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Figure was a small bay stallion owned by Justin Morgan; he became the foundation sire of the Morgan horse breed.[1]
Early years
editThe stallion was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts in 1789. The small, dark colt is believed to have been sired by an English Thoroughbred stallion named "True Briton." Figure's dam was of "Wild-Air" breeding (part thoroughbred, part Arabian), sired by Diamond, foaled in 1784 in West Springfield. Figure is thought to have stood about 14 hands high (1.42 m), and to have weighed about 950 lb (430 kg). Figure was a hard worker and fast racer.[1]
Controversy
editN.Y. Wallace, a respected trotting expert and 1968 Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductee, claimed that Figure's sire was not the English thoroughbred True Briton. Wallace asserted that there was a different horse named Figure foaled in Hartford, Connecticut that was not this horse. Wallace concluded that Morgan was engaging in fraud by misrepresenting the horse's lineage. Morgan and his proponents denied the claims, pointing to the horse's performance as evidence of its legitimacy.[1]
Ownership by Justin Morgan
editIn 1792, Figure was advertised for stud before he was given as payment for a debt to Justin Morgan (1747-1798), a singing teacher and one-time Randolph, Vermont, Town Clerk. Morgan owned Figure from 1792 to 1795, advertising him for stud in Randolph and Lebanon, New Hampshire (1793), and Royalton, Vermont (1794), and Williston and Hinesburg, Vermont (1795). He leased Figure to Robert Evans in the fall of 1795 to clear land for a Mr. Fisk at a rate of $15.00 a year.
Morgan later traded the horse to Samuel Allen for land in Moretown, Vermont. Allen sold the stallion later that year to William Rice of Woodstock, Vermont.
Accomplishments
editIn 1796, Figure raced in a sweepstakes in Brookfield, Vermont, beating New York horses to win $50. That year, he was advertised at stud by Johnathan Shepard of Montpelier, who also raced him in several match races in which he did well. Figure became known as the "Justin Morgan horse."
Other owners
editFigure was traded again in 1797, along with a blacksmith shop, to James Hawkins. In 1801 he was recorded as owned by Robert Evans of Randolph. Evans owned the horse until 1804, using the stallion for logging, racing, and breeding, until he fell into debt to Colonel John Goss. Goss collected the horse as part of the debt, and used him to review troops. He entered the horse in a pulling bee, which the little horse won. In 1805, Goss traded Figure for a mare owned by his brother David.
David Goss owned Figure from 1805 to 1811, where he worked on the farm for 10 months, and was used for breeding for two months each year. He was sold in 1811 to Philip Goss for the breeding season. Philip Goss sold Figure to Jacob Sanderson, who sold him to Jacob Langmeade. Langmeade used the horse to haul freight, and is thought to have abused the aging stallion.
Langmeade sold Figure to Joel Goss and Joseph Rogers at the end of 1811. Figure stood at stud for several years, before he was sold to Samuel Stone in 1817. Stone exhibited the stallion in the Randolph fair. Figure was used as a parade mount by President James Monroe later that year.
Final years
editIn 1819, Figure was sold to his final owner, Levi Bean of Chelsea, Vermont. Toward the end of his life, Figure was put out to pasture. He died in 1821 from an injury to the flank, caused by a kick, at the age of 32. Figure is now buried in Chelsea, Vermont.
Stories, myths and legends
editMany myths developed surrounding Figure and Justin Morgan. The popular 1945 children's book, Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry, is a fictionalized account of Figure (called "Little Bub" in the book) and his early life. Walt Disney Studios adapted the book into a film in 1972.
Sire line tree
edit- Figure (Justin Morgan)[2][3][4]
- Gascon la Rocque[5]
- Hawkin's Horse[8]
- Sherman Morgan[13][14]
- Royal Morgan[15]
- Scott Horse
- Cock of the Rock[16]
- Flint Morgan[20]
- Napoleon Morgan[21]
- Granite State Morgan
- Napoleon Morgan[21]
- Vermont Morgan Champion[22]
- Shedd Horse[23]
- Vincent Horse
- Shedd Horse[23]
- Green Mountain (Bachup)[24]
- Black Morgan[25]
- Black Morgan 2nd
- Morgan Tiger
- Black Morgan[25]
- Whalebone
- Billy Root[26]
- Black Hawk[30][31][32]
- Black Ralph
- Kossuth
- Selim
- Sherman Black Hawk[33]
- Vermont Hero
- King Herod
- Ticonderoga[34]
- Black Prince
- Vermont Black Hawk (Blood)[35][36]
- Black Hawk (Gist)
- Indian Chief
- Blood Chief
- Black Hawk (Hill)[37]
- Ti Boy
- Paul Clifford
- Rounds Horse[38]
- Darkey
- Black Hawk (Chris Doyle)[39]
- Grey Eagle
- Flying Cloud[40]
- Star of the West
- Stockbridge Chief[41]
- Mambrino Black Hawk
- Ethan Allen[42][31][43]
- Honest Allen[44]
- Daniel Lambert
- Ethan Allen (Holabird)
- Superb
- Ethan Allen (Woodward)
- Gray Eagle (b.1849)
- Lancet
- Telegraph (Bradford)[45]
- Bay State
- Black Hawk (Smith)
- Trotting Childers
- Wild-air
- Chieftain[46]
- Young Rix
- Vermont (Downing)
- Gray Eagle (b.1852)[47]
- Grey Eagle
- Black Hawk Telegraph[48]
- Strideaway
- Pathfinder (Benedict)
- Pathfinder (Buell)
- Illinois Black Hawk[49]
- Morgan Eclipse
- Royal Morgan[15]
- Weasel
- Copperbottom[50]
- European[55]
- Bulrush Morgan[31][58]
- Blazing Star
- Tom Hal (b.1816)[63]
- Woodbury Morgan[31][66]
Pedigree
edit| Sire True Briton 1780 |
Traveller (Lloyd) 1761 |
Traveller (Morton) 1746 |
Partner (Old) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Bloody Buttocks | |||
| Jenny Cameron 1742 |
Quiet Cuddy | ||
| Sultan mare | |||
| Betty Leeds 1760 |
Babraham 1738 |
Godolphin Arabian | |
| Sachrissa | |||
| Bolton Starling mare 1750 |
Bolton Starling | ||
| Bonny Bay | |||
| Dam Diamond mare 1784 |
Diamond 1779 |
Wildair (Church) 1774 |
Wildair |
| Wildair mare (Burt) | |||
| (unknown) | (unknown) | ||
| (unknown) | |||
| Sportsman mare 1779 |
Sportsman 1774 |
Arabian Ranger | |
| (unknown) | |||
| (unknown) | (unknown) | ||
| (unknown) |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Temple, Eli Schleifer With Robert (2010-04-09). The History of Harness Racing In New England. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 978-1-4500-5472-0.
- ^ Richwood Morgans: Figure
- ^ Justin Morgan Offspring
- ^ Trotting Cousins
- ^ Gascon la Rocque Offspring
- ^ Carillon Offspring
- ^ Old Pacing Pilot Offspring
- ^ Hawkin's Horse Offspring
- ^ Papineau Offspring
- ^ Young Papineau Offspring
- ^ De Mars Horse Offspring
- ^ Francis Lareau Horse Offspring
- ^ Richwood Morgans: Sherman Morgan
- ^ Sherman Morgan Offspring
- ^ Royal Morgan Offspring
- ^ Cock of the Rock Offspring
- ^ Barden Morgan Offspring
- ^ American Star (Coburn) Offspring
- ^ Morgan Deforrest Offspring
- ^ Flint Morgan Offspring
- ^ Napoleon Morgan Offspring
- ^ Vermont Morgan Champion Offspring
- ^ Shedd Horse Offspring
- ^ Green Mountain (Bachup) Offspring
- ^ Black Morgan Offspring
- ^ Billy Root Offspring
- ^ Greely Horse Offspring
- ^ Vermont Boy Offspring
- ^ Woods Comet Offspring
- ^ Richwood Morgans: Black Hawk
- ^ a b c d Significant Sires Series: Black Hawk
- ^ Black Hawk Offspring
- ^ Sherman Black Hawk Offspring
- ^ Ticonderoga Offspring
- ^ Bloods Vermont Black Hawk Pedigree
- ^ Blood Vermont Black Hawk Offspring
- ^ Black Hawk (Hill) Offspring
- ^ Rounds Horse Offspring
- ^ Black Hawk (Chris Doyle) Offspring
- ^ Flying Cloud Offspring
- ^ Stockbridge Chief Offspring
- ^ Richwood Morgans: Ethan Allen
- ^ Ethan Allen Offspring
- ^ Richwood Morgans: Honest Allen
- ^ In Memory of Allen F-1
- ^ Chieftain Offspring
- ^ Grey Eagle 1852 Offspring
- ^ Black Hawk Telegraph Offspring
- ^ Illinois Black Hawk Offspring
- ^ Copperbottom Offspring
- ^ Tom Hal 1812 Offspring
- ^ Carrilion Offspring
- ^ Brutus Offspring
- ^ Copperbottom (Johnson) Offspring
- ^ European Offspring
- ^ Morse Horse Offspring
- ^ Alexander’s Norman Offspring
- ^ Bullrush Morgan Offspring
- ^ Randolph Morgan Offspring
- ^ Jennison Colt Offspring
- ^ Morgan Emperor Offspring
- ^ Andrew Jackson Offspring
- ^ Tom Hal 1816 Offspring
- ^ Bald Stockings Offspring
- ^ Tom Hall Kitttrel Offspring
- ^ Woodbury Morgan Offspring
- ^ Gifford Morgan Offspring
- ^ Hackett Horse Offspring
- ^ Hales Green Mountain Morgan Offspring
- ^ Barnard Morgan Offspring
- ^ Morgan Caesar Offspring
- ^ Putnam Morgan Offspring
- ^ Chittenden County Morgan Offspring
- ^ Wildair Offspring
- ^ Figure Pedigree