Harvester (horse)

Harvester
Contemporary etching of Harvester, with St Gatien in the background.
Sire	Sterling
Grandsire	Oxford
Dam	Wheat-ear
Damsire	Young Melbourne
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1881
Country	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Colour	Brown
Breeder	Evelyn Boscawen, 6th Viscount Falmouth
Owner	Evelyn Boscawen, 6th Viscount Falmouth John Willoughby James Machell
Trainer	Mathew Dawson James Jewitt & James Machell
Record	13: 5-1-2
Earnings	£9,077
Major wins
Epsom Derby (1884)

Harvester (1881–1906) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1883 to 1884 he ran thirteen times and won five races. In 1884 he was involved in the second, and most recent dead heat in the history of the Epsom Derby. At the end of his racing career, Harvester was sold and exported to stand as a stallion in Austria. He died in 1906 in Hungary.

Harvester was a brown colt with "dicky-looking forelegs" bred by Evelyn Boscawen, 6th Viscount Falmouth. He raced in Lord Falmouth’s colours as a two-year-old and was then bought by Sir John Willoughby. As a result of his sale, Harvester was moved from the stable of Mathew Dawson to be trained at Bedford Lodge, Newmarket, Suffolk by James Jewitt and managed by Captain James Machell.

Harvester’s sire, Sterling was a successful racehorse who became an excellent sire. Apart from Harvester, he sired the 2000 Guineas winners Enterprise and Enthusiast, and the outstanding stayer Isonomy. Harvester’s dam, Wheat-ear was a top class racemare who won the Epsom Oaks in 1870.

As a two-year-old, Harvester ran six times and won twice. He first appeared at Newmarket at the start of July when he started at 8/1 for the Chesterfield Stakes. He made most of the running before being caught inside the final furlong and beaten one and a half lengths by the filly Superba. A month later, Harvester ran twice in quick succession at Goodwood. He finished unplaced behind Bushey when second favourite for the Richmond Stakes and was unplaced again two days later behind Superba in a Rous Memorial Plate. At Newmarket in October he won the Triennial Produce Stakes from Knight Errant and the Clearwell Stakes, by a head from Condor before returning to the same course later in the month for the Dewhurst Stakes. He ran prominently for much of the way before fading into sixth place behind an unnamed filly who later became known as Queen Adelaide.