Denmark (foaled 1839) was a major foundation sire of the American Saddlebred horse breed. Over 60% of all the horses in the first three volumes of the Saddlebred studbook trace back to him. Denmark sired the stallion Gaines' Denmark, an influential sire of the breed.

Life

Denmark was a brown stallion foaled in Kentucky in 1839, sired by an imported Thoroughbred named Hedgeford.^[1] He sired the stallion Gaines' Denmark, who became an influential sire. Denmark was used as a cavalry horse in the American Civil War.^[1]

Influence

When the National Saddle Horse Breeders' Association, precursor to the American Saddlebred Horse Association, was founded in 1891, Denmark was named as one of 17 foundation sires. Sixty percent of the horses in the first three volumes of the registry traced to him.^[2] In 1908, the directors of the National Saddle Horse Breeders' Association voted to make Denmark the sole foundation sire, although Harrison Chief was included as an additional foundation sire for the breed in 1991.^[3] For over 150 years, the Denmark bloodline was the best-known within the Saddlebred breed and Saddlebreds were sometimes referred to as "Denmarks".^[4][5]

Sire line tree

Pedigree

Note: b. = Bay, br. = Brown, ch. = Chestnut

* Denmark is inbred 4D x 3D to the mare Saltram mare, meaning that she appears fourth and third generation on the dam side of his pedigree.

^ Denmark is inbred 4S x 5D to the stallion Sir Peter Teazle, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fifth generation (via Sir Harry) on the dam side of his pedigree.

^ Denmark is inbred 5D x 4D to the stallion Diomed, meaning that he appears fifth generation (via Sir Archy) and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.