Mundig

Mundig (1832–1852) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from May 1835 to October 1836 he ran ten times and won four races. In May 1835 he recorded his most important success on his racecourse debut when he won the Epsom Derby. Mundig was the first Derby winner to be trained in the North of England and the first of five trained at Malton, North Yorkshire by John Scott. Mundig was given a very hard race at Epsom and never reproduced his Derby-winning form: his subsequent successes came in relatively unimportant races. After his retirement he was exported to stand as a stallion in Prussia.

Background

Mundig was a powerfully-built dark chestnut horse standing 15.3 hands high with a white star and a white sock on his hind leg. He was owned and bred by John Bowes at Streatlam Castle, County Durham. Bowes had inherited a large fortune when very young. In 1835, when Mundig was foaled, Bowes reached the age of twenty-one and gained full control of his property and wealth: "Mündig" is German for “of age”, but the Germanic umlaut was not used in spelling the name. Bowes sent his colt into training with John Scott who trained forty classic winners at his base at Whitewall stables, Malton, North Yorkshire.