The Barb

The Barb (1863–1888) was an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse, famed for winning the 1866 Melbourne Cup, the Sydney Cup twice, and other quality races. He was bred by George Lee and foaled in 1863 at Leeholme, near Bathurst, New South Wales.

Pedigree

The Barb was by Sir Hercules, his dam Fair Ellen (also known as Young Gulnare) was by Doctor (GB). He was a brother to Barbarian (sire of the Melbourne Cup winner, Zulu) and Barbelle (AJC Doncaster Handicap, VRC Flying Stakes [three times] and Sydney Cup). Sir Hercules (by Cap-a-Pie, a son of the St Leger winner The Colonel) was one of the best colonial sires, having sired 18 stakeswinners for 45 stakeswins including, Yattendon, Cossack and Zoe. The Barb was sold for 200 guineas as a yearling.

Racing record

He was owned and trained by Honest John Tait, who owned and trained three other Melbourne Cup winners: Glencoe, The Pearl and The Quack. The Barb proved to be highly strung and temperamental. At his first appearance he threw his rider and bolted and because of this side of his nature was known as the "Black Demon". As a spring three-year-old, The Barb won the sixth AJC Derby by two lengths at his first start from a spell. The Barb started favourite in the Melbourne Cup and went on to win by a short head. The Barb continued to show he was the best horse in Australia and won the Sydney Cup in 1868 and 1869 (under the huge weight of 10 st 8 lb). As a five-year-old The Barb was undefeated in seven starts. In all The Barb won 15 of his 23 starts.

Barb

Barb or BARB may refer to:

Barb horse

Barb horse or Berber horse (Arabic: حصان بربري) is a northern African breed with great hardiness and stamina. The Barb generally possesses a fiery temperament and an atypical sport-horse conformation, but nevertheless has influenced modern breeds.

Characteristics

The Barb is a light riding horse noted for its stamina. It has a powerful front end, high withers, short back, a sloping croup, and carries its tail low. It is hardy with clean legs and sound hooves. It does not have particularly good gaits, but gallops like a sprinter. It was used as breeding stock to develop racing breeds such as the Thoroughbred, American Quarter Horse, and Standardbred.

The predominant color is gray, but bay, black, chestnut, and brown horses are also found. The Barb stands 1.47–1.57 metres (14.2–15.2 hands) at the withers.

Breed history

It is not known where the Barb horse developed; some believe the breed originated in northern Africa during the 8th century, about the time that Muslim invaders reached the region. There is controversy over whether the Barb and Arabian horses share a common ancestor, or if the Arabian was a predecessor of the Barb. Native horses of the region may have been influenced by the crossing of "oriental" breeds, including the Arabian horse, Turkoman Horse or Akhal-Teke, and Caspian horse, with Iberian horses brought back from Europe by the Berber invaders after they conquered southern Spain. Today the several varieties of Barb include the Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian.

Feather

Feathers are epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They are among the characteristics that distinguish the extant Aves from other living groups. Feathers have also been noticed in those Theropoda which have been termed feathered dinosaurs.

Although feathers cover most parts of the body of birds, they arise only from certain well-defined tracts on the skin. They aid in flight, thermal insulation, and waterproofing. In addition, coloration helps in communication and protection.Plumology (or plumage science) is the name for the science that is associated with the study of feathers.

Structures and characteristics

Feathers are among the most complex integumentary appendages found in vertebrates and are formed in tiny follicles in the epidermis, or outer skin layer, that produce keratin proteins. The β-keratins in feathers, beaks and claws — and the claws, scales and shells of reptiles — are composed of protein strands hydrogen-bonded into β-pleated sheets, which are then further twisted and crosslinked by disulfide bridges into structures even tougher than the α-keratins of mammalian hair, horns and hoof. The exact signals that induce the growth of feathers on the skin are not known, but it has been found that the transcription factor cDermo-1 induces the growth of feathers on skin and scales on the leg.