Baldric

A baldric (also baldrick, bawdrick, bauldrick as well as other rare or obsolete variations) is a belt worn over one shoulder that is typically used to carry a weapon (usually a sword) or other implement such as a bugle or drum. The word may also refer to any belt in general, but this usage is poetic or archaic.

History

Baldrics have been used since ancient times, usually as part of military dress. The design offers more support for weight than a standard waist belt, without restricting movement of the arms, and while allowing easy access to the object carried. For example, the late 18th-century British Army's distinctive "Red coat" uniform pattern featured a pair of white baldrics crossed at the chest, with a soldier's bayonet sheath suspended from one and his canteen suspended from the other. Alternatively, and especially in modern times, the baldric may fill a ceremonial role rather than a practical one.

Roman balteus

During ancient Roman times the balteus (plural baltei) was a type of baldric commonly used to suspend a sword. It was a belt generally worn over the shoulder, passing obliquely down to the side, typically made of leather, often ornamented with precious stones, metals or both. There was also a similar belt worn by the Romans, particularly by soldiers, called a cintus (pl. cinti) that fastened around the waist. The word accintus meaning a soldier (literally, "girt" as for battle) attests to this differing usage.

Baldrick (disambiguation)

Baldrick (also Baldric, Balderic) may refer to:

Baldric (horse)

Baldric (16 May 1961 – 26 August 1986) was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for winning the classic 2000 Guineas in 1964. When racing in Britain, the horse was known as Baldric II. Baldric won twice in 1963 but after being beaten on his three-year-old debut he started a 20/1 outsider for the 2000 Guineas. He won the race, the most valuable ever run in Britain, and went on to win the Prix Perth and the Champion Stakes in Autumn. After two unsuccessful runs in 1965, Baldric was retired to stud where he had success as a sire of winners in both France and Japan.

Background

Baldric was a bay horse with no white markings bred in Kentucky by Howell E. Jackson and Dorothy Jackson's Bull Run Farm. As a two-year-old he was sent to race in Europe where he was trained by the Australian-born Ernie Fellows at Chantilly in France and raced in Dorothy Jackson's colours. His sire, Round Table was one of the most successful grass specialists in American racing history, winning forty-three races and being named Horse of the Year in 1958. He became a highly successful breeding stallion, being the Leading sire in North America in 1972. Baldric's dam Two Cities won one minor race but became a successful broodmare, producing several other winners including the double Pimlico Cup winner Cross Channel. As a descendant of the broodmare Valkyr, Two Cities came from the branch of Thoroughbred family 13-c which produced Black Tarquin and Ferdinand.