IN THE month of May near 250 years ago began the career of the most celebrated racehorse of his day and one of the most famous Thoroughbred horses in history. Foaled in 1764, Eclipse was a mean tempered chestnut colt.

Though smaller than most modern racehorses he had a legendary athletic ability. He was undefeated in 18 races, and was said to run without effort winning with such comfortable margins that a phrase was coined in his honour; ‘Eclipse first, and the rest nowhere.’

People would substitute the horse’s name for their own or whomever they wanted to acknowledge as being superior. He was retired from racing, mainly due to a lack of opposition, and began his stud career in 1771.

The discovery of Eclipse’s supreme racing ability elevated the status of another Thoroughbred horse – his sire Marske. This horse had had a promising start to his racing career but after his performance declined he was retired to stud. In 1765 Marske was sold to a Dorset farmer for ‘a trifling sum’, allegedly of just a few pounds. Marske stood at stud in Bisterne, near Ringwood, and began to service New Forest mares for three guineas and five shillings. His progeny were said to be ‘all browns like the horse, well shaped and most of them good goers.’ In 1766 an astute businessman realised that as soon as Eclipse’s talent as a racehorse was recognised the value of his sire’s services as a stud would rise, and indeed they did. He bought Marske from the farmer for 20 guineas and sold him to the Earl of Abingdon for 1000 guineas.

So, why didn’t this celebrated racing sire produce any New Forest pony stock of note? There do not seem to be any Forest foals by Marske in his four years as a stallion at Bisterne that have quite made their mark on the horse world in the way of his famous son. The answer could be quite simple. It would appear that Eclipse’s racing genius came from his mother and not his father. When Eclipse died in 1789, following the tradition of burying the head, heart and hooves of champion racehorses, it was discovered that he had a large heart, at least twice the size of a racehorse of that era. He received this genetic goody from his dam, Spilletta, and passed it on to his daughters and so forth and so on.

Even though in the past the introduction of breeds, such as Thoroughbreds, Arabians, and other native pony stock, have been attempted to refine and ‘improve’ the New Forest breed, the commoners have always insisted that the older bloodlines of Forest bred ponies have fared better out on the Open Forest. Indeed, since 1930 only registered New Forest stallions have been permitted to run with the Forest mares. This stipulation has ensured that the qualities of stamina, sure footedness, intelligence and affable natures have endured in the breed. Read more at www.newforestcommoner.co.uk or follow me on Twitter @Forest_Commoner.