Standardbred

All Standardbreds can trace their ancestry to an imported Thoroughbred stallion called "Messenger," who was foaled in 1780 and exported to the U.S. in 1788. In particular, though, the modern Standardbred's most notable ancestor is Messenger's grandson, a modest stallion named Hambletonian. Hambletonian's sons and daughters were the first to meet the National Association of Trotting Horse Breeders new standards, among which was the requirement that a stallion had to be capable of trotting a mile in a "standard" time of 2 minutes 30 seconds or better, or 2 minutes 35 seconds if hitched to a cart. Horses bred to that standard became known as Standardbreds.