Peter the Great (1895–1923) was an American Standardbred horse. A descendant of Hambletonian 10, he is considered one of the most important sires in the development of the modern Standardbred breed.Ken McCarr, The Kentucky Harness Horse (University Press of Kentucky, 1978), , pp. 47-52.
History
Peter the Great was bred by D. D. Streeter at The Oaklands, Kalamazoo, Michigan. At the age of two years he was trained by Peter V. Johnston. Stableman Jud Graine stated that Peter the Great was "Spirited and gentle as a kitten ... He was wise ... That is one reason his offspring were such great horses." Peter the Great did not have a name until the last hours before the Kentucky Futurity's posting time.
In 1898, Peter the Great was sold to J. Malcolm Forbes who was from near Boston, Massachusetts. Peter The Great was directly put into service on Forbes Farm in Massachusetts. Henry Titer trained him for racing. From 1901 and on, he was solely used at stud. Peter the Great entered the sale ring at Madison Square Garden, New York, in 1903. Peter Duryea (New York) and E. D. Stokes bought him. They sent him to serve on Patchen Wilkes Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. From 1908 Peter Duryea owned Peter the Great.
In 1916 he changed owners again, moving to Stoughton Fletcher and Tom Taggart, who lived in Indianapolis, Indiana. They placed him at Forkland Farm, Kentucky, for two seasons. Thereafter, he lived at Laurel Hall Farm, Indianapolis in a special barn. It looked like a summer cottage with a padded floor. He is buried at Tom Taggart's residence near French Lick, Indiana. In 1928, the ashes of his groom, Jacob Councilman, were spread on his grave.
In honor of Peter the Great, a monument was erected. In 1997 it was revitalized and later relocated to a wooded area near the West Baden Hotel, West Baden, Indiana. The inscription read: "By sheer merit he lifted his name to the head of all trotting progenitors. Death left him unrivaled by one of his own breed regardless of era, age, or breeding."
Appearance Peter the Great was 15.3 hands at the withers, 15.2 at the hips, and 16.1 hands long. His nose had a slight Roman tendency. His ears were wide at the base, the eyes large and full of expression. The neck was long, with somewhat upright shoulders. His croup was long, wide and well muscled. His color was chestnut. He had a white star on his forehead and on the left hind leg a white sock.Berry, Barbara J. (1979). "The Standardbreds". London: Thomas Yoseloff, Ltd. Hager, D. (1975). "Peter the Great - A Racing Legend". Kalamazoo Gazette, June 1st 1975.Patton, R. A. (1944). "Made famous by horse". Kalamazoo Gazette, October 1st 1944.Ryder, Tom (1979). "The High Stepper". 2nd edition. London: J. A. Allen & Co Ltd.
Stud record Peter the Great established the American Standardbred bloodline through the Hambletonian 10 offspring Happy Medium.Hoffman, Dean A. (2012). "Solid Foundation". Hoof Beats Magazine Retrieved 2012-12-16 During his life, Peter the Great covered thousands of mares.
His pedigree was Pilot Medium/Happy Medium/Hambletonian. His pedigree was Santos by Grand Sentinel/Swallow by Joe Hooker/Dixie by Sam Johnson's horse/Dam by Cumberlandxx.
Peter The GreatHarness Racing Museum: Peter The Great Peter ScottHarness Racing Museum: Peter Scott ScotlandHarness Racing Museum: Scotland Spencer ScottHarness Racing Museum: Spencer Scott RodneyHarness Racing Museum: Rodney SpeedsterHarness Racing Museum: Speedster Speedy ScotHarness Racing Museum: Speedy Scot Speedy CrownHarness Racing Museum: Speedy Crown Speedy SomalliHarness Racing Museum: Speedy Somalli Baltic SpeedHarness Racing Museum: Baltic Speed Valley VictoryHarness Racing Museum: Valley Victory Yankee GlideHarness Racing Museum: Muscles Yankee Glidemaster Muscles YankeeHarness Racing Museum: Muscles Yankee Deweycheatumnhowe Muscle Hill Beach TowelHarness Racing Museum: Beach Towel Sir Taurus Speedy Rodney Green SpeedHarness Racing Museum: Green Speed Hoot MonHarness Racing Museum: Hoot Mon Scott FrostHarness Racing Museum: Scott Frost Peter VoloHarness Racing Museum: Peter Volo VolomiteHarness Racing Museum: Volomite King's CounselHarness Racing Museum: King's Counsel Solicitor OvertrickHarness Racing Museum: Overtrick Worthy BoyHarness Racing Museum: Worthy Boy Star's PrideHarness Racing Museum: Star's Pride Nevele PrideHarness Racing Museum: Nevele Pride Victory SongHarness Racing Museum: Victory Song Noble VictoryHarness Racing Museum: Noble Victory Poplar ByrdHarness Racing Museum: Poplar Bird Bye Bye BirdHarness Racing Museum: Bye Bye Bird Keystone Ore Sampson Hanover Sampson Direct Direct ScooterHarness Racing Museum: Direct Scooter Matt's ScooterHarness Racing Museum: Matt's Scooter Potomac Lad Su Mac LadHarness Racing Museum: Su Mac Lad Peter The BrewerHarness Racing Museum: Peter The Brewer The Laurel HallHarness Racing Museum: The Laurel Hall
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