THE BYERLEY TURK

For a horse, anywhere in the world to compete in the world of 'Thoroughbred Horseracing' it needs to be descended from one of three stallions.
They are the ancestors of every thoroughbred horse in the world.
From the Epsom Derby to the Kentucky Derby each horse has one thing in common, they must be related to either the Darley Arabian - "Godolphin",
or the - "Byerley Turk".

The Great - great - great - grandparents of the modern Horseracing world.

At the outset it was very much a case of two Gentlemen challenging each other to a race, often across open heathland, for the sake of a wager.
The concept of glamorous race tracks and multi million pound studs are relatively recent in the time line of the horse. This was a time when Horseracing in the United Kingdom was very much finding it's feet. As people began to take an interest in this new sport and money was to be made with winnings, people started to look abroad for good stock.
At that time the Muslims and the Christians were fighting in Eastern Europe and the Cavalry was a prime store of quality chargers.
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