Family B-22: Brown Bess

This family's roots go back over one hundred and fifty years in Ireland and was actually extended further back than Brown Bess, which is shown as the taproot mare of the family in Family Tables. It was traced back to a mare by Cambridgeshire Handicap stakes and Liverpool cup winner Vulcan (1847), a son of Verulam (bred in Ireland by Mr Holmes), by Lottery. Verulam's dam was Wire (1811), seen frequently in the pedigres of Irish-bred horses; she was a full sister to Whisker and Whalebone, imported into Ireland by Lord Sligo. Verulam was an early important chasing sire who got the 1855 Grand National steeplechase winner, Wanderer, Michaelmas Daisy ( dam of the influential chaser sire Revolver, a winner of many steeplechases, and second dam of 1867 National winner Cortolvin), and was dam's sire of Parmesan. Vulcan raced in Ireland, and in England and was returned to Ireland to stand at stud at Killynon, Westmeath, where the stallion Blackfoot was also located.

The Vulcan mare produced a filly to the cover of Blackfoot (1833), a son of Alcaston or Young Blacklock bred in Richard Watt's Yorkshire stud and later sold to Ireland; Blackfoot also got the dam of 1887 National winner Gamecock (HB Family 16), and is seen in other half-bred pedigrees. The Blackfoot mare, owned by County Meath sportsman Valentine Wall, produced a filly by Windfall (1834), a son of Wire's daughter, Vat (1826) and Fitz-Orville. Windfall's daughter bred Brown Bess, who was by Wall's stallion Magician (by The Flying Dutchman, out of Magic, by Melbourne), who had been purchased in England after running well as a juvenile there. Brown Bess ran second in the Farmers' Steeplechase at Ward Union Hunt, and third in another race at age five.

Brown Bess's first foal was Regina (1879), by Prince, a son of Artillery and winner of sixteen races in Ireland, six of them as an unbeaten three-year old. Brown Bess also produced Crinolette, the dam of the Irish Grand National winning mare, Brown Bess (1901), named for her grandam. Another Brown Bess daughter, Bessie (1855, by Concha) won the three mile Farmer's Plate at Ward Union Hunt. Regina ran at age four, winning the Farmer's Plate, and was second in a flat race at Down Royal at age five; at age seven she was unplaced in one race, and fell when running in the Irish Grand National. She was sold and put in the stud of Fleetwood Rynd, of Kilcock, Kildare. Regina produced eleven live foals, some of which were good steeplechasers, including Mount Armstrong (1887), winner of eight steeplechases, including the Foxhunters' Plate at Punchestown, Bunthorne, winner of 13 steeplechases, and her daughters Homage, a winner of of a point-to-point race, and Natasha (1890), winner of three hunter flat races, five hurdle races, and seven steeplechases. In 1892 she was bought by Richard Ball of Reynoldstown, Naul, Co. Dublin for 300 guineas, and for him produced Homage, by the steeplechaser Hominy. The history of this family continues in the portraits below.

Notable Descendants