Rare Beswick England Horse Figurine Arkle Thoroughbred with Jockey Pat Taaffe

  

Rare Beswick England Horse Figurine Arkle Thoroughbred with Jockey Pat Taaffe Up. The wood base measures 4" x 11 5/8" and it stands about 12 3/4 tall. It weighs 2 pounds 13 ounces.

The leather string size reins have worn, these can easily be replaced. The porcelain horse & jockey are fine and the wood base is fine.

Retains the original paper label. Beswick porcelain horses originated from the.

The Golden Age of Beswick Horses. Arthur Gredington's Influence: In 1939, Arthur Gredington was appointed the company's first full-time modeller, a pivotal moment that historians consider the start of the "golden age" of Beswick figurines. Famous Models: Gredington created popular horse models such as the "Rearing Horsemen" series and the "Huntsman's Horse". Lifelike Designs: Under Gredington's direction, Beswick produced highly detailed and lifelike horse figures. Arkle (19 April 1957 - 31 May 1970) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. A bay gelding by Archive out of Bright Cherry, Arkle was the grandson of the unbeaten Flat racehorse and prepotent sire Nearco. Arkle was bred by Mary Baker of Malahow House, near Naul, County Dublin, and was born at Ballymacoll Stud, County Meath. He was owned by Anne Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster, who named him after the mountain Arkle in Sutherland, Scotland, which bordered her Sutherland estate. Trained by Tom Dreaper at Greenogue, Kilsallaghan, in County Dublin, Arkle was ridden during his steeplechasing career by Pat Taaffe.

Arkle won three Cheltenham Gold Cups and a number of other top races before his career was cut short by injury. Patrick Taaffe (9 March 1930, Dublin - 7 July 1992, Dublin)[1] was an Irish National Hunt jockey who is best remembered as the jockey of Arkle. The pair dominated National Hunt racing in the mid-sixties, winning the Irish Grand National, the King George VI Chase, two Hennessy Gold Cups, three Cheltenham Gold Cups and the Whitbread Cup.