Mr. Dixon's Mountaineer, a chestnut colt, held by a groom outside a stable

Mountaineer was a chestnut colt foaled in 1821 by Octavian out of a mare by Shuttle. He belonged to Mr. Ferguson who had owned the 1819 St. Leger winner Antonio also by Octavian. In 1824 he had his first race in the St. Leger where he was unfancied and unplaced. He was then beaten at Richmond by a good horse called Canteen but later won the Silver Cup at the same meeting - Canteen had won the Gold Cup. In 1825 he ran moderately in each of his four races. Mr. Ferguson seems to have given up racing in 1826 and one of his last horses is known to have been sold to Mr. Dixon so presumably the latter acquired Mountaineer as well. Quite who Mr. Dixon was we do not know and the horse never ran in his name. The picture can be dated to circa 1826 when Mr. Dixon is likely to have taken possession of the horse and it certainly must be during the 1820s when the fashion was for such tall top hats as that worn by the groom. The mid-1820s to mid-1830s is considered the peak of Herring's long career during which he produced many of his finest works.