Follow-up on Two Horses Named Flora
- Rebecca Drew
- 4 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Since posting A Tale of Two Horses Named Flora, more information has come to light about these two equines who share ties to many horse champions. After celebrating their connection to Kentucky Derby winners, we will continue to follow the story of each Flora as we await the next segment of the Triple Crown, which is The Preakness (at the time of this writing). Better yet, this is also an opportunity to show off the artwork of my dear friend, Crystal Carlson, who actually gave me this absolutely lovely painting of a horse frolicking on the beach.
The Horse in the Painting
Before diving into the story of the Flora horses, I want to acknowledge the artist who gave me this painting. Crystal's beach scenes are always on point, with their sea glass shades of blue and green and perfect sea foam. When she sent a photo of a beach scene with a robust horse, I was stunned by its beauty. I think this was her first horse painting, and it has stayed in my mind. Something about its luscious face just spoke to me. So carefree, just what everyone wants to be at the beach. I was so surprised at how Crystal could capture the movements and grace of something from nature, especially since she just discovered her talent.
Fast forward a few weeks later, and I was sitting at the dentist's office, looking through my magazine. Lo and behold, there was a painted blue and white tile of a horse that looked strikingly similar to her painting. Again, it was luscious! The similarities were almost eerie. However, I had no idea that Crystal's original horse painting would find its way here the same week. By surprise, she mailed it to me along with another beautiful beach scene!!!
I am still positively gobsmacked. Not only did she correctly predict the Kentucky Derby winner as Sovereignty, but she picks up a paintbrush and paints this beauty. Then, she lets go of it by surprising me with it! We should all be so lucky to have a friend like Crystal!
Randolph's Flora
Okay, back to the story, which, by the way, I can't help but wonder if John Randolph of Roanoke was one of the invisible hands in getting that painting here. After all, he bred horses who are ancestors of today's Kentucky Derby winners (that's another story yet to be written), and I keep yammering to Crystal about these horses. He was one to celebrate talent when he saw it, and I can imagine that if he saw the painting, he would insist on having it for his own home.
Our Honorable Mr. Randolph wrote an advertisement in March 1832 for the Richmond Whig and Commercial Journal, among other publications. The ad included stud services for Flora's brother, Gascoigne. While sharing Gascoigne's virtues, he mentioned that his sister, Flora, was sixteen hands high. This means she was a half a hand taller than her brother, who was still growing. Also, the ad further supports my theory about the connection to noted horse enthusiast Sir Thomas Gascoigne whose horse, Lady G, is mentioned again.
Unfortunately, there are still no leads on what happened to this Flora. Did she and her brother, Gascoigne, go to John Wickham as Randolph hoped? I was hoping to research some of Wickham's records, but there are numerous barriers to access. No wonder people lose interest in history. When entities make it difficult to access information, then people will lose interest.
As a side note, Gascoigne was mentioned as the sire of Fairie Queen, a horse eventually belonging to J.B. Richardson, Esq. of Illinois. This note was found in Volume 10 of the American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine. Fairie Queen, a bay mare born in 1832, was bred by John Randolph of Roanoke. She was often mentioned in his various writings. It appears she had several horses of her own, and then continued racing at a later stage in life.
According to Volume 11 of the American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine, we also find Gascoigne mentioned as the sire of Randolphia, who was also bred by John Randolph that same year. After his death, Randolphia remained in Charlotte County. Like her sister, she eventually had her own horses. Another sister named Omariah also remained in Charlotte County, and her next set of horses were bred by the trustee of John Randolph's estate, Wyatt Cardwell. Researching the activities of Randolph's trustee may help to determine what happened to Flora and Gascoigne.
Lewis' Flora
The aforementioned post mentioned that James DuPree took ownership of a horse named Topaz (by Rob Roy, out of Flora). Topaz eventually moved to his home in Clinton, Mississippi. We will hear more about Topaz in an upcoming post. We still don't know what happened to his mother, Flora. Who bought her at Lewis' estate sale? Where did she go? There is a James DuPree listed as a State Senator in Hinds County, so it seems that there would be some record somewhere about his horses. There is a note about her offspring in Volume 10 of the American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine. This particular Flora is listed as the grandam of a promising horse named Georgiana.
More than Two Horses Named Flora
Just to make matters more confusing, there was an entry in an August 1832 advertisement for the Richmond Whig and Commercial Journal. This one mentions a horse in the estate sale of Alex F. Rose, Esq., of Stafford, Virginia. One of the horses was named Flora "out of Miss Dance by Florizel (Ball's)." It appears that Ball's Florizel had at least two daughters named Flora, although the other one had a mother named Iris, not Miss Dance. Let's not forget that all three Flora horses descend from the original Florizel, who was an ancestor of this prolific Ball's Florizel. Then there are all the other Floras listed in The General Stud Book Containing Pedigrees of Race Horses from the Earliest Accounts from 1858. Flora was a popular name for horses, it seems.
Just one more question: How did they maintain horse pedigrees in the 1800's without the internet?