Denmark (horse)

Denmark (foaled 1839) was a major foundation sire of the American Saddlebred horse breed. Over 60% of all the horses in the first three volumes of the Saddlebred studbook trace back to him. Denmark sired the stallion Gaines' Denmark, himself an influential sire.

Life
Denmark was a brown stallion foaled in Kentucky in 1839, sired by an imported Thoroughbred named Hedgeford. He sired the stallion Gaines' Denmark, who also became an influential sire. Denmark was used as a cavalry horse in the American Civil War.

Influence
When the National Saddle Horse Breeders' Association, precursor to the American Saddlebred Horse Association, was founded in 1891, Denmark was named as one of 17 foundation sires. Sixty percent of the horses in the first three volumes of the registry traced to him. In 1908, the directors of the National Saddle Horse Breeders' Association voted to make Denmark the sole foundation sire. For over 150 years, the Denmark bloodline was the best-known within the Saddlebred breed and Saddlebreds were sometimes referred to as "Denmarks".