Pedigree Query

Please help, who was the first breeder to discover nicks? Would they be from the 19th century or was it Lord Derby perhaps?

Thanks.

It would be very hard to say who discovered "nicks" per se as the concept of cross one bloodline over another has existed for centuries outside of the thoroughbred game. Cattle farmers have known for a long time what crosses produce more beef or less marble etc and there has been a long line of similar production techniques in other fields.

You must also understand that a lot of the nicks in early years were a creation of necessity rather than real design. Stallions were retired to stand at the farm of their owner and invariably got mares by the farms last successful stallion.