CONVERSATION FROM THE PAST – By Harry Sharpe, stud groom

At Ballylinch Stud Co. Kilenny I took over the ‘spotted wonder’, ‘the rocking horse’ named The Tetrarch as he finished his brief, but meteoric racing career.

In addition, to his freakish markings, he had a freakish disposition. His ‘bump’ of curiosity was highly developed. When racing, almost invariably, he would pause coming out of the saddling paddock on to the racecourse, then calmly survey the animated scene before he would respond to his jockey’s quiet urging to proceed to the starting post.

At stud The Tetrarch was the most cold-blooded nonchalant stallion I ever handled. It normally took him from five to ten minutes to prepare for action. Nearly twenty minutes elapsed before he consented to cover his first mate, Baroness La Fleche. It was a successful first effort, with a sorry sequel. The resulting grey foal was born dead.

On one occasion he was so deeply interested in the activities of some workmen repairing the roof of an adjoining stable, that I had to request them to descend before he would pay any attention to the patiently waiting hobbled mare.

In the case of the highly strung temperamental mare, Perfect Peach by Persimmon-Fascination, when, due to The Tetrarch’s dilatory tactics and her maternal anxiety to get back to her 10-day foal, she was on the point of either freeing herself from the breeding hobbles, or injuring herself in the attempt, I had to release her and try again later in the day and successfully, Stefan the Great resulted.

Another characteristic of The Tetrarch was the frequency with which he failed to ejaculate although to all appearance he made a complete service. I discovered this during my routine practice of checking on the impulse throb or its absence. In following this routine and spacing the horse’s as far as apart as possible, The Tetrarch was fairly successful with his mates.

During the three seasons he was in my care, he was bred to 93 mares and sired 67 foals. (However) My successor at Ballylinch probably did not catch on to the horse’s incomplete services.

At any rate, in his fourth season, The Tetrarch was bred to 42 mares, with the result that 34 proved barren. The next year The Tetrarch had a better record of 23 foals.

The Tetrarch influences…

https://www.pedigreequery.com/mumtaz+mahal (f.f. 9c) – Nasrullah, Badruddin, Mahmoud, Royal Charger, @ 9c family et al

https://www.pedigreequery.com/salmon-trout (f.f. 19c) Sire of King Salmon (sired, Brazil) see pedigree Kings Bench (GB) went to Japan >> Wild Event (USA) sent to Brazil. Queens Hussar distaff, 3rd dam by Salmon Trout – 3rd dam sire DEEP IMPACT (JPN)

https://www.pedigreequery.com/stefan+the+great (f.f. 2e, affinity @ William the Third). 🏆 COUNT FLEET https://www.pedigreequery.com/count+fleet

https://www.pedigreequery.com/polemarch (f.f.6f) Gigante genético en Argentina (Ver pag web de haraslos4candados.blogspot.com)- PEAP: 1927-19; 1928-4; 1929-2; 1930-16; 1931-4; 1932-2; 1933-3; 1934-15; 1937-17:, 1939-25

PEAAM: 1938-23; 1939-19; 1940-8; 1941-10; 1942-16; 1943-8; 1944-5; 1945-7; 1946-7; 1947-1; 1949-10; 1950-8; 1951-9

https://www.pedigreequery.com/caligula (f.f. 7)

https://www.pedigreequery.com/callista, 2nd The Tetrarch dam Flushing (FR) by Mahmoud, 4th dam sire UNBRIDLEDS SONG (USA)

https://www.pedigreequery.com/queen+herodias (f.f. 15-b) – granddam of Baytown (IRE) b/m sire Grey Sovereign (GB)

https://www.pedigreequery.com/tetratema (f.f. 14-a)
English champion juvenile male of 1920, undefeated champion sprinter at 4. i) Sire of Royal Minstrel (GB) 2nd dam sire SWORD DANCER (USA) sire of DAMASCUS. ii) Tetratema sire of dam Myrobella dam of Big Game b/m sire of Hethersett, the sire of Blakeney, distaff Stefan the Great > 6x7x7 The Tetrarch. iii) Tetratema 5×3 > Vegas (NZ) 4th dam to Winx (Aus) 43 Starts: 37 – 3 – 1,

The Tetrarch/Tetratema/Mumtaz Mahal – https://www.pedigreequery.com/kalamoun

https://www.pedigreequery.com/linamix 8x The Tetrarch

https://www.pedigreequery.com/theio – 3rd dam sire of the great New Zealand bred McGinty. 6x The Tetrarch

https://www.pedigreequery.com/the+satrap (f.f. 14-a) champion 2yo in England

https://www.pedigreequery.com/ethnarch (f.f. 1-h) b/m sire William the Third. Sire of Infra Red (GB) Mill Reef distaff. Blushing Groom distaff & Khaled (GB)

https://www.pedigreequery.com/tetrabbazia dam of Singapore (GB) sent to Brazil. 2nd dam sire of Sheshoon (GB), sire of Sassafras (FR) – Champion 3-year-old colt and Horse of the Year in France, 1970. Sensationally, beat Nijinsky in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

https://www.pedigreequery.com/tetrameter sire sent to Denmark, 2nd on Danish sire stats 1944-1946

https://www.pedigreequery.com/defiance6 (f.f. 5-i)

https://www.pedigreequery.com/tetranella (f.f. 7d) dam of Master Vere (Felstead) exported to Argentina. Gigante genético argentino (Ver pag web de haraslos4candados.blogspot.com)-
PEAP: 1941-10; 1942-18; 1944-5; 1945-13; 1946-8; 1947-24; 1948-13; 1950-12; 1951-24
PEAAM: 1953-24; 1954-11; 1955-11; 1956-15; 1957-25; 1960-9; 1961-11; 1963-46. Recent pedigree filly distaff, La Clota (ARG) G2 winner, Clasico Venezuela.

https://www.pedigreequery.com/cinderella3 – 2nd dam of Fairs Fair (GB) exported to New Zealand – Champion New Zealand Sire 1958/59,1954
Champion Sire of 2YOs 1958/59, 1964/65
Champion Sire of Broodmares 1968/69,1969/70. Sire of dam Mordello (3x The Tetrarch) 4th dam of CHAUTAUQUA

Cinderella dam of Son and Heir (IRE) sire of The Font, two time champion sire in Chile.

https://www.pedigreequery.com/chautauqua2

*****

more information The Tetrarch\Ballylinch – https://www.ballylinchstud.ie/about-us/the-tetrarch/

This page, Posted to Historic Hooves