Orville (horse)  Orville (1799–1826) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from August 1801 until October 1807 the horse ran thirty-four times and won twenty races. In his early career he was based in Yorkshire and won the classic St Leger Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse as a three-year-old in 1802. He had some success in the next two seasons before being sold to the Prince of Wales and being moved to campaign in the south of England. In his last three seasons he won fifteen races at long distances, becoming particularly effective over Newmarket's four mile Beacon Course, and winning several match races against the leading stayers of the day. After his racing career ended he became a highly successful breeding stallion. Orville was a bay horse with a white star bred by his owner William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam. He was from the first crop of foals sired by the St Leger winner Beningbrough, who at the time was based at Shipton in Yorkshire. Beningbrough went on to sire the Oaks Stakes winner Briseis and the Doncaster Cup winner Scud, who in turn sired The Derby winners Sailor and Sam. Orville's dam Evelina, also bred by Fitzwilliam, was a half-sister of the St Leger winner Pewett, and went on to produce the successful stallions Cervantes and Paulowitz. Until 1913 there was no requirement for British racehorses to have official names (two-year-olds were allowed to race unnamed until 1946). The colt who became known as Orville raced unnamed in 1801, being described on his debut as "Ld Fitzwilliam's b.c. by Beningbrough, out of Evelina". At York Racecourse in August, the colt finished fourth of the five runners in a Sweepstakes. On 23 September Lord Fitzwilliam's colt recorded his first success when he won a race over one mile at Doncaster Racecourse in which he started the 4/5 favourite against four opponents. Orville made his first appearance as a three-year-old at York on 25 August. In a Sweepstakes over a distance of two miles he finished second to Mr Wardell's colt Sir John. Three days later, over the same course and distance he finished second of the four runners in another Sweepstakes, the race being won by the favourite, a colt named Peter.