Conformation and the Parade Ring · The Conformation
'Foigh-a-Ballagh, 1844'
John Frederick Herring Sr., oil on canvas, 1844 · oil on canvas
What it is
The Irish-bred colt stands for Herring in the year he won the St Leger, his coat catching a stable light no racecourse ever gave him.
Why it matters
Faugh-a-Ballagh's importance didn't end at the winning post — his blood ran on through generations of the stud book, and this portrait is the version of him that outlasted every race he ran.
What to notice
the ribs just showing through the coat, a colt kept fit to race rather than fattened for a sale ring.
A good sire is a longer bet than a good season.
Provenance
- Maker
- John Frederick Herring Sr., oil on canvas, 1844
- Era
- The Victorian Turf (1837–1901)
- Chapter
- The Yard Wakes
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Made
- 1844
- Horse
- Faugh-a-Ballagh
- Source
- Private collection
Rights: CLEAR. Public domain — U.S. 95-year rule (published 1930 or earlier). Gated by the work’s own year of publication. Cleared by registry on 2026-07-20.
Format
The full-resolution, color-managed file — restored honestly, yours to print and keep.
Size
$29.00
More from the Stable Wall
Elsewhere in the family
- The Links — the other morning religion.
- Painted Lineage — the bloodline, beside the family line.
- Painted Earth — home ground as a period map.