the dam of the four sisters to Sherborne recorded in Lord Godolphin's stud book, one of whom, Shireborne, produced the American matriarch Selima* (b f 1745 Godolphin Arabian) [Early Records:175].

Another Leedes Mare was the 4th dam of Queen Mab* (gr f 1745c Mosco Grey Arabian), the first English thoroughbred mare in Maryland. Queen Mab* was bred at Hampton Court by King George 2nd's stud groom Thomas Smith [E1:53]. She was the dam of only two known foals in America, the useful stallion, Hopper's Pacolet (gr c 1750c Spark*), and Gantt's Mille (f 1752c Spark*), from whom descend Gantt's True Briton (b c 1757 Othello*) and Hayne's King Herod (b c 1768 Fearnought*).

Sister to Quiet produced Gander (b c 1720 Darley Arabian), whose unnamed daughter, Gander Mare, was an early contributor to Family 42.

Ashridge Ball c 1711c (Leedes - Mare, by Madcap). Sire Line Leedes Arabian.
Owned by Scrope Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater, and described as a "capital son of Leedes," he lost a match for 900 guineas a side to Brocklesby Betty (ch f 1711 Curwen's Bay Barb) at Newmarket in 1718, at which time he was considered the best horse in England. In the stud he got Star and the dam of the useful stallion Ancaster's Grasshopper (gr c 1731 Crab).