WHEN Mr John Terry chatted with the minister after attending church in a tiny Swaledale village, he had no idea the conversation would lead to his helping compile one of the world's most comprehensive equestrian books.

For the next ten years, the retired school teacher was the major link between American author Mr Alexander Mackay-Smith and the rich horse breeding history of the North of England.

The labour of love led to Mr Terry receiving a rare patron's edition of Speed and the Thoroughbred, published in the US in December and recognised as the first comprehensive history of thoroughbred bloodlines.

Mr Terry, who has lived at Marske, near Richmond, for 20 years since retiring from a teaching job in Whitby, admits he had little interest in and practically no knowledge of horses before he was thrust into his trans-Atlantic partnership.

"I was churchwarden about ten years ago and we had no vicar at Marske at that time," he recalls. "Canon Richard Cooper came to take a service and brought with him a letter addressed to the vicar of Marske. He asked me if I would deal with it."

The letter was from equine sport writer Mr Mackay-Smith, of Virginia, who was researching the history of the thoroughbred for a book.

He was hoping to find out more about Marske's strong links with the breed and Mr Terry, now aged 80, began delving into local history on his behalf. "It just went on from there and I began to do all the legwork, checking out and verifying facts and histories all over the area," he said.

His research took him to several important locations associated with equine heritage, including Sedbury and Barningham, near Richmond; Constable Burton, near Leyburn; Dinsdale, just outside Darlington; Helmsley and Middridge, near Bishop Auckland.

"The North-East and North Yorkshire was a very important area for horse breeding, particularly in the 17th century when records of horse breeding began," said Mr Terry. "There are even links between the book's author and the D&S Times, as Alexander Mackay-Smith was a friend of Maj Fairfax-Blakeborough, a long-time contributor to the paper and an authority on hunting and the breeding of Cleveland Bays."

The history of the thoroughbred runs in parallel with the history of England from the 16th century, when stud books began to be kept.

The English Civil War spelled disaster for the enterprise when Cromwell decimated the royal stud at Tutbury. When Charles II was restored to the throne, the need to revive a royal stud was recognised, as four-mile horses were the foundation of the English cavalry.

However, the king could not afford to maintain such a stud and James D'Arcy the elder, of Sedbury, agreed to breed horses for the king at a fixed price.

In June, 1660, D'Arcy was appointed master of the studs with a salary of £200 a year and Tutbury was abandoned.

The Sedbury stud was already large and, to meet the new commitment, D'Arcy would have had to keep up to 40 brood mares. The stud was continued from 1673 to 1731 by his son, also James, under whom it became the largest and most influential in England.

The earls of Rutland, whose North Yorkshire family seat was Helmsley Castle, were also prominent breeders of bloodstock.

In 1620, the sixth earl's daughter, Lady Catherine Manners, married George Villiers, first duke of Buckingham, who had been appointed master of the horse in 1616. Her dowry included the Helmsley estate and its livestock, including the stud.

In 1644, the castle fell to the Parliamentarians and the entire estate, including its horses, was sequestered by the Commonwealth. In 1651, it was given to Lord Fairfax by Parliament and he operated it for the next six years.

Many of the premier breeding stables were interlinked by marriages between the wealthy families of the day. James D'Arcy married Isabella Wyvill, of Constable Burton Hall, near Leyburn (the Wyvill family still lives there) and, in 1725, Elizabeth D'Arcy was married to John Hutton, of Marske, and had the village's grand - but now rather dilapidated - stables block built. Three generations of Huttons bred horses there.

The book also focuses on the three horses from which all thoroughbreds are said to descend - the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian and the Byerley Turk.

The latter was at stud at Middridge Grange in the late 17th century when the house was owned by Capt Robert Byerley, who had his own private cavalry known as the Byerley Bulldogs.

The Darley Arabian was put to a mare called Betty Leedes, whose pedigree included three crosses of Helmsley stud's Old Bald Peg.

Mr Terry's research also led him to discover the rivalries which existed between "horsey" families of the 17th century.

The Snow cup was made for a race on the moors above Richmond in 1625, designed to prove whether the Millbanks, of Barningham, or the Huttons, of Marske, had the best horses.

"They got this marvellous cup all ready for the winner and the race was held on Easter Sunday," said Mr Terry. "But the good Lord chose to send a snowstorm and no-one could tell which horse had won the race. All agreed the cup should be given to the mayor of Richmond and it ended up in the town's Green Howards museum."

Unfortunately, although the elderly Mr Mackay-Smith lived to complete his book, he died before it was published late last year.

Mr Terry was surprised and delighted to be sent a patron's copy, an edition given only to relatives, friends and those held in special regard by the author. "It is a beautiful book and I am proud to be associated with it."

l Speed and the Thoroughbred, the Complete History, is published by the Derrydale Press, USA, ISBN 1-58667-040-9. The publisher can be contacted by e-mail at klesli