Byerley Turk, the eldest of the three famous founders of the Thoroughbred, the Byerley Turk's male line descends to the present through Herod. Dark brown colt, c. 1679 by Wootten. Imported into England in 1680s. As his portrait by Wootton shows, the Byerley Turk was an unmarked, dark brown horse with an Arabian appearance, despite his title as a "Turk". He was very prepotent, and many of his offspring are noted to have been brown or black like himself. The History of Horse Racing by Roger Longrigg, page 59. *** Local Caption ***