Conformation and the Parade Ring · At the Rail
Lord Rous's Racehorse Shrapnell, with his trainer and jockey
Benjamin Marshall, oil on canvas, c.1820 · oil on canvas
What it is
Shrapnell stands at the centre of his own small hierarchy — trainer at the shoulder, jockey at the head, Lord Rous's ownership implicit in how carefully both men are placed.
Why it matters
Rous was among the most powerful men on the turf of his day, and a portrait of one of his horses was also, quietly, a portrait of how the sport itself was run.
What to notice
the trainer's hand resting flat on the horse's back, the one gesture in the group that isn't posed for the painter.
Power stands just out of frame.
Provenance
- Maker
- Benjamin Marshall, oil on canvas, c.1820
- Era
- The Georgian Turf (1750–1837)
- Chapter
- The Yard Wakes
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Made
- 1820
- Horse
- Shrapnell
- 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.
Sized to protect print quality — this scan's resolution doesn't clear our floor for a physical print, so this piece is offered as a digital download only.
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.