Figure (horse) explained

Figure was a small bay stallion owned by Justin Morgan; he became the foundation sire of the Morgan horse breed.^[1]

Early years

The 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.

Controversy

N.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.

Ownership by Justin Morgan

In 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

In 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

Figure 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

In 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

Many 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

• Figure (Justin Morgan)^{[2] [3] [4]}
  • Gascon la Rocque^[5]
    • Carillon^[6]
      • Old Pacing Pilot^[7]
        • Pilot Junior
  • Hawkin's Horse^[8]
    • Papineau^[9]
      • Young Papineau^[10]
        • Farmer's Beauty
    • De Mars Horse^[11]
      • Francis Lareau Horse^[12]
        • St Lawrence
  • Sherman Morgan^{[13] [14]}
    • Royal Morgan^[15]
      • Scott Horse
    • Cock of the Rock^[16]
      • Barden Morgan^[17]
        • Young Morgan
      • American Star (Coburn)^[18]
        • American Star (Seeley)
      • Morgan Deforrest^[19]
        • General Gifford
      • Black Prince
    • Flint Morgan^[20]
      • Napoleon Morgan^[21]
        • Granite State Morgan
    • Vermont Morgan Champion^[22]
      • Shedd Horse^[23]
        • Vincent Horse
    • Green Mountain (Bachup)^[24]
      • Black Morgan^[25]
        • Black Morgan 2nd
        • Morgan Tiger
    • Whalebone
    • Billy Root^[26]
      • Greely Horse^[27]
        • Mountaineer
      • Morgan General
      • Vermont Boy^[28]
        • Reconstruction
      • Comet (Wood)^[29]
        • Fox Morgan
      • Morgan Comet
    • 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
  • Weasel
  • Copperbottom^[50]
    • Tom Hal (b.1812)^[51]
      • Carrilion^[52]
        • Old Pilot
    • Brutus^[53]
      • Copperbottom (Johnson)^[54]
        • Copperbottom (Curdy)
  • European^[55]
    • Morse Horse^[56]
      • Norman^[57]
        • Blackwood
  • Bulrush Morgan^{[31] [58]}
    • Randolph Morgan^[59]
      • Jennison Colt^[60]
        • Morrill
    • Morgan Emperor^[61]
      • North Star
    • Andrew Jackson^[62]
      • Andrew Jackson Jr
  • Blazing Star
  • Tom Hal (b.1816)^[63]
    • Bald Stockings^[64]
      • Tom Hal (Kitttrel)^[65]
        • Tom Hal (Gibson)
  • Woodbury Morgan^{[31] [66]}
    • Gifford Morgan^[67]
      • Hacket Horse^[68]
        • Flying Morgan
        • Black Jack
      • Green Mountain Morgan (Hale)^[69]
        • Prince Albert
        • Wood Horse
        • Romeo
        • Dan Rice
        • Eureka (Ross Butler)
        • Clifton
        • Sir William (Turner)
        • Rutland Morgan
      • Barnard Morgan^[70]
        • Vermont Morgan
      • Morgan Hunter
      • Gifford Morgan Jr
      • General Gifford
    • Morgan Caesar^[71]
      • Mac
    • Putnam Morgan^[72]
      • Chittenden County Morgan^[73]
        • Comet
      • Wildair^[74]
        • Billy King

See also

• List of historical horses

Notes and References

1. Book: Temple, Eli Schleifer With Robert . The History of Harness Racing In New England . 2010-04-09 . Xlibris Corporation . 978-1-4500-5472-0 . en.
2. http://richwoodmorganhorses.com/horse/justin-morgan-figure/ Richwood Morgans: Figure
3. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10410002 Justin Morgan Offspring
4. https://www.morganhorse.com/upload/photos/206RESEARCHTrottingCousins2010.pdf Trotting Cousins
5. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10798674 Gascon la Rocque Offspring
6. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10798673 Carillon Offspring
7. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10795772 Old Pacing Pilot Offspring
8. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10709775 Hawkin's Horse Offspring
9. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10801506 Papineau Offspring
10. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10801504 Young Papineau Offspring
11. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10709774 De Mars Horse Offspring
12. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10709772 Francis Lareau Horse Offspring
13. http://richwoodmorganhorses.com/horse/sherman-morgan/ Richwood Morgans: Sherman Morgan
14. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10410001 Sherman Morgan Offspring
15. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10796320 Royal Morgan Offspring
16. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10410012 Cock of the Rock Offspring
17. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10816477 Barden Morgan Offspring
18. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10795832 American Star (Coburn) Offspring
19. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10410011 Morgan Deforrest Offspring
20. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10827402 Flint Morgan Offspring
21. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10827394 Napoleon Morgan Offspring
22. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10796382 Vermont Morgan Champion Offspring
23. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10457000 Shedd Horse Offspring
24. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10796695 Green Mountain (Bachup) Offspring
25. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10796694 Black Morgan Offspring
26. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10539286 Billy Root Offspring
27. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10799107 Greely Horse Offspring
28. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10816459 Vermont Boy Offspring
29. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10796728 Woods Comet Offspring
30. http://richwoodmorganhorses.com/horse/black-hawk-i/ Richwood Morgans: Black Hawk
31. https://www.morganhorse.com/upload/photos/904BlackHawk1.14.pdf Significant Sires Series: Black Hawk
32. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10409999 Black Hawk Offspring
33. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10539273 Sherman Black Hawk Offspring
34. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10798725 Ticonderoga Offspring
35. https://sporthorse-data.com/pedigree/bloods-vermont-black-hawk?mode=b Bloods Vermont Black Hawk Pedigree
36. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10410009 Blood Vermont Black Hawk Offspring
37. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10814522 Black Hawk (Hill) Offspring
38. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10681019 Rounds Horse Offspring
39. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10824778 Black Hawk (Chris Doyle) Offspring
40. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10441439 Flying Cloud Offspring
41. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10440789 Stockbridge Chief Offspring
42. http://richwoodmorganhorses.com/horse/ethan-allen-2nd/ Richwood Morgans: Ethan Allen
43. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10442984 Ethan Allen Offspring
44. http://richwoodmorganhorses.com/horse/honest-allen/ Richwood Morgans: Honest Allen
45. https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/AllenF1.htm In Memory of Allen F-1
46. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10442991 Chieftain Offspring
47. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10443583 Grey Eagle 1852 Offspring
48. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10408705 Black Hawk Telegraph Offspring
49. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10830983 Illinois Black Hawk Offspring
50. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10795774 Copperbottom Offspring
51. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10441275 Tom Hal 1812 Offspring
52. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10799531 Carrilion Offspring
53. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10676572 Brutus Offspring
54. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10836774 Copperbottom (Johnson) Offspring
55. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10408574 European Offspring
56. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10408572 Morse Horse Offspring
57. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=11001656 Alexander’s Norman Offspring
58. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10442980 Bullrush Morgan Offspring
59. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10442979 Randolph Morgan Offspring
60. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10442978 Jennison Colt Offspring
61. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10814451 Morgan Emperor Offspring
62. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10796679 Andrew Jackson Offspring
63. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10600847 Tom Hal 1816 Offspring
64. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10441274 Bald Stockings Offspring
65. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=11318896 Tom Hall Kitttrel Offspring
66. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10410004 Woodbury Morgan Offspring
67. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10416483 Gifford Morgan Offspring
68. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10613495 Hackett Horse Offspring
69. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10416482 Hales Green Mountain Morgan Offspring
70. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10463626 Barnard Morgan Offspring
71. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10798086 Morgan Caesar Offspring
72. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10539344 Putnam Morgan Offspring
73. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10539342 Chittenden County Morgan Offspring
74. https://sporthorse-data.com/offspring?horse_id=10816974 Wildair Offspring