I'm looking for an actual history of the Godolphin Arabian Horse.

Has anyone read "Gone with the Wind" by Margarite Henry?

It was one of my most favorite books, and I grew up knowing the history of the Godolphin Arabian horse based on this book? Well, some stranger just told me that what she wrote in the book about the history is inaccurate.

Parts of the book do seem a bit dramatized, looking back on it as an adult.
But do any of you know which parts are fiction, and which are not? Also, did the book leave out anything worth knowing about the horse's history?

Regards,
Angela

The Godolphin Arabian (ca 1724 - 1754), also known as the Godolphin Barb, was an Arabian horse who was one of three stallions that were the founders of the modern Thoroughbred horse racing bloodstock (the other two are the Darley Arabian and the Byerly Turk). He was given his name for his best-known owner, Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin. The romantic story of the discovery of the Godolphin Arabian pulling a cart in France was based on a fictitious account written by Eugene Sue and published in La Presse in 1838. Controversy exists over the ancestry of the Godolphin Arabian; some writers referred to him as a Barb, because of his believed country of origin, Tunisia, on the Barbary Coast, but portraits, showing a horse with a high-carried tail and dished profile, features that differentiate Arabians from Barbs, lead experts to believe he was more likely an Arabian. The confusion is understandable, but while the breeds have some characteristics in common and are distantly related, their phenotypes are quite distinct. There was also an argument raised that he was actually a Turkoman horse, merely called an Arabian in order to raise the stud fee. However, it is most widely believed that he was an Arabian or had primarily Arabian lineage. The Earl of Godolphin referred to the horse as an Arabian, and he was described as such by the painter George Stubbs. Lord Godolphin later bought a second stallion in 1750. This one he clearly called a "barb". Both were of a similar bay colour but the Barb had a star. Godolphin later bought a grey Barb which has also caused some confusion over the years. The horse was imported from France by Mr. Edward Coke (created Earl of Leicester 1744) and sent to his stud at Longford Hall, Derbyshire where he remained until the death of his owner in 1733. He was bequeathed to Mr. Roger Williams, a London bloodstock agent, who inherited Coke's stallions. He was bought by the 2nd Earl Godolphin and placed at his stud. He was in the stud for about twenty years and died at the age of 29, on Christmas Day in 1753, at Gogmagog in Cambridgeshire.

The well-bred Roxana (born 1718), who was by the leading sire Bald Galloway out of a sister to Chanter, was mated with the Godolphin Arabian. She produced just three foals, two of them to the Godolphin Arabian: Lath (bay colt 1732), who was unbeaten, and thought to be the best horse seen at Newmarket since Flying Childers (1715); and Cade (bay colt 1734), winner of a King's Plate at Newmarket. Sadly, Roxana died two weeks after foaling Cade, who had to be reared with cow's milk. His son Regulus was broodmare sire of Eclipse. However, his most important contribution was his son Cade, full brother of Lath, who sired Matchem, progenitor of the Matchem sire line.
He was Champion Sire in 1738, 1745 and 1747. In turn, he sired three Champion Sires, Blank (b c 1740), Cade (b c 1724), and Regulus (b c 1739). He also sired Matchless (b c 1754) and Selima (b f 1745).

Whyte observed that "the great proportion of both colts and fillies, produced by this celebrated horse were of a bay colour like himself" [History of the British Turf 1:88], and Robertson later stated that he "never sired a chestnut, but had dun and grey offspring out of dun and grey mares" [Lonsdale Libraryxxvii:86]. We found three offspring supposed to be chestnut, however these could have been errors in pedigree or record keeping. The Godolphin Arabian appears to have been a pure bay.

Of the eye-witness accounts that survive, Vicomte de Manty, having seen the Arabian in France, described him as having 'beautiful conformation, exquisitely proportioned with large hocks, well let down, with legs of iron…whose only flaw was being headstrong…his quarters broad in spite of being half starved, tail carried in true Arabian style'. His poor condition when seen at that time might have been due to his voyage from Tunis. Later in England, the well-regarded author and veterinary surgeon William Osmer wrote: 'There never was a horse…so well entitled to get racers as the Godolphin Arabian…his shoulders were deeper, and lay farther into his back, than those of any horse yet seen. Behind the shoulders, there was but a very small space where the muscles of his loins rose exceedingly high, broad, and expanded, which were inserted into his quarters with greater strength and power than in any horse . . . yet seen'. There is no record of the Godolphin Arabian having ever raced, and there are no details of his pedigree. Despite this, he was an outstanding success at stud, and despite siring only about 80 foals in a career lasting 22 years he was leading sire three times, in 1738, 1745 and 1747.

I just re-read the Marguerite Henry book - (clearing out my mother's house). It was called "King of the Wind", not Gone with the Wind.

But in addition to the information from Jean Wittig above,you might also like to know that the cat the book mentions, Grimalkin, was a "long term" friend of his, and was in several of his portraits. The sources I read did not say as to whether the "friendship" with the cat preceded the horse's time at Godolphin's, but did say that the cat "died of grief" shortly after the horse died.

in my limited knowledge of breeding i have noticed that herod stallions bred to mares with matchem sires seem to be the highest earners and most sturdy in todays racing and inbreeding of godolphin mare lines are the highest money winning for the past twenty year in American racing

it is great book read it 50 yeard ago that has been the reason i have look to see how much of many grat have Golophin in them today we have afew sire direct, Tiz Now, Officer,Bertrando, linked with in reality even unbribled dam was by in reality and there are many sires with inreality or relaunch dams

The Godolphin stud horse, Crime Scene, ran second in the Melbourne Cup this afternoon.

Vincent White Melbourne Victoria Australia