Come, farmers all and gentlemen,
Listen to my simple rhyme;
It tells of a young stallion,
Just coming to his prime.
RUFUS, of Reedness, is his name,
He’s by that noted sire;
That champion horse old RUFUS,
What more can man desire?
His dam is by old DANEGELT,
That’s had so long career;
He's earned for Mr. Bourdass,
A thousand pound a year.
And he is by old DENMARK,
His dam is by St GILES;
You can find no better blood,
If you go ten thousand miles.
DANEGELT is fourteen years of age,
That horse of great renown;
Which for him Mr. Gilby paid,
Five thousand guineas down.
Go where you will, in every shire,
You’ll find some of his breed;
If you go down to Eccleshill,
You’ll there find GANYMEDE.
And he is sired by DANEGELT,
And the leading horse today;
Except his noble sire,
And for him he must give way.
LORD MELTON, too, 's by DANEGELT,
Besides a many more;
That's left this little island,
And sailed to a foreign shore.
There's MATCHEESS of Lonsborough,
And ENTHORPE PERFORMER too;
They've gone to the United States,
To see what they can do.
DANEGELT'S to serve one hundred mares,
For a fifteen guinea fee;
And he has got his book filled up,
For eighteen ninety-three.
Again to RUFUS I return,
To see what he can claim;
The few short years he reigned on earth,
To gain such widespread fame.
