Date of Birth: 
About Thomas Darley
- Thomas Darley (born 19 May 1664) served as Her Majesty's Consul to the Levant (Syria) during the reign of Queen Anne.
- He is famous for having bought an Arabian colt that became an important part of the history of the Thoroughbred breed.
- Darley was born in Aldby Park, Yorkshire, England.
- His father was Richard Darley and his mother Dorothea was a daughter of the regicide Thomas Waite (Wayte). In 1702 Darley while in Syria bought an Arabian colt from Sheikh Mirza for his father, Richard Darley.
- There are conflicting stories about how much Darley exchanged or paid for the colt but had made arrangements to send him back to Yorkshire.
- The colt was foaled in Syria, late March or early April in the year 1700.
- The horse, a bay, was tall for an Arabian horse of the time was 15 hands when described by Darley in a letter to his brother dated 21 December 1703.
- The horse whose original name was "Ras el Fedowi," translated as "The Headstrong One", became immortalised as the "Darley Arabian".
- In Thomas Darley's own words, "he was immediately striking owing to his handsome appearance and exceedingly elegant carriage".
- Although he never raced, he covered mares at Aldby Park from 1705 until 1719, and lived until the advanced age of 30.
- His genes added speed to those of stronger English horses of the time.
- Through his offspring, including his great grandson, the famous and never beaten Eclipse, he has had the greater influence of the three foundation stallions of the thoroughbred breed.
- His bloodline is said to be present in about 95% of today's thoroughbred racehorses.
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