He was described by Henry Hall, an equine artist as a “Brown horse standing only 15 hands 3 inches in height, and with a rather coarse head, small ears, and muscular neck with very good oblique shoulder, deep-girthed, high in the leg, and rather light, but with a good back and powerful quarters rather drooping toward his light, thin tail.”

The Flying Dutchman was born in Great Britain in 1846, a colt by Bay Middleton out of Barbelle by Sandbeck. Barbelle had produced the fine horse Van Tromp who won many stakes races including the St Leger for his owner Lord Eglinton. Lord Eglinton approached Van Tromp’s breeder and agreed to pay 1,000 guineas for each perfectly formed foal produced from the womb of Barbelle. So he came to own The Flying Dutchman.

Trained at Middleham by John Fobert, he was described as “a dark bay, he stood 15 hands 3 and was roman-nosed, distinctly “over” at the knee and immensely powerful behind the saddle.”

Voltigeur’s racing career began in the Wright Stakes, his only start as a two year old which he duly won. He was then put aside and without trial or race headed for the Derby. It seems that the whole of Yorkshire placed their hopes on Voltigeur taking out this prestigious race though he was unwanted by the South and started at 16/1, perhaps because of his lack lustre effort in his pre-race gallop after a long and arduous trip to Epsom.

Voltigeur came close to not running, not because of tiredness but because 400 pounds of forfeits were owing from the horse’s nominator. Nonpayment would see the horse scratched. Lord Zetland, outraged, reacted by ordering Voltigeur scratched. Unfortunately, many of Lord Zetland’s servants and tenants from his estates had backed Voltigeur with everything that they had and faced financial ruin if their horse did not start and indeed win. A deputation was sent to Lord Zetland, pleading their case. He relented and paid the 400 pounds, thereby allowing Voltigeur his place in the field.

Voltigeur was ridden by Job Marson (1817 - c.1860), a strong jockey who rode upright and was hard on his horses. Voltigeur won the Derby easily from Pitsford. One can imagine the collective sigh of relief from Lord Zetland’s servants and tenants. It was said that Lord Zetland’s coachman himself won 200 pounds. Marson was on him again in the St Leger. The horse lived up to his name which means “Acrobat” in French after meeting up with terrible interference from Chatterbox. Marson drove him to the front earlier than he wanted which allowed Chatterbox’s stable mate Russborough to get up for a dead heat. A run off ensued which Voltigeur won easily.

Two days later, Voltigeur met The Flying Dutchman in the 2 ¼ mile Doncaster Cup. The Flying Dutchman was also unbeaten at this time, having won 5 races as a 2 year old and three races including The Derby and St Leger as a three year old. His two lead up races to the Doncaster Cup as a four year old were in the Ascot Gold Cup and the Goodwood Cup, winning by an easy eight lengths and ten lengths respectively.

The Flying Dutchman was to carry 8 stone 12 pounds and give the younger Voltigeur 19 pounds. Both horses needed an iron constitution to even compete. With Voltigeur running within 48 hours of the St Leger re-match and The Flying Dutchman off his feed and suffering a searching gallop only 24 hours before, both riders were given orders to restrain their mounts. Marlow, The Flying Dutchman’s rider, had been drinking and he set off at a great pace, crying “I’ll show you what I’ve got under me today!” Voltigeur, ridden by Elnathan (Nat) Flatman patiently bided his time. Voltigeur overtook The Flying Dutchman in the last furlong, and beat him easily by a half length. The crowd, who had made the older horse the 4/1 favourite were stunned. Even the rider Marlow had tears streaming down his face.

A rematch was decided for the following spring at York. Admiral Rous, founder of the Weight for Age Scale, set the weights. He gave The Flying Dutchman 8 stone 8 ½ pounds and Voltigeur 8 stone according to the W-F-A scale. The money favourite was The Flying Dutchman but the sentimental favourite was Voltigeur. Voltigeur took on the pace with The Flying Dutchman close up. The Flying Dutchman drew to Voltigeur in the last furlong and prevailed by a short length. The Flying Dutchman never raced again.

Voltigeur came out the very next day for the York and Ainsty Cup, worth one hundred pounds to the winner. A filly, Nancy beat him after a farcical slow pace. Voltigeur went on and ironically won The Flying Dutchman Handicap at York in 1852 but failed to fire in his last two races, the Ascot Gold Cup and the Ebor Handicap.

Retired to stud, his best son was Vedette, who when mated with The Flying Dutchman’s daughter Flying Duchess, produced the breed shaping sire Galopin. Flying Duchess herself carried Voltigeur’s sire Voltaire as her damsire, giving Galopin a 3X3 cross. Galopin matched well with Hampton, who carried Voltigeur’s full sister Volley, grandam of Lord Clifden. Full brother Barnton appears in the pedigree of Phalaris (along with Hampton and Galopin).

Galopin, when mated with St Angela, sired the greatest sire of the late nineteenth century in St Simon, who has had a profound influence on twentieth century breeding. St Angela re-introduced two lines of Orville and one of his half-brother Paulowitz and a line of Velocipede, who matches with Galopin’s grandam Merope (3/4 sister).

Dissecting the pedigree of these two 19th century heroes, Voltigeur and The Flying Dutchman, one can plainly see the explosive quality of common ancestral genes brought together to produce Galopin. Voltigeur was by Voltaire who was out of a Phantom mare by Phantom while Voltigeur’s dam Martha Lynn was by Mulatto by Catton.

The Flying Dutchman carried the same reinforcing pattern. He was by Bay Middleton who was out of Cobweb by Phantom while the “Dutchman’s” dam Barbelle was by Sandbeck by Catton.

Therefore they both carry a Phantom/Catton cross 3X3. However, I believe that the genetic fire was possibly sparked by Voltigeur’s damsire Mulatto and the “Dutchman’s” damsire Sandbeck, Mulatto a genetic ¾ brother to Sandbeck.

As mentioned previously, Mulatto was by Catton. Mulatto’s dam Desdemona was by Orville out of Fanny. Sandbeck is by Catton out of Orvillina, a full sister to Orville.

Sandbeck’s daughter Barbelle also brings in a further line of Fanny via her damsire Amadis. We therefore see a Phantom X Catton X Orville/Orvillina X Fanny cross within five generations in the pedigrees of Voltigeur and the Flying Dutchman.

Unfortunately, Voltigeur came to an untimely end. He was kicked by a mare in 1874 and died not long after. Like many equine hero’s who have gone before and after him, Voltigeur had a predisposition toward a cat. His favourite companion would sit on his back for hours.

The Flying Dutchman was not a great success at stud in England, perhaps through being asked to cover 50 mares in his first season. Sold and relocated to France in 1858, he sired Dollar from whom descends the influential French sire Tourbillon.