Jack Spigot

Jack Spigot
Jack Spigot as painted by John Frederick Herring Sr., 1821.
Sire	Ardrossan or Marmion
Dam	sister to Bourbon
Damsire	Sorcerer
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	4 May 1818
Country	United Kingdom
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Thomas Orde-Powlett
Owner	Thomas Orde-Powlett
Trainer	Isaac Blades
Record	6:4-0-1
Major wins
St. Leger Stakes (1821)

Jack Spigot (4 May 1818 –June 1843) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1821 St. Leger Stakes and was a sire in the early 19th century. His paternity is attributed to either Ardrossan or Marmion. His mother was a blind mare with a difficult temperament, whose unpredictable behavior necessitated that he be raised by a foster mare. He was named after one of his owner's tenant farmers, Jack Faucet. He won four of his six career starts before being retired from racing in early 1823. He is not considered to be a good sire. Jack Spigot died in June 1843 and was buried at Bolton Hall.

Jack Spigot was foaled on 4 May 1818 on Middleham Moor near Bolton Hall in Leyburn, the family seat of his breeder Thomas Orde-Powlett, who was a younger brother of the Baron Bolton. Thomas Orde-Powlett was also a cousin of William Orde, Jr. the owner of Beeswing.

Jack Spigot's dam, a sister to the stallion Bourbon, was bred by two stallions in the year preceding Jack Spigot's birth. She was first bred to Marmion on 14 April and then by Ardrossan in June 1817. Given the timing of Jack Spigot's birth, Ardrossan is likely his sire. Ardrossan was an unbeaten racehorse in three starts and stood at Rushyford near Durham. Marmion was only defeated once in eight career starts and is an ancestor of the influential broodmare Pocahontas.

Jack Spigot's dam had a fractious temperament and had been blind and barren for four years before Jack Spigot's birth. Her first foal died at a young age in 1814 and she was owned by H. Peirse until she was sold to Powlett for a small sum. While owned by Peirse, the mare had killed other horses by kicking, notably Reveller's dam Rosette in 1816. She kicked about so much in the foaling paddock after Jack Spigot's birth that in order to prevent the death of her second foal, he had to be raised by a surrogate. A dapple grey foster mare similar in colouring to his own dam was procured from one of Powlett's tenants, Jack Faucet, to raise the foal. The sister to Bourbon mare also produced the grey colt Isaac in 1831 (sired by Figaro), who was considered to be the "best Cup horse of his day", running in flat and steeplechase races until he was 15 years old winning 53 races out of 172 starts.

Before the horse's racing career, Powlett suggested that the colt be named "Jack Faucet" in honour of John Faucet. Faucet objected to the choice on the grounds that the horse was a good candidate for winning that year's St. Leger. Powlett allegedly quipped, "Well John, a Faucet's nothing without a Spigot" and the colt was subsequently named "Jack Spigot."