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| Teddy Roosevelt's son Quentin rides his beloved pony Algonquin at Sagamore Hill. Courtesy Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. |
When Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt became involved in
politics in the 1890s, he began to distance himself from
foxhunting because he believed it carried an elitist stigma.
But he continued to ride and to keep horses at Sagamore
Hill, his home on Long Island, New York.
Roosevelt's six children shared his love of animals,
particularly his son Archibald, but it was his youngest son,
Quentin, who provided one of the best animal stories in
White House history.
Archie was stricken with measles and whooping
cough, an illness exacerbated by grief over the death of
Jack Dog, his beloved fox terrier. In an effort to cheer his
brother, Quentin coaxed Archie's small calico pony,
Algonquin, into the White House elevator and led him,
fully tacked, into Archie's room.
Archie recovered, and when he was big enough to
ride horses, Quentin inherited Algonquin and rode him
to public school in Washington, D.C.
Even when the family outgrew him, Algonquin was
still a treasured resident of Sagamore Hill.
