University of Pennsylvania

Annenherg Rare Book
and Manuscript Library

.^^I?S/>J,

FROM THE LIBRARY OF
DR. JOHN H. MCNEIL

PRESENTED TO
THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

BY MRS. JOHN H. McNEIL
AS A MEMORIAL TO HER HUSBAND.

j^jM.s/^- fhj^

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2009 with funding from

Lyrasis IVIembers and Sloan Foundation

http://www.archive.org/details/historyofperchOOsand

FIRST IN WAR. IIUST IN J-KACIO AND FIBST IX THE HKARTS OF OUB
COUNTBYJIEN.

A HISTORY OF

THE

PERCHERON HORSE

Including hitherto unpublished data concerning
the origin and development of the modern type of
heavy draft, drawn from authentic documents,
records and manuscripts in the national archives
of the French Government, together with a detailed
account of the introduction and dissemination
of the breed throughout the United States,
to which is appended a symposium reflecting the
views of leading contemporary importers and
breeders touching the selection, feeding and general
management of stallions, brood mares and foals.

Compiled under the personal direction of

ALVIN HOWARD SANDERS, D.AGR, LL.D.

Editor "The Breeder's Gazette," author of "Shorthorn Cattle,"
"At the Sign of the Stock Yard Inn" and "The Story of the Herefords."

In collaboration with

WAYNE DINSMORE, M. S. A.

Secretary of the Percheron Society of America.

CHICAGO

BREEDER'S GAZETTE PRINT

1917

COPYRIGHT. 1917.

SANDERS PUBLISHING CO

All rigrhts reserved.

|t£W BOLTOM

Sa53

PUBLISHER'S ANNOUNCEMENT.

This volume has been compiled in response to a wide-
^ spread demand for information touching the origin,
- evolution, development and distribution of the modern
' ^ heavy draft type of Percheron horses. It was under-
taken originally by Mr. Sanders as individual research
work along lines similar to his well-known histories of
the Shorthorn and Hereford breeds of cattle, but press
of work incidental to the conduct of "The Breeder's
Gazette" made it necessary that assistance be secured
in tracing the long story beginning with the early days
in the Perche, and ending with the Chicago International
Live Stock Exposition of 1916.

A determined effort has been made to throw new light
. upon the foundation history of the type in the Perche
'^ itself. Mr. John Asliton, Continental European corres-
<j pondent of "The Breeder's Gazette," was commis-
^ sioned by Mr. Sanders to search French agricultural
c literature from the earliest periods for references to the
"o Percheron horse, and if possible secure permission from
^ the French authorities to examine all books, records and
•£ documents contained in the Government archives at
Q-^aris, including the official entries detailing the registra-
tion and inspection of stallions bought for the Govern-
'^ ment stud at le Pin, together with lists of stallions offici-
- ally approved and subsidized by the Government prior to
^ the Stud Book period for service in the region in which

the modern Percheron was evolved.
- Fortunately this extensive and painstaking inquiry met

7940 l.'i

4 PUBLISHER S ANNOUNCEMENT

with the hearty cooperation of French librarians and the
Ministry of Agriculture, every facility being extended,
even to the point of permission to photograph original
entries of great historical importance. The condensed
results of months of patient investigation along this line
are presented in this volume ; and it is confidently be-
lieved that this portion of the work constitutes one of the
most valuable contributions made in many years to the
history of any of the existing improved breeds of live
stock. It is demonstrated that the Percheron horse has
existed as a distinct type from very ancient times, and
that much that has been accepted — on insufficient evi-
dence— in the past relating to the development of the
breed since the beginning of the nineteenth century must
now be discarded as mere tradition.

The facts, brought to light here for the first time, seem
to contradict flatly the part so long alleged to have been
played by Arabian blood in the production of the latter-
day Percheron ; and while this diligent study of old
records — apparently never heretofore examined by those
assuming to write early Percheron history — may be re-
garded as destructive to that extent in its operation, the
student will not fail to note that in place of what now
goes by the board as unsubstantiated there is supplied a
complete, constructive, tangible, authentic official set of
facts that place underneath the foundations of the Perche-
ron Stud Book of France the solid rock of verified Gov-
ernment records, indisputable and convincing. If any
doubt has heretofore existed as to when, where and by
whom the increase in weight of the Percheron horse was
undertaken, such questions need no longer be raised.

This portion of the story should be of absorbing interest
to all students of the development of Percheron types, and
represents a sincere and exhaustive effort to get at the

PUBLISHER S ANNOUNCEMENT 5

truth regardless of what the facts might show. Breeders
and owners of Percheron horses not only in America, but
in France as well, will no doubt welcome the results of
this study.

Mr. Sanders' own personal recollections of the Ameri-
can Percheron trade go back to his boyhood days on an
Iowa farm, his father, the late James H. Sanders, having
been one of the earliest introducers of the blood in the
trans-Mississippi country, and subsequently compiling the
initial volumes of the Percheron Stud Book of America.
In the work of gathering material for the early American
period the aid of the late James H. S. Johnstone,
author of "The Horse Book", was asked and obtained,
many interesting facts relating to the pioneer breeders,
importers and equine celebrities of the old days being
developed as a result of extended traveling in various
parts of the United States.

As the present day was approached the services of Mr.
Wayne Dinsmore, Secretary of the Percheron Society of
America, w^ere invoked, and with the permission of the
directors of that organization he utilized the records
and the facilities of his office to collect, analyze and
arrange a great mass of important and interesting data
detailing the wide expansion of Percheron breeding in
America during the past forty years.

It will of course be understood that this work is com-
piled primarily for the benefit of American readers. Con-
sequently the details of French production since the
establishment of the Percheron Stud Book of France in
1883 have not been extensively discussed.

The authors are aware that their work is by no means
perfect. Errors of omission and commission are bound to
creep into any volume of this sort, involving as it does
explorations in new fields, and the handling of an almost

6 publisher's announcement

bewildering array of names and figures. It has been the
intent and purpose throughout, however, to present the
facts exactly as found ; and if the work shall be regarded
as adding somewhat to the general store of knowledge
concerning the most popular draft horse type in North
America, the compilers and publishers will be pleased and
gratified.

gijiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiuuiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiii niiiiinini

FOUR CYCLES OF PERCHERON HISTORY.

j The following pen picture covering four distinct periods |

I in the evolution of the breed of which we write, present- j

j ing first the famous French "chargers" of the middle ages, j

I their successors on the heavy coaches of the ante-rail- |

I way days, the demands of the plow for a weightier type |

1 as the arts of peace advanced, and now the "ton horse" j

I of modern commerce is taken from the sketch of the |

I late Mark W. Dunham, written by Mr. Sanders and pub- |

I lished last year in his book "At the Sign of the Stock |

I Yard Inn." It is republished here by request. j

I "Under a gray old castle's frowning walls a drawbridge |

I falls across the moat. The trumpets sound. A glittering |

j cavalcade emerges. Pennons gay and guidons flutter in |

I the breeze. Steel and silver — corselet, hilt and morion — |

I glisten in the morning sun, and noble chargers, mostly |

I white and gray, prance proudly, bearing out into the |

I medieval world brave belted knights and their retainers |

I faring forth to meet what ere betides. |

j "Generations pass: in the far distance the rhyth- |

j mic beating of heavy hurrying hoofs! It is a highway |

I builded by the kings of France. To the sound of the j

I horn and the sharp note of the lash, the great diligence |

j bearing the royal mails and laden deep with passengers |

j and their gear comes into view. A rush, a roar of wheels |

j and the great freighted coach is gone. |

I "Agriculture calls: down the long furrows see the |

I shining plowshares deeply driven. The mellow earth |

I awaliens, and lo, the stored up riches of a fertile field j

I await the seed. Long is the journey and repeated oft. j

I From 'early morn to dewy eve' the living shuttles travel, j

I back and forth; but weight that wearies not is har- |

j nessed. |

I "And yet again, last scene of all: a busy modern city j

I street. Huge vans and trucks are rumbling ever on the |

I granite blocks. Big grays and blacks march proudly to |

I the music of a nation's commerce. Power, patience, |

I dignity personified. Glory be to men who can produce |

I such prodigies!" |

l;iiiiuiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitin

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I — THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PERCHE.

Topography of the District — Geological Formation — Water
Courses — Climatic Conditions — Ancient History — Rotrou
and the Counts of The Perche — Modern Records Begin — ■
Live Stock Husbandry Important — Under the "Grand
Monarque" — The Eighteenth Century — Long Famous for
Its Horses — A People Devoted to Their Ovi^n — The
Perche of Today 17-33

CHAPTER II— PERCHERON PROTOTYPES.

Some of the Fairy Tales — The Saracenic Rout — Mounts of
the Crusaders — War Horses of the Middle Ages — The
Probable Foundation — Normandy Invades The Perche —
Whence the Percheron? — The Arabian Tradition — An
Historic Discussion — "The Legendary Kadischi" — Mod-
ern Arab Crossing Not Mentioned — Is the Percheron a
Primitive Type? 34-54

CHAPTER III — THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE

REVOLUTION.

Delestang and His History — Lamagdelaine's Prizes — A
Draft Type at Montdoubleau — Unverified Tradition Ex-
ploded— Godolphin an English Saddler — Gallipoly a
Small Turkish Saddle Horse — Error Easily Perpetuated
— Jean-le-Blanc — The Evidence Summarized — The Breed
"Modifies Itself" — M. Fardouet Was Right — The Gov-
ernment Stud — First Draft Stallions at the Haras du
Pin — Offlcial Notes — Directors and Inspectors Disagree 55-81

CHAPTER IV— EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN.

Prizes Stimulate Effort — The National Archives in Evi-
dence— First Approved Stallions Near Nogent — Grand
Pierre, Bijou and Le Coq — Liberally Patronized — Big
Horses in Service — Le Coq Goes to Belgium — More Big
Gray Horses — Others in Nogent District — In the De-
partment of Orne — Service for 12 Francs — At INIort-
agne in the Early '30's — In La Sarthe — Loir-et-Cher —
A Broad Constructive Policy Continued — Outcrossing
Exaggerated — As to Color — Passing of the Diligence
Type — Some Conclusions 82-106

CHAPTER V— FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA.

Authentic Records Begin — Alexander's Norman — First Im-
portation to the States — Ohio Importations of 1851 —
Normandy, or Pleasant Valley Bill — A Great Career —
The Holman Horse — Louis Napoleon — Taken to Illinois
— Acquired by the Dillons — Maryland Importation of
1853 — Rollin Imported in 1856 — Darby Plains Importa-
tion of 1857 — Kentucky Importation of 1859 — Massachur
setts Importation of 1864 — Gray Duke — Eastern Imports
of 1866 — First Direct Importation into Illinois — Ohio Ac-
tive in 1867 107-137

9

10 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER VI— THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870.

A Profitable Business — Activity in Ohio — The Walters
Percherons — Old Success Imported — M. W. Dunham En-
ters the Business — Napoleon Bonaparte — A Lull in 1869
— Across the Continent — Good Buying for Illinois — Duke
de Chartres Brings $4,000 — First of the Blood in Wis-
consin— Dillons' Big St. Laurent — Recapitulation 138-158

CHAPTER VII— MID-WEST PIONEERS.

Leaders of the Period — Oaklawn in Front — Home Breeding
Emphasized — Some Celebrities Described — Drawing
from the Fountain Head — The Dillons — Ohio Breeders
of the '70's — The East and the Far West — On the Pacific
Coast — Dr. W. H. Winter — Daniel Dunham — Eli Hodg-
son— Stubblefield Importations — Percheron Breeding in
Other States — James H. Sanders — A Campaign of Edu-
cation— Foundation of the Stud Book — The Peoria Con-
vention of 1878 159-187

CHAPTER VIII— THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED.

Practical Promotive Work — More Pre-Stud Book Records —
M. Cheradame — Toulouse, "The Magnificent" — Chocolat
— The Ducoeurjolys — Pelletier — Moisand — Jouset and
Mitau — Old Records Brought to Light — Fardouet and
Caget — Michel Fardouet — Celestian Caget — The Chou-
anards and La Touche — The Perriots — The Tacheaus —
Charles Paul Aveline — Credit Due These Pioneers —
Founding of the Stud Book — Meager Data at First
Available — The Case of Jean-le-Blanc 188-232

CHAPTER IX— THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE •80'S.

Distribution by States — Oaklawn Breeding Operations — The
Brilliant Blood — The Story of Old Brilliant — Brilliant
1271 — Prepotency of Brilliant Blood — Developments at
Oaklawn — Results Despite Difficulties — Great Mares of
Oaklawn Stud — Oaklawn Influence — Oaklawn Sales of
'80's — Mr. Dunham's Influence — EUwood Green — Sires
Used by Mr. Ellwood — Cheri and Seducteur — Mares in
Stud — Influence on Other Studs — Noted Sires Sold —
Summary of Ellwood Operations — Daniel Dunham's
Work — The Dillons — Sires Used — Dillons in the Show-
ring— Mark W. Coad 233-270

CHAPTER X— OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD.

Log Cabin Farm — Edgewood Farm — John W. Akin — Minne-
sota Breeders — Leonard Johnson — Founding Maple
Point Stud — Leading Sires Used — The Johnson Mares —
Showyard Record — Minnesota Percheron Horse Company
— George E. Case — Wisconsin's Leaders — Wauwatosa
Farm — Kellogg Stock Farm — The Kellogg Stallions —
Noted Mares — Influences on Other Studs — Reserve
Forces in Illinois — Stetson & Sons — Mares Owned and
Colts Raised — The Stetson Sires — Valuable Brood Mares
— Degen Bros. — George S. Hanna — E. Hodgson & Son —
Ohio Breeders — Jones Bros. — Samuel Kendeigh — M. V.
Bates — E. J. Condit — Iowa's Percheron Breeders — Iowa
Breeders of the '80's — Maplehurst Stock Farm — J. H.

TABLE OF CONTENTS H

Barnett — Other Breeders — Further Consideration of
Illinois — Pre-eminence of McLean Co., 111. — In Taze-
well— In LaSalle — Other Minnesota Breeders — Other
Breeders in Wisconsin — Other Michigan Breeders —
Other Breeders in New York — Percheron Breeding in
Pennsylvania — Progress in Indiana — In the Sunflower
State — In Missouri — Other States 271-337

CHAPTER XI— AN ERA OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION.

What the Figures Show — Oaklawn Farm — Brilliant — Other
Oaklawn Sires — Oaklawn Mares and Colts — Oaklawn
Sales and Leases — The Great Leader — Other Illinois
Breeders — New Blood — Progress in Iowa — Lakewood
Farm — Developments in Ohio — Pleasant Valley Farm —
Other Ohio Breeders — In Minnesota — Belleview Farm —
Willard & Fuller — In Wisconsin — In Kansas 338-384

CHAPTER XII— THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY.

The Actual Increase — Pedigree Publication Suspended — New
Association Formed — Old Records Acquired — Influence
of Dealers and Importers — The Development by States
— In Illinois — Important Illinois Dispersions — New
Studs Founded in Illinois — Progress in Iowa — Ohio's
Contributions — Progress in Kansas — Progress in Minne-
sota— Tlie Hoosier Horsemen — Wisconsin's Workers —
Work in Nebraska — North Dakota's Great Range
Project — Progress in South Dakota — In Other States
— Michigan — Missouri — Pennsylvania — Virginia — O. E.
Jordan — Selma Farm — ^^California — Colorado — Montana —
Washington — New York — Growth of the Percheron So-
ciety of America — A Canadian Association — Percheron
Breeding in Canada 385-475

CHAPTER XIII— DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF
PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES.

Percherons in the South — Horse Stock of the United States
— Percherons the Leading Draft Type — War Exports —
French Embargo on Exports — American Breeding
Stimulated — Commercial Market for Draft Horses —
Geldings at the Show 476-508

CHAPTER XIV— SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT.

Edmond Perriot — James M. Fletcher — W. E. Prichard — E. B.
White — J. L. DeLancey — J. O. Singmaster — W. S. Dun-
ham— J. B. McLaughlin — W. S. Corsa — A. L. Robison &
Son — Lee Brothers — Dan Augstin's Story — U. L. Bur-
dick — On the Northwestern Range — Management of
Foals and Yearlings — Feeding Alfalfa — Importance of
Soundness — Growing Purebred Percheron Fillies — Buy-
ing, Feeding and Selling Draft Geldings — Permanent
Marks for Percherons 509-588

CHAPTER XV— BLOODLINES IN THE SHOWRING.

The Breeding of Leading Winners — Breeding of Prizewin-
ners at French Shows — Breeding of International Prize-
winners 589-602

INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS.

American buyers In the Perche,

385.
Amorita 61314, 587.
Armour six-horse team, 505.
Augstin, D., 381.
Aveline, Charles, 224.
Aveline, Charles, residence at La-

Touche, 228.
Aveline, Joseph, colts at pasture,

102.
Aveline, Joseph, 232.
Aveline, Joseph, farm at Dorceau,

198.
Aveline, Louis, 224.
Aveline, Louis, farm at La Croch-

etiere, 226.
Avery, Henry, 333.
Ayres, M. L., 363.

Bamboucheur ( 62018 ), 407.

Bar U Ranch, 473.

Beckett, James D., 288.

Belleme forest, 21.

Bell, Samuel. 467.

Bell, William, 467.

Besig-ue (19G02), 395.

Bigelow, Timothy C 116.

Bigelow, Timothy L., 116.

Big Jim, 499.

Bignon, A., farm at Aulnays, 192.

Bonheur's studies of Voltaire, Ju-
piter and Confident, 246.

Bonheur's studv of Brilliant 1271,
242.

Boullay-Chaumard, M., 190.

Bourdin, E., 230.

Bowman, T. B., 333.

Branding irons, 583.

Briggs, H. A., 260.

Brilliant 1271 and group of get,
240.

Burdick, U. L., 497.

Calypso 25017 (44577), 393.
Carnot 66666 (66666), 411.
Castile 78956 (64553). 513.

Chappels, Anatole, 232.

Chappels, A., farm at La Plessis,

202.
Chouanard, Charles, 210.
Cliouanard, Charles, farm at La

Bretonnerie, 226.
Chouanard, Emile, 210.
Chouanard, Jules, 210.
Chouanard, Maurice, 210.
Chouanard, Maurice, residence at

La Roustiere. 194.
Colegrove, Arthur, 497.
Coleman, C. R., 315.
Cook, A. W., 315.
Corsa, W. S.. 415.
Crouch, G. R, 441.
Crouch, J., 441.
Curtiss, Charles F., 415.

Danforth, William, 497.
DeLancey, J. L., 260.
DeLancey, T. L., 260.
Delcliester Farms, mares in hay-
field, 509.
Diligence, 110.

Diligence horses of 1830, 17.
Dillon, Ellis, 136.
Dillon, Isaiah. 136.
Dillon. Levi. 136.
Dorothy B. 122455, 521.
Dragon 52155 (63516). 425.
Ducoeurjoly, D., farm of, 228.
Ducoeurjoly, Desire, 196.
Dunham, Daniel, 164.
Dunham, Mark W., 160,
Dunham, W. S., 160.

Ellwood, L L., 256.
Ell wood, W. L., 256.
Erica (68318), 407.

Fair Hope 117379, 577.
Fardouet, Alphonse, 72.
Fardouet, Michel, 72.
Fardouet, M., farm at Le Bois
Joly, 206.

14

INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS

Feeding colts, rack for, 567.
Feuillard, Ansbert, 196.
Fletcher, James M., 164.
FuUington, Charles, 128.
Fullington, James, 128.

Galllpoly entry in Government

records, 62
George P. 82495, 529.
Georgiana 28622, 451.
Girard, Alplionse, 230.
Godolphin entry in Government

records, 62.
Government certificate of 1822,

87.
Gray Billy, 118.
Grenat S0714 (71632), 553.
Guy, Henry, 126.

Helen Helix 97206. 521.

Hamelin, Adrien, 196.

Haras du Pin, chateau and court-
yard, 76.

Haras du Pin, stallions in service,
88.

Harris, Edward, 108.

Hermine 10219S (76134), 587.

Hodgson, Eli, 130.

Hodgson, M. C, 130.

Hodgson, William, 130.

Holbert, A. B., 415.

Horace 7884, 359.

Huisne, pasture on the, 19.

Humbert, L. H., 415.

Hurt, C. W., 321.

Hurt, William, 321.

Huston, John, 3 81.

Hysope, 573.

Ildefonse 79307 (83004), 521.
Imprecation 79304 (79214), 425.
Indivise, Frencli prize-winning

mare, 4 SO.
Intime 87219 (83153), 399.
Ivan 10S146, 545.

Jalap 80583 (85614), 601.
Jasmine 88573 (85983), 589.
Joan and colt Julie, 112.
Joie 105878 (83942), 513.
Johnson, Leonard, 164.
Jones, C. M.. 126.
Jones, Milton E., 321.
Jones, Thomas, 126.

Keiser, Charles, 495.
Keiser, S. L, 495.
Keota Insight 107242, 577.
Keota Jalap 106186, 545.
Kontact 87277 (95804), 529.

La Belle 34982, 451.

Lactine 101472 (100912), 559.

Lagos 99093 (102389), 589.

LaFerte 5144, 347.

LaFerte Bernard — Place Saint Ju-

lien, 55.
Lane, George, 471.
Lee, J. H., 333.
Legitime 98978 (99389), 537.
Louis Napoleon, 120.
Lycee 105934 (102746), 589.

Mack, 499.

Martin, Erastus, 126.

Mauldin, James, 363.

McCormick, L. J., 288.

McLaughlin, J. B., 467.

McMillan, H. G., 389.

Mortagne, roadway at, 55.

Moulinet (68017), 480.

Moulin, L., farm at La Grand

Champrond, 206.
Moulin, L., 232.

Nave, A. P., 381.

Nicodemus, Ed, 467.

Nogent-le-Rotrou — ^army officers
inspecting horse stock of dis-
trict, 58.

Nogent-le-Rotrou — C h a t e a u de
Saint Jean, 21.

Nogent-le-Rotrou, market day, 80.

Nogent-le-R o t r o u — Rue de la
Charronnerie, 66.

Nogent-le-Rotrou — Rue Saint Hil-
aire, 66.

North, C. M., 333.

Oakley, Charles, 122.
Orr, W. C, 363.

Pabst, Fred, 288.

Palmer, T W., 272.

Paul Potter's "Great Horse," 36.

Pellitier, H., of La Bemuche, Ome,

92.
Pelleray, C, 196.
Perche, a farm home in the, 32.

INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS

15

Perche, typical village in the, 29.

Perche, mares at work in field, 82.

Perche, scenes in the, 96.

Perche, mares at work in hayfield,
38S.

Perche, two-year-old colts at Ed-
mond Perriot's, 344.

Perche, map showing modern
boundary lines, 25.

Perche, two snapshots by Mr. San-
ders in the, 220.

Percheron mare and colt in an
Illinois pasture, 359.

Perriot, Edmond, 212.

Perriot, Edmond, chateau of La
Ronce, 104.

Perriot, Ernest, 214.

Perriot, Jr., Ernest, 214.

Perriot, Jr., Ernest, farm and res-
idence at L' Archie, 194.

Perriot. Edmond, farm at Cham-
peaux, 216.

Perriot, Ernest, residence at L'
Orme, 218.

Perriot, Louis, 212.

Perriot, Louis, residence at La
Borde, 218.

Phillips, G. W., 495.

Pink 24765 (47513), 399.

Pink Brilliante 57897, 573.

Pleasant Valley Bill, 114.

Poindexter, P. H., 363.

Powerful 6670 (Bayard 7519), 347.

Prichard, W. E., 260.

Rene, Charles, 190.
Richard, E., farm at La G6ro-
merie, 100.

Rigot. M., 230.
Roseland 87467, 537.

Sanders, James Harvey, 176.
Seducteur 8S50 (7087), 258.
Selma Farm, mares at work, 461.
Singmaster, C. F., 315.
Singmaster, J. O., 315. *

Slack, Louis, 497.
Stetson, Ezra, 272.
Stubblefleld, George W., 389.
Stubblefield, L. F., 381.
Suzanne (81567), 395.

Tacheau, A., breeding farm at La

Pellois, 198.
Tacheau, Auguste, 222.
Tacheau, Jr., A., residence at Le

Burin, 200.
Tacheau, Jr., Auguste, 222.
Taylor, Charles R, 321.
Thibault, M., 232.
Thibault, M., farm at La Bourdon-

niere, 202.
Tonnac Villeneuve — director of

Haras, 74.
Turquoise 110346, 559.

Valle, M., farm of, 107.
Vendome 116151, 553.
Villette-Gate, M.. 230.

Walters, W. T., Percherons, 140,

142, 144, 146, 148.
Walters, W. T., 13S.
War horses of the Middle Ages,

38-40.
White, E. B., 471.
Wilson, J. E., 288.

CHAPTER I.
THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PERCHE.

One of the smallest provinces of old France, the
district known as The Perche, derived its name from
the ancient forest, Perticus Saltus, which originally
covered almost the entire region. Vestiges of this
great wooded tract exist today in the forests of
Belleme, Reno and Du Val. What is now known as
The Perche Forest in Normandy was also once a part
of it. During the time of the Gauls the province was
too thickly wooded to permit of much settlement.
Some time about the beginning of the ninth century
the monks are said to have made clearings in the
forests; but long before this period it is probable
that restricted tracts had been brought under culti-
vation in some of the more favored valleys.

Topography of the District. — The Perche really
comprises a region lying between Normandy on the
north and west, Maine on the southwest, Vendome
and Dunois on the south, and the Beauce country,
the so-called granary of France, on the east. If
viewed from an aeroplane, one would observe that
the relatively prominent relief of the district, com-
pared with the level countries that surround it, helps
to solve the problem of how the Percheron breed
came to be evolved within such a comparatively

18 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

small region. The lowest point of the territory is
at Theil on the Huisne, about 270 feet above sea level,
and the highest town is Mortagne, at an altitude of
about 750 feet. The shape of The Perche is that of
an ellipse, the dimensions about 53 by 66 miles.
Within this elliptical tract there are now fifty can-
tons. Only foals which are the progeny of regis-
tered dams and sires of the Percheron breed and
born in one of these cantons are eligible for registra-
tion at the present time in the Percheron Stud Book
of France.

Geological Formation. — Geologically speaking,
this territory is characterized essentially by creta-
ceous formations of the Cenomanian Stage, and is a
part of the Secondary Aureole Period, circumscribed
by the Tertiary deposits of the Paris Basin. This
Cenomanian Stage, which dominates all over The
Perche, is subdivided into sand and Rouen chalk. It
is the Rouen chalk that plays so important a role
in the geological formation of the region. It forms
all the length of the broad valley of the Huisne, as
well as that of the Sartlie in its upper reaches. Of
course the bottom-lands of all the valleys are com-
posed of alluvial soils and are very fertile. Going
westward from Mortagne and Belleme, Jurassic for-
mations are encountered, and it is a curious fact that
on these soils we are apt to meet with Percheron
horses having lighter frames than those raised in the
Huisne and Sarthe valleys. While the soils of The
Perche vary somewhat in the various districts, they
are chiefly of clayey and clayey-loam texture. Sandy

THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PERCHE 19

soils are met with occasionally. In color they vary
from black to a ruddy chocolate.

Near Belleme a limestone suitable for building
purposes is found. Free-stone or sandstone is quar-
ried at various places in The Perche. A consider-
able quantity of marl is also available, and it has
been a custom for hundreds of years for the farmers
to spread this over their fields. Formerly there
were many iron mines, chiefly at Logny, but they
are now exhausted. The sandstone quarries of Keg-
malard and Logny are still worked, this stone being
used for building purposes. Lime-kilns are operated
in some districts.

Water Courses. — The Perche is especially well
watered. It is rare that one encounters so many
flowing streams in such a small country. This fact
contributes in a great measure to the excellence of
its pastures. There are six rivers: The Huisne,
which rises to the north of Belleme, and flows into
the Sarthe, near the town of Le Mans, is about 77
miles long; the Sarthe empties itself into the Loire,
after a course of 165 miles; the Eure is 82 miles
long, the Avre 41 miles, the Iton about 60 miles, and
the Loire about 123 miles. Not all the mileage of
these rivers is in The Perche. There are no less than
twenty-seven small tributaries or rivers of the second
class. Many of these streams would be designated
merely as creeks in the United States. It is the
Huisne, in its meandering semi-circular route around
Belleme, Pervencheres, Corbon, Nogent-le-Eotrou
and La Ferte Bernard, which serves as the chief col-

20 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

lecting medium of the waters that descend the green
hills of The Perche. A study of the map will reveal
the tortuous course of this river; it receives many-
rivulets in its passage, and after it leaves Nogent its
volume increases perceptibly until it empties itself
into the Sarthe.

Climatic Conditions. — The surface of the land is
considerably broken, being traversed by numerous
valleys, chief of which are the basins of the Huisne
and the Sarthe. There is some timber along the
banks of the streams and on the numerous low hills.
The forests which border the rim of The Perche
serve to condense the atmospheric vapors, and con-
sequently the precipitation is abundant. The climate
is rather humid and conducive to the growth of
grass. The mean precipitation is 884 millimeters.
The mean annual temperature, according to the
Scientific Commission of the Department of Orne,
is 49.1° Fahrenheit. The wooded area forms 16 per
cent of the total land, a proportion which corres-
ponds to the average of all the area of France. The
natural ''prairies", where most of the horses are
pastured, occupy the bottom-lands of the valleys.

Ancient History. — The records of the first settle-
ments of this region, Belleme, Mortagne and Nogent-
le-Rotrou, are lost in remote antiquity. The most
ancient Count of The Perche was Agombert, who
lived during the time of Louis the Debonair, about
830 or 840 A. D. When the Romans overran Gaul
The Perche was conquered by one of the lieutenants
of Caesar, who in his ''Commentaries" mentions

IN THE FOREST OF BELLfiME, DENE.

THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PERCHE 21

particularly the warlike character of its inhabitants
under their chief, Veridiouix, who caused the Roman
generals no little work. In the middle of the ninth
century the Norsemen invaded The Perclie and laid
waste the country.

In 1135 Nogent, at that time built of wood, was
destroyed by fire. About 1358 it fell into the hands
of the English, but the Treaty of Bretigny on May 8,
1360, gave the town back to the French, and in 1361
it was turned over once more to its seigneurs. Once
or twice after that date the English obtained pos-
session of it. It was not until the year 1230 that
The Perche came under the French crown. From
the end of the sixteenth century up to the time of
the French Revolution — a period of about 200 years
— the province enjoyed a profound peace, and agri-
culture and stock-breeding made much progress.*

Rotrou and the Counts of The Perche. — The Counts
of The Perche were first known under the title of
Seigneurs de Belleme. During the Middle Ages the
histoiy of the province was characterized by contin-
uous strife and bloodshed. During a part of the
eleventh century there was internal warfare waged
by Robert II of Belleme against the Rotrous, Counts

•The Abbe Fret, the best known historian of The Perche of mod-
ern times, in his "Antiquites et Chroniques Percheronnes" relates that
after about two centuries of profound peace an insurrection tooli place
at Mortag-ne, the capital of The Perche, on the 23rd of July, 178!>, the
mob taking possession of all the registers of the excise and burning
them in the market place. He then relates how a handful of rioters
did terrible things at Nogent, destroying by fire, among other articles
in the public square, precious manuscripts and authentic documents,
charters and other matter indispensable to the history of the town.
He affirms that the origin of Nogent goes back to the greatest an-
tiquity, and every other historian of The Perche corroborates that
statement.

22 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

of The Perche and Mortagne. According to Odo-
lant-Desnos, the Rotrous, Seigneurs of Nogent, date
from before 853. The chief of these was Rotrou III,
whom the historians call Rotrou II. He was first
Count of Mortagne and Seigneur of Nogent, became
later Count of The Perche, and has been surnamed
The Great. As a warrior he distinguished himself
by his feats against the Saracens in Spain, conquer-
ing several cities and taking many castles in the
year 1089. In 1095 he left for the Crusades with
Robert III, Duke of Normandy, who left his duchy
in pawn with Henry of England for the sum of
10,000 silver pounds. Rotrou commanded the tenth
corps of the army of the Christians at the siege of
Antioch. On the 15th of July, 1099, he took part in
the siege and capture of Jerusalem. The following
year he returned to The Perche.

When Rotrou III came back he soon got into trou-
ble with his mortal enemy, Robert of Belleme, known
later to history as ''Robert the Devil." In spite of
the fact that Rotrou had allied himself with Henry,
King of England, by marrying one of his daughters,
he could not avoid falling into Robert's hands on two
occasions. Later he went once more to fight the In-
fidels in Spain. When he returned in 1109 he founded
the Abbey of Tyron, which became in 1140 the cele-
brated Abbey of La Trappe. He founded other re-
ligious orders in The Perche. Fighting in Nor-
mandy, he was killed at the siege of the Grosse Tour
of Rouen. The body was brought to the church of
St. Denis at Nogent, and buried. This ancient town,

MAP OF A SECTION OF NORTHWESTERN FRANCE, SHOWING LOCATION OF
NOGENT-LB-ROTROU AND THE PERCHERON COUNTRY IN REFERENCE TO
THE SEACOAST AND THE CITY OF PARIS.

THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OP THE PERCHE 23

now known as Nogent-le-Rotrou, is, and for years
past has been, the Percheron capital.

Charles Du Hays, Master of Horse to Napoleon
HI, in his "Le Cheval Percheron," quoting from the
Abbe Fret, the author of a history of the province
of The Perche, and accepting as correct the state-
ment that Rotrou and other nobles participating in
the Crusades brought back stallions from the Holy
Land, asserts that they were largely used. This
may be true. Indeed, it is by no means improbable,
and yet a careful reading of the "Suite Chrono-
logique des Seigneurs de Nogent-le-Eotrou" by Odo-
lant-Desnos, published in 1785, which includes a de-
tailed account of the homecoming of that knight,
yields no reference to his having brought back Ara-
bian horses. Indeed, we have searched in vain in
early French literature for any specific statements
to substantiate the generally accepted dicta on this
point.

Modem Records Begin. — As war gradually ceased
to be the chief business or diversion of the great
nobles and landed proprietors the gentler arts of
agriculture naturally received more attention, and
it followed, as a matter of course, that efforts were
finally made to increase the value of the horse for
farm purposes. Louis XI (1461-1483) first curbed
the power and fighting spirit of the great feudal
barons and war lords who had for so long made
France a hotbed of internal strife, and he asserted
the majesty of centralized authority.

Although we have made diligent search through

24 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

a great variety of old books and manuscripts relat-
ing to the past history of The Perche, we have only
been able to find occasional definite references to
agricultural operations as related to horse-breeding.
There is an original manuscript in the National Li-
brary entitled "Memoire sur la Comte du Perche en
I'annee 1698," from which we may quote as follows:

''The meadows and pastures are very good, espe-
cially in the following places: Oirs, Couilimert, St.
Quentin, La Mesniere, St. Julien and Barville on the
Herinne and the Sartlie; and Regmalard, Dorceau,
Conde, Condeau, Mesle and Theil, several of which
are on the river Huisne. But the high lands are not
very good. . . . These lands, however, are not
altogether useless, for in some cantons sheep are
fattened on the higher lands, while in other cantons
such as those of Logny, Lemage and Neuilly, where
this rough land is better than in the other cantons,
cows and oxen are fattened thereon. The sheep and
cattle fattened in The Perche are driven to Paris, to
the markets of Sceaux and Poissy."

''The county is so ancient that its origin cannot
be found. It was one of the first provinces to be
established by our kings after the conquests of the
Gauls.

"The Election of Mortagne comprises almost all
of the province of the Perche; it was created by
Charles the Ninth, King of France, Aug., 1572.

"The Manors of Belleme and Nogent. — Belleme
has 57 parishes. Nogent is composed of a large
borough and 40 parishes. There are 1,300 men in the
borough. There are in all the parishes of the Elec-
tion of Mortagne 62,692 souls."

Live Stock Husbandry Important. — On page 386

THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PERCIIE 25

of this old manuscript we find the following interest-
ing paragraph:

"The Raising of Colts and other Animals. —
Money enters the province by the following channels :
the sale of colts, fat cattle and sheep, butter, poultry
and eggs which are taken to the Paris markets. As
the province of The Perche is only three days from
Paris (by road), there is no difficulty in transport-
ing supplies. The wool which the sheep produce is
also a great help. All this brings in more than
100,000 pounds a year. The majority of the inhabi-
tants work at plowing and cultivating the land."

The document also tells of big fairs and markets
at Mauves, Logny, Regmalard and Belleme, and
three important market days every week at Nogent:
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. We quote again:

"Mauves is another large borough admirable for
the fertility of its soil and its situation. The Huisne
nearly surrounds it to make an island. This is a very
ancient town to judge from its deeds. Mortagne has
four fairs a year, and markets every Wednesday
and Saturday. The Lord of the Manor (Seigneur)
of Nogent has the right to hold two fairs a year.
[But he did not do so, we learn, as he was content
with his three market days a week, — Ed.] The
women and girls spin flax and wool at home, for
the manufacture of cloths at Nogent and Mortagne."

According to the dictionary of de la Martinier,
published in 1768, The Perche was well peopled at
that date, and a great business was done in wheat
and cattle, the grain being transported to AlenQon
and Brittany by horses. The chief manufactures at
that time were textiles produced at Mortagne and
Nogent. These were carried to Paris, Rouen and

26 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

St. Quentin. It is stated that the breeding of horses
had at that time reached great proportions, and
that four famous fairs were held at Mortagne, and
others at Belleme, Tourouvre, Logny, Regmalard and
Nogent. Also, that the famous fair of St. Andrew
at Mortagne attracted buyers from all the surround-
ing provinces.

Under the "Grand Monarque." — When we arrive
at the golden age of Louis XIV, evidence that a
demand for a somewhat heavier horse had set in is
presented by a manuscript of that period found
among the documents pertaining to the government
haras (or studs) in the National Archives at Paris.
References appear in this to the character of the
king's stallions in service at that time in the Per-
cheron country. Such information as is given con-
cerning them is reproduced in the footnote.* Of
these horses it will be noted that one was a Barb,
one a "large bay," two were gray and one a sorrel,
the blood not being mentioned except in the case of
the "dun-colored" Barb.

•A list signed by H. Duplessix, Commandant of tlie Haras, con-
taining the names, residences, parisli, etc., of "private persons witli
whom the stallions of the King of France were placed for their safe
keeping" :

In the Election of Mortagne, Jacques Billard, cattle dealer, Mor-
tagne, is charged with the keeping of a Barb, dun-colored, 17th June,
1673.

M. Ren6 Pez6, surgeon and apothecary at Belleme, is charged with
a gray stallion, approved May 15th, 1676.

M. Andr§ Fristel, St. Julien-sur-Sarthe, is charged with a road
horse, dapple-gray, Oct. 15th, 1677.

Michel Dreux, Nogent-le-Rotrou, Is charged with a sorrel with
white mane and tail, April 15th, 1678.

Reng Bouillon, farmer at Beauvais, parish of Iton, is charged with a
large bay horse, very old and broken-winded. There is a note follow-
ing this entry saying that the latter stallion must not be allowed to
serve mares as the Intendant has ordered it to be replaced. This Is
dated May 23. 1674.

THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OP THE PERCHE 27

In that part of tlie Department of Orne lying in
Nonnandy Italian, Barb, and Spanish stallions are
mentioned, but no reference is made of Arabs. From
the same document we learn that "M. de Morangis
has visited all the stallions in the district," finding
that "there are many beginning to show signs of
old age, and that it would be better to replace them
by more vigorous and heavier sires; the mares of the
region are too small." He remarks that "as soon
as the colts are six months old the farmers sell them
to buyers coming from outside districts," and that
"this method results in the money staying in the
country." This report was then made to the Secre-
tary of State :

"He has visited all the stallions. There are some
fine ones descended from the stallions of the King
that would soon populate the region if the farmers
would not sell them at 30 months old. Nothing
stays in the country except those which certain gen-
tlemen are careful to raise and mature. The major-
ity of the King's stallions are too old; a few private
persons have replaced them by others.

"It would be very desirable if the King would
furnish about six more stallions of heavier build.
The Barbs are getting colts with too weak limbs."

Notwithstanding this criticism of the royal stal-
lions it is asserted that under Louis XIV The Perche
still maintained that high reputation as a nursery
of good horses which it had apparently enjoyed
since the Middle Ages, and the stage-coach and
carrying companies were steadily increasing their
purchases in the district. Speed with heavy loads
was of course the prime requirement in front of the

28 A HISTORY OF THE PEKCHEKON HORSE

lumbering diligence before the advent of the rail-
way carriage, and apparently horses of the right
stamp were to be found in this famous old horse-
breeding province.

The Eighteenth Century. — The first important
document that the archives of the Orne furnish is
a register, dated 1718, entitled, "Eevue de juments
propres a porter des poulains, et a proximite des
gardes etalons, designees par le poil et les noms des
paroisses et des habitants auxquelles elles appartien-
nent, avec 1 'observation de celles qui ont ete trouvees
pleines la presente annee." This referred to the
brood mares in the Generality of Alengon, which in-
cluded the Election of Mortagne in The Perche. For
all the Generality, which includes a portion of Nor-
mandy, there were 6,278 brood mares; of these 2,801
were in foal. In the Election of Mortagne alone, for
the year 1751, there were 1,735 brood mares, and of
this number 661 were found in foal.

Later in the eighteenth century breeding opera-
tions in The Perche, as well as in other parts of
France, assumed greater importance. In 1754, ac-
cording to statistics (Archives Nationales) compiled
in conformity with the orders of the Marquis de
Voyer on fairs and markets in The Perche and Nor-
mandy, we find that Mortagne had four fairs a year,
but it was not possible to ascertain the number of
horses sold. Belleme had also four annual fairs, 150
to 300 head of horses being sold at each fair. No-
gent had a market every Saturday for the disposal
of horses, 50 to 60 entires and about 20 mares chang-

THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PERCHE 29

ing hands each week. At the fair held at Laigle,
July 11, 300 head of horses were disposed of, and
at the fair held on the first Friday in September
220 head were sold. At a third fair at the same
place on the 12tli of November no less than 550 horses
were sold.

In an old brochure by P. Bruyant entitled, "No-
gent-le-Rotrou et ses environs," it is stated that the
chief local industry, the manufacture of bolting
cloth, began to decline in 1774, due primarily to the
shipwreck of the ''Nogent-le-Eotrou" with a cargo
of cloth, the son of the owner of the vessel and of
the industry, Rene Gullier, being drowned and his
father ruined. ' ' But, ' ' says the author, ' ' fortunately
the development of the breeding of Percheron horses
commenced to compensate for the decline of this
local industry."

Long Famous for Its Horses. — Old letters written
by residents of The Perche and still conserved in
the government archives at Paris show that from
very early periods the province has been courted as
a producer of good horses. In fact, its fame in this
regard led to frequent spoliation, numerous raids be-
ing made by marauders who evidently knew in ad-
vance where good mounts were to be had. During
the civil war known as the Fronde, under the minor-
ity of Louis XIV (1648-1653), both the party of
Mazarin and that of the nobles made frequ-ent incur-
sions into this region, primarily for the purpose of
carrying off horses. History tells us that Beaufort,
the warlike grandson of Henry IV of France, entered

30 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

The Perclie in 1652, ' ' striking terror everywhere and
stealing horses."

In a letter in the National Library, Paris, dated
March 7, 1628, and written by one Michel Denyau,
a notary of Montdonbleau, w^e read: "The Perche
has suffered veiy much ; the army has carried off the
majority of our mares." In another written June
7, 1651, the writer complains: "The gendarmerie
has ruined everything in The Perche, and publicly
stolen everything H 'came across in the way of
horses. . . . M. de Villir informs me that the
gendarmerie has ruined everything in the Chartres
country and stolen the horses."

Still further confirmatory of the assertion that
The Perche has always been pre-eminently a region
fitted to the raising of live stock, and especially
horses, we find the following eighteenth century let-
ter from the Intendant of Alengon to the Intendant
of Tours on the subject of rumors relative to the
cornering of the wheat crop:

"Have no faith, sire, in the reputation for an
abundance of wheat which we are said to possess.
I have already had the honor of calling your atten-
tion to the fact that in all the Election of Alengon
there is not produced enough wheat to feed us three
months. Our culture consists in grass and hay to
fatten our steers, which we get from Poitou, and to
raise very fine horses, which make our principal
commerce. ' '

A People Devoted to Their Own. — All the world
has wept with Longfellow over the fate of the
Acadian farmers of Grand Pre. The attachment of

THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PERCHE 31

the French people to the soil upon which they have
lived and loved is indeed proverbial. We in Amer-
ica have before us the fine illustration of the thrifty,
home-keeping habitants of the lower St. Lawrence.
This trait is strongly marked among the expatriated
French, but when we come to those actually born
and bred under the lilies of Old France it assumes
the form of that passionate devotion to country whicli
finds ready and tragic demonstration whenever the
call to arms is sounded.

From time whereof the memory of man runneth
not to the contrary this adherence to things which
have been their own for generations has marked par-
ticularly the character of the farmers of provincial
France. The Abbe Fret, one of the chief historians
of The Perche, referring to the habits of the people
of this province before the revolution, said:

''Each village family, free from all ambition, occu-
pied itself with its purely domestic affairs, and rare-
ly lost to view the church steeple of its own re-
spective parish. Each individual, content with the
lot apportioned by Providence, desired neither great-
ness nor riches and the village church-yard held
within its bosom the ashes of ten generations; for
it was an honor to share the last resting place with
one's forefathers just as they had shared their lega-
cies."

The Perche of Today. — After the Revolution The
Perche, together with all the other ancient provinces
of France, was divided into departments. Thus we
find The Perche today comprises the departments of
Orne, Sarthe, Eure-et-Loir and Loir-et-Cher. Orne

32 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

and Sarthe include the greater part of the territory,
but Eure-et-Loir, in which the city of Nogent-le-
Eotrou is situated, is perhaps of the greatest impor-
tance so far as the Percheron breed is concerned.
Loir-et-Cher has the least territory in The Perche,
and yet the neighborhood of Montdoubleau and
Savigny-sur-Bray has always been famous for pro-
ducing fine draft mares of true Percheron character.
The birthplace of the modern type is found within
a radius of 18 or 20 miles around Nogent, a territory
which includes a little of all four of the departments.
It should here be observed that not one of these
departments in its entirety is found in The Perche.
For example, a part of Orne is situated in what has
long been known as Normandy. The great breed-
ing centers of the Percheron race at this date, and
in fact for many years past, have been Nogent-le-
Eotrou in Eure-et-Loir, La Ferte Bernard in the
Sarthe, and Mortagne in Orne.

What the farmers of The Perche were in the olden
times so are they today, in so far as relates to their
devotion to home and land and horses. Their horses
are a part of their inheritance particularly prized and
accustomed to the affectionate attention of the entire
household. Their docility, growing out of this in-
timate human companionship, is therefore an inborn
trait.

Such is, in brief, the cradle of the breed of which
we are to write — a region of green hills and verdant
vales, populated by a patient, persistent, kindly,
frugal, shrewd, home-loving people rooted firmly to

THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PERCHE 33

the soil of their fathers and always loyal to the old
traditions. Around their white ancestral walls old-
fashioned flowers grow and sweet-scented roses
bloom, and with each recurring advent of spring
through dreamy sunny days and under skies of rarest
blue the apple blossoms fill with beauty all the land
and spread their fragrance.

Quaint and picturesque, and true always to itself,
is this ancient province of The Perche.

CHAPTER II.
PERCHERON PROTOTYPES.

The author of a "History of Ancient Perche," M.
Odolant-Desnos, remarks that the French are ' ' more
inclined to make history than to write it." They
have developed the Percheron horse, but his real
origin is involved in almost total obscurity. Only
speculation can be indulged in concerning his re-
mote past, and strange to relate, until now few facts
have been available touching the evolution during
the past century of the heavy draft type, which, it
must be understood, is distinctly a modern creation.
Prior to the Napoleonic wars the Percherons were
practically all of the diligence type, and it was not
until about 1820 that a demand for heavier horses for
agricultural purposes manifested itself sufficiently
to induce a studied effort at increasing the size and
weight of the breed. The French government gave
this movement support, as will be shown presently,
and the farmers of The Perche persisted in their
efforts in this direction until the foundation was laid
upon which was made possible the production, at a
still later date, of the 2,000-pound horse ultimately
called for by the American trade.

This one thing we know: that through centuries
of vicissitudes the farmers of The Perche clung to

(34)

PERCHERON PROTOTYPES 35

their good horses, modifying the type from time to
time to meet changing conditions. From the earliest
times The Perche farmer has been a producer of
horses, and not often a buyer from elsewhere. The
whole temper of The Perche people is opposed
to the miscellaneous introduction of material from
the outside. They were a little world unto them-
selves in this matter of their horses, and relied
mainly upon their own ability to mold the type from
within the limits of their own country as new de-
mands were made. They were always free sellers of
colts and horses to the adjacent provinces and central
cities. The usual movement was from within out-
ward, and not from the outside into the district. An
understanding of this fact is of fundamental im-
portance in attempting to grasp the reasons for the
Percheron's latter-day popularity. It establishes a
basis for his prepotency in crossing upon mares of
mixed breeding, such as were commonly found in the
adjacent provinces of France and especially such as
were in use in the United States at the time the great
extension of Percheron breeding in America began.
Some of the Fairy Tales. — Almost every possible
equine ancestry has been suggested to explain the
existence of the Percheron horse. For a long time
— and even to this day one may find this explanation
given in encyclopedias and other books of general
information — it was maintained that the Percheron
was a descendant of the Brittany draft horse. Some
writers have gone so far as to advance the tlieoiy
that the Percheron is of English ancestry; others

36 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

state that the gray color has been obtained by liberal
crossings with the Boulonnais; many have hinted
that Flemish blood has entered into its make-up.
Some writers tells us that the old Bourbonnais horse
has played a prominent part in the evolution of the
Percheron; others hint of a possible Spanish source.
It has even been asserted that the black color which
became popular about 1880 was due to Nivernais
blood, while still others have exaggerated the use of
Picardy mares, introduced to a small extent near
Montdoubleau near the beginning of the nineteenth
century, proclaiming them the progenitors of the
heavy Percheron type. And last, but by no means
least, there is the commonly accepted teaching that
the Percheron is of Oriental origin and that even as
late as the nineteenth century his latter-day excel-
lence, as well as his predominating color, is to be
ascribed to the powerful influence of two Arabian
stallions from the government haras at Le Pin!

It would be idle to discuss all these in detail. Tra-
ditions are anybody's creation. Legendary tales
must pass at their own value. Authentic French
government records, however, cannot well be got
around. We shall present some that have apparently
been heretofore overlooked.

The Saracenic Rout. — Historians affirm that on
the day in which Charles Martel, a king of Old
France, met and overcame the Moslem host of Ab-
derame upon the field of battle between Tours and
Poitiers 300,000 Saracens were slaughtered. The
fate of Christendom was at stake. This was A. D.

PERCHERON PROTOTYPES 37

732. There is more than a suspicion that the num-
ber slain was placed by the old chroniclers at a figure
large enough to cover all possible contingencies.
However, that is not the point. It has always been
claimed that in this overwhelming rout the invaders
left behind them many horses of the desert breed,
and that these were distributed among the troops of
the French monarch, many of whom lived in the
regions since known as the Orleanais, Normandy
and The Perche.

That Arab blood was left behind at the time of
this crowning disaster to Oriental arms in western
Europe no one need doubt; and looking down the
long vista of the centuries that have come and gone
since then, we may find in this a possible explanation
of the combined style and substance of the gray and
white chargers so numerous in the middle ages
— a possible cross of the eastern blood-horse upon a
weightier western type.

Mounts of the Crusaders. — After the lapse of
some centuries came the Crusades, when the very
flower of European chivalry, rallying to the standard
of the cross, invaded the Holy Land. Numerous ex-
peditions followed in which the French monarchs
and nobles took a conspicuous part. It has been
said that The Perche received liberal introduc-
tions of Arabian blood following the return of the
Crusaders, who are alleged to have brought back
stallions that were freely used to the great profit of
the horses of the district. Certain writers go so far
as to name Geoffroy IV, the lord of Montdoubleau,

38 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Count Roger of Bellesmer, Goroze, the lord of Saint
Cerney, Courville and Courseroult, and Rotrou,
Count of The Perche, as personages of high degree
who aided in this undertaking. It is further alleged
that while the blood was also brought into other
provinces it was nowhere so carefully conserved or
in-bred as in The Perche. All of which may be true,
or it may be pure invention. The fact is, that if the
traditions as to the type of horses used by the Cru-
saders and the knights of the feudal ages handed
down from one generation of artists to another are
to be relied upon in any degree whatsoever, it is
more probable that the Crusaders waged war with
horses of their own production much better adapted
to their needs than was any desert stock.

In concluding his discussion of the effects of these
expeditions upon European progress the great
French authority, Michaud, in his "History of the
Crusades," speaking of various benefits accruing
to the participating nations, takes up in detail the
contributions to the arts and industries growing out
of those conflicts. Among other things he mentions
the effect of the Crusades on European agriculture
and tells of wheat and of various fruits and plants
that were brought back to Europe. But the only
reference he makes to the horse in this connection is
in the following sentence:

"A short time after the first expedition of Louis
IX Birbar sent to Mainfrey, son of Frederick II,
several Mogul prisoners with their horses, which
were of Tartar breed."

UNFURLING THE SA(_"REiI) ORIF'L.\JI.Ml'} OF OLD FRANCE.— FROM
FROLSSART'S "CHRONICLES."

CRUSADERS IN OOMBAT.— FROM FROISSART' S "OHBONICdiES."

PERCHERON PROTOTYPES 39

No mention is made of the introduction of Arabian
stallions. Curiously enough, in a fine edition of this
work published some years ago, profusely illustrated
with drawings by the celebrated artist Gustave
Dore, the French and the English knights, and even
royalty itself, when mounted are invariably shown
astride stoutly built white or gray chargers. On
such a horse Dore delineates Richard Coeur de Lion
himself in his famous conflict with the Sultan Sala-
din. Another drawing, entitled "Glorious death of
Jacques de Maille," shows that famous Knight of
the Temple going to his death as a noble steed of
the same type sinks to the earth pierced by many
arrows. Again in the plate entitled "The Battle
of Antioch," the European knights are seen gallop-
ing into action mounted on great wide-quartered
horses of the same general conformation. So in
the picture of "200 Knights Attacking 20,000 Sara-
cens" the big, white chargers are everywhere in evi-
dence. Most curious of all, perhaps, is the fact that
Dore in drawing upon his imagination to illustrate
the celebrated "Apparition of Saint George on the
Mount of Olives" depicts the patron saint of Eng-
land mounted on a white horse of the same type and
fitted out — very properly for a steed used in navi-
gating the air^ — with a pair of wangs!

War Horses of the Middle Ages. — Histories deal-
ing wdth the Dark Ages are lamentably lacking in
horse lore. Breeds were not discussed much in those
days; only types were mentioned. The draft horse
had then no place. The war horse dominated every-

40 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

where. Plowing was done chiefly by oxen. The
carrying trade was done either by oxen or by pack
animals. Even as recently as about 200 years ago
we find from the old manuscripts on The Perche
that the native horses in that province transported
on their backs wheat and manufactured goods to
Paris (three days by road), to Rouen, Brittany and
other centers. There were three classes of horses
used — the destrier, or war charger, the palfrey, or
parade horse, and the roussin, or road horse. These
designations were in, vogue until the beginning of
the nineteenth century.

The horse that could serve successfully the pur-
poses of the mail-clad warriors of feudal times had
to be up to carrying a lot of weight. With the bur-
dens put upon them, no weakling steeds would long
survive the shock of joust or tournament or the more
serious work of the field of battle. Not only was the
charger himself sometimes loaded down with his
own gear — metal-ornamented caparison, with per-
chance steel breast-plate and head-piece — but in
the saddle was an athletic rider with his load of iron
and lance or battleaxe in place. Substance without
sluggishness was a prime consideration. Activity
in hand-to-hand combat meant losing or gaining ail.
A horse with proud carriage was demanded to meet
the state and dignity of nobility and royalty. In
brief, only a grand good type of horse could meet
the imperative requirements of those whose lives
depended so largely upon the weight and mettle of
their mounts.

A WAR HORSE OP THE jaODLE AGES— REPRODUCED FROM FROISSART'S
"CHRONICLES OF EINGLAND, FRANCE AND SPAIN."

PERCHERON PROTOTYPES 41

We have before us as we write a rare old edition
of that famous literary landmark of the feudal ages,
"The Chronicles of England, France and Spain,"
written by Sir John Froissart, "the Herodotus of a
barbarous age." In it are recounted the most dar-
ing deeds performed by the belted knights of the
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. There are prac-
tically no references in the text to types of horses,
but there are many quaint wood engravings, repro- .
ductions of old-time delineations, that are not with-
out interest in this connection.

Crude as these old drawings may appear, there is
this to be said about them: they apparently demon-
strate, in the first place, that gray and white were
the prevailing, or at least the favorite, colors with
the French noblesse of that period; and in the second
place, that the artists were endeavoring to draw
horses that were not only refined, clean-limbed and
of good style, but that also possessed marked sub-
stance. Stout middles and generally thick bodies
are almost invariably shown.

It can of course be said that neither Dore nor the
earlier artists who undertook to depict the type of
horses in use in the old days had any technical
knowledge of breeds or types. That is probably
true. Animal delineation was not their specialty.
Nevertheless, the fact that many different artists
working at different periods and illustrating differ-
ent phases of the militaiy operations of the Cru-
sades and the Middle Ages, seem to have fixed upon
practically the same type of horse in nearly every

42 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

instance, to wit, a gray or wliite with clean-cut head,
heavy shoulders, wide back and quarters and,
usually, clean limbs, is significant.

Corroborating the work of the artists, at least in
respect to the color, may be cited a verse from the
old-time ballad recounting the deeds of valor per-
formed by one Charles de Trie, a valiant knight of
The Perclie. It was sung by the wandering minstrels
and ran as follows:

"Ce biau sire de Trie,
Sur son blanc destrier,
Centre gent ennemie
S'en va guerroyer."

This old French has been freely translated:

"On charger white the sire of Trie
Against the foe has gone to war."

M. Du Hays, whose great affection for the Per-
cheron led him to prepare his beautifully-written
history of the breed, remarks that in his childhood
he had often been rocked to sleep to the tune of
this old song, embodying as it did one of the old
traditions of the province.

The Probable Foundation. — That the blood of the
Arab, derived from the spoils of the great Saracenic
rout, may have been the source of the style and
beauty of the war horses used several centuries later
by the Crusaders against the Moslems, is not a vio-
lent assumption. That the French nobles brought
back Arabian stallions from the Holy Land is not
at all improbable. That these were used upon the
mares of The Perche and other provinces is easily
possible. But upon neither point is there any real

PERCHERON PROTOTYPES 43

proof. On the other hand, if the testimony handed
down by artist and historian is of any value what-
soever, we may safely assert that gray horses of
noble character and stout conformation were in uni-
versal favor in France at the time of the Norman
conquest of England and continued to be popular
throughout the centuries preceding the introduction
of the diligence. We conclude, therefore, that the
strong, active grays with which those heavy vehicles
were horsed were in all probability the lineal de-
scendants, the logical successors, of the splendid
horses that graced the age of chivalry in western
Europe. This, then, is the likely prototype of the
Percheron of pre-Napoleonic times, the fountainhead
of that courage, soundness, stamina and color which
has long been his heritage.

Before passing to our examination of the records
of the French Government, which throw such a flood
of light upon the modern type of the breed, we
present the report of a discussion which took place in
The Perclie many years ago touching the mooted
question of the remote derivation of the race. This
has not heretofore been accessible to the general
public, but was uncovered in the course of our ex-
tended exploration of the agricultural literature of
France. In view of its historical importance we
here give it place.

Normandy Invades The Perche. — We refer to a
congress of agriculturists held at Mortagne in 1843,
a full account of which we find in the official "An-
nuaire de 1 'Association Normande," the only report

44 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

extant. It may be stated in passing that this "Asso-
ciation Normande ' ' was an organization that met at
different towns in Normandy at stated periods.
While it was cnstomary to hold the annual congress
at some town within the borders of the ancient
province of Noniiandy, this meeting of 1843 was
held in the Arrondissement of Mortagne, which is
wholly in The Perclie and has always formed a part
of the Generality of Alengon, the capital of the pres-
ent Department of Orne, in which the town and
Arrondissement of Mortagne are situated. This de-
tail explains the reason why the Normandy associa-
tion, including as it did many members living in
The Perche, took up the question of the breeding and
origin of the Percherons, which at that time was
exciting much interest. We mention this in order
to record the fact that a certain part of Normandy
and The Perche encroached the one upon the other,
and it was only by following up the bibliography of
French agriculture under the head "Normande"
that we were able to locate this important report of
the Mortagne congress of 1843, which we believe has
not heretofore been presented in connection with the
study of this subject. In fact, so far as we know,
this is the first time that the letter of the Abbe Fret
has been given to the Percheron breeding public of
the present time in its entirety. We are indebted to
the ' ' Societe des Savants ' ' for the privilege of exam-
ining the publications of the "Association Nor-
mande. ' '

Whence the Percheron? — Under the head, "Race

PERCHERON PROTOTYPES 45

de Clievaux Perclierons," we find tlie question intro-
duced as follows:

' ' M. de Caumont having put questions concerning
tlie breeds, and respecting the Percheron breed in
particular, a discussion took place upon this subject.

' ' M. Oliver, veterinarian, has the floor. He pointed
out that formerly the Percheron breed comprised
two well defined varieties or types; the lighter type
was known as a 'light draft horse,' and the other,
which was larger and more material, was called a
' draft horse. ' He complained that the introduction of
Picardy mares in the neigliborhod of Montdoubleau,
about 1815, had altered the primitive type of the
Percheron. He thought that by making the breed
larger in size they had closed one of their most im-
portant outlets, viz., the sale of army horses, which
had been, under the Empire, their most assured out-
let. He thought also that even the service of dili-
gences must suffer from the alteration in type which
he had mentioned, and he expressed a wish that the
government would take the necessary steps to estab-
lish the ancient Percheron breed in all its purity.

"M. Gautier, veterinarian, replying to M. Oliver
thought that the changes complained of had not
brought about differences so important in the Per-
cheron breed as he (M. Oliver) had supposed, be-
cause if the breed really had become heavier by
means of the mares of Montdoubleau, these mares
are none the less Perclierons. M. Gautier thought
that the railroads would cause great modifications
in the horse trade, and that in the future the number
of horses required for diligence purposes would
diminish according to the development of new rail-
ways, and that it was necessary for the fanners of
that region to apply themselves to the production of
army horses.

46 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

' ' M. de Blanpre remarked that castration was not
in usage in The Perche, and, if Percheron horses
supported the operation like liorses of other breeds,
it would appear that, according to a generally adopt-
ed opinion, a profound alteration took place in their
qualities, etc.

' ' M. Bigot thought that the farmers of The Perche
should assure themselves respecting the effect of the
railroads on the horse trade. The same fears had
been manifested in Belgium, now covered with a
network of railroads. "

The Arabian Tradition.— M. de Blanpre then read
a letter ' ' from M. 1 'Abbe Fret, member of the Asso-
ciation," regarding the origin of the Percheron
horse. The priest had mentioned the Percheron in
his well known history of The Perche, but in so
doing he had quoted from the \ writings of Deles-
tang. It was not until this Mortagne congress of
1843, in the letter herewith reproduced, written to
be read upon that occasion, that we find anything
mentioned as to the bringing of Oriental stallions
back from Palestine by Perche noblemen or as to
the part such horses possibly played in the history
of the Percheron. Neither Du Hrjs nor his follow-
ers have given any quotations from this letter, nor
has any of them given any account of the debate
that occurred between the members of the associa-
tion which took place upon that occasion. The letter
follows :

"Within the confines of the ancient province of
The Perche is raised a breed of horses known by
the name of Percherons, very distinct both in ex-
terior and aptitudes; they have the size, some have

PERCHERON PROTOTYPES 47

fine conformation, and they are, for the most part,
excellent draft horses. In many of the manor houses
in the lower Perche there is a tradition that has
been handed down for six centuries to the effect that
the beauty of this breed was due primitively to its
crossing with the Arab, of which breed good judges
find today, in the shape only of certain individuals
in The Perche, several characteristic traits.

"At the time of the Crusades, influenced like
others by the religious zeal which, in this period of
chivalry, compelled them, as a duty, to arm them-
selves against the infidels, a large number of the
Percheron Seigneurs started out for the conquest of
Palestine, and stayed for more or less time in the
Orient. Several of these valiant knights errant
brought back from this far off country some Arabian
horses of the strain 'kadischi,' which were employed
in the improvement of the native breed. Geoffroy IV,
Seigneur of Montdoubleau, was one of the Crusaders
who show^ed the most zeal in propagating this breed.

''Tradition has left us a pretty good idea of this
improved breed, formerly in great demand as coach
horses, wdiich for elegance, conformation, energy,
style and long service could be compared to the
breed known as the Limousine. But, by its crossing
with breeds less perfect, it has successively degen-
erated, and almost entirely fallen owing to the negli-
gence and apathy of the landowners, Avho have done
nothing whatever so far as selecting individuals for
breeding purposes is concerned. However, this breed
is today in such demand by buyers from the adja-
cent departments that it is becoming a branch of
commerce of great benefit to the region, and for that
reason it is necessary that it should be improved.

"The possession of Algeria by France renders the
importation of Arabs of the 'kadischi' strain ex-
tremely easy. Assuredly the mixing of this blood

48 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

with the Percheron blood would produce the same
results as during the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
"We ardently trust that tlie rich landowners of
The Perche will take the initiative in this worthy
cause, so that the province, which has produced for
France this fine breed to which it has given its name,
will not be disinherited of the glory of having ren-
dered it its primitive purity."*

An Historic Discussion. — Inasmuch as the abbe's

•This document is deemed of such historic interest that we here-
with supplement our translation of it by presenting the original French :

"L'ancienne province du Perche 61eve dans son sein une race de
chevaux connu sous le nom de percherons, tres distinct par leur forme
et d'un bon service ; ils ont de la taille, quelques-uns de la figure, et
sont la plupart d'excellents chevaux de trait.

"Une tradition, conservee depuis six siecles dans plusieurs chateaux
du bas Perche, pretend que la beaute de cette race etait due primitive-
ment k son melange avec la race arabe, dont les connaisseurs retrouvent
encore aujourd'hui, dans la figure seulement de quelques individus
plusieurs traits caracteristiques.

"A I'epoque des croisades, entrainfis comme les autres par le z61e
religieux qui, dans ce temps chevaleresques, leur faisait un devoir de
s'armer contre les infldeles, grand nombre de seigneurs percherons
partirent pour la conquete de la Palestine, et resterent plus ou moins
de temps dans TOrient. Plusieurs de ces preux paladins ramenSrent de
ce pays lointain quelques chevaux arabes de la race "kadisclii", qui
furent employes a I'amelioration de la race indigene. Geoffroy IV',
Seigneur de Montdoubleau, fut un des seigneurs croises qui mirent le
plus z$le 5, propager cette race.

"La tradition nous a laisse une idfie avantageuse de cette race per-
fectionnee, qu'on recherchait autrefois pour les attelages de luxe, et
que Ton comparait pour la grace, I'elegance, la figure, la vigrueur, la
finesse, et la duree, k la race connue sous le nom de Utnousine.

Mais, par son melange avec des races moins parfaites, elle a suc-
cessivement degenere, et presque entiSrment tombee par la negligence
et le defaut de lumi&re des proprietaires, qui n'ont apporte aucun soin
dans le choix des sujets propres k la perp^tuer dans le pays.

"II serait cependant d'autant plus important de perfectionner cette
race, qu'elle est aujourd'hui tres recherchee des departements voisins,
et qu'elle prend une branche de commerce tr6s avantageuse pour
le pays.

"La possession de I'Algerie par la France rend extr§mement facile
I'importation au Perche des chevaux arabes de la race de "kadischi."
Assurement le melange des ce sang avec le sang percheron produira
les memes resultats qu'aux XI et XII si&cles.

"Nous formons des voeux ardents pour que quelques riches pro-
prietaires du Perche prennent I'initiative dans cette honorable entre-
prise, afln que la province, qui a procure k la France cette belle race
chevaline et qui a donnS son nom, ne soit pas desh6rit4e de la glorle
de I'avoir rendue ft sa purete primitive."

PERC HERON PROTOTYPES 49

letter has been made the basis of so much that has
been handed down to our day and generation, it will
now be of interest to set forth the discussion which
it provoked among those who were present. Par-
ticular attention should be given to the remarks of
M. Gautier, whose standing at the time may be fairly
gauged from the fact that he not only opened but
closed the discussion. We again quote verbatim:

^'M. Gautier said he had no knowledge of any
documents which would cause one to think, like the
Abbe Fret, that the Percheron was descended from
the Arab; or from the Brittany horse, as some others
thought. As for himself, he had the conviction that
this breed (the Percheron) was a primitive type,
and that the introduction of the English half-blood,
as a sire, had brought in modifications rendering it
suitable for an army horse.

"M. Blanpre thought that the crossing of Per-
cheron mares with half-blood horses had caused bad
results. The half-blood is a mixed breed, and it
would be contrary to all principles to admit a horse
incapable of impressing character on its products.
He thought that the conservation in tlie region of
fine Percheron stallions, carefully selected, suitable,
if one wished, of rendering the breed lighter and
liberally encouraged by government prizes would be
the best means of maintaining the horse of this breed
as a commercial proposition. The crossing with
stallions that did not show any primitive type had
nearly destroyed all the French breeds.

^'M. Le Eoy thought that there was too much dis-
similarity between the Thoroughbred stallion and
the Percheron mare to give any hope of success in
such a combination. He feared, also, tliat the tenant
faraiers would be afraid of the lightness of the Thor-

50 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

ouglibred, and that tlie half-blood was preferable,
for if they gave their mares to a Thoroughbred
stallion certain qualities would be inherited from the
sire and others from the dam, which would result in
'misfits.'

''M. de Clinchemps spoke warmly against any
crossing with the demi-sang. . . . He thought
that it was necessary, just as had been done by the
English, to go back to the source and buy Arabian
horses as stallions, an opinion in harmony with all
principles, confirmed by experience and crowned by
success in the case of our neighbours (the English).

"M. Gautier speaking about the origin of the Per-
eheron horse said: 'The origin is still within the
domain of probabilities. Every man, who has up to
this time written on French and foreign breeds, says
that the Percheron is of Brittany origin. As proof,
nothing. Each writer, in consulting his predecessor,
has reproduced the same opinion. One writer has
said that the Percheron was of English origin.
Others say that the Percheron is descended from the
Arab. For me, if I may give my opinion: I believe
that the Percheron is a primitive breed, singularly
altered, improved by crossings at different periods
with Arabian and English horses."

"The Legendary Kadischi." — It will be observed
that the writer of this letter is careful to set forth
that what he tells of the introduction of the Arabian
blood rests, not upon any existing records, but on
* ' tradition ' ' handed down among ' ' the manor houses
of the lower Perche." This then is the foundation
upon which the Arabian story rests. It has been
generally accepted; and yet not all the intelligent
men of The Perche have given it credence, as is evi-
denced bv the following from the "Annuaires Nor-

PERCIIEKON PROTOTYPES 51

mandes" of 1909, in the report of an agricultural
show held at Mortagne where one of the local nota-
bles, M. de Longuemar, who made the principal
discourse, said in speaking of the origin of the Per-
clieron :

"The very nature of the soil itself, the environ-
ment— that is the primordial reason; much more cer-
tain than the hypothetical crossings of the native
mares with Arabian stallions, the legendary 'ka-
dischi.' "

Modem Arab Crossing Not Mentioned. — It will
also be observed that while there were various views
expressed relating to the origin and crossing of the
breed, there was no disposition to attach special im-
portance to the Arabian phase of the proposition.
It will also be noted that while this took place in
1843, no reference whatever was made to modifica-
tions of the breed by the use about 1820 of the alleged
Arabian stallions Godolphin and Gallipoly, to be re-
ferred to further on. On the other hand, the prob-
ability of remote Oriental crossings was apparently
conceded, a fact which conforms to what we have
already intimated in preceding pages touching the
part possibly played by the Oriental blood in the
production of the gray chargers used by the old
French nobility.

Before dismissing this reference to the congress of
Mortagne it should further be pointed out that at
the time when it was held the army was a large
buyer of horses in this district. This explains the
talk about crossing with stallions of lighter types.

52 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

with a view towards furnishing horses suitable for
military purposes. In strong opposition to this, how-
ever, we find the farmers themselves, the mare men
of The Perche, who were best able to judge for them-
selves what kind of a horse was best adapted for
their own service. They preferred a heavier type,
and, as we shall show in another chapter, the founda-
tions of the modern heavy-draft Percheron had been
firmly laid by the use of government-approved stal-
lions, mostly of gray color and in many cases stand-
ing 16 hands and over in height, upwards of 25 years
prior to the holding of this congress.

Is the Percheron a Primitive Type? — We draw
special attention to M. Gautier's expression of his
belief that the Percheron w^as in reality a primitive
breed, from time to time crossed with other types.
We do this for the purpose of introducing at this
point the testimony of M. Andre Sanson, late Pro-
fessor of Zoologie at the National School of Agri-
culture, Grignon, France, and at the National Insti-
tute of Agronomy, Paris. In his book, "L'Origine
des races Francaises de chevaux," page 95, Vol. 3,
he says :

''The Percheron breed, like all the others, is con-
temporaneous with the mammoth of the alluvial. It
goes back to the Deluge, and, in the presence of such
antiquity, the epoch of the Crusades, by comparison,
only dates from yesterday.

"The Percheron . . . had its origin in the
basin of the Seine, and that is the reason why we
give to this type the scientific name of Sequanien,

PERCHERON PROTOTYPES 53

derived from the name which the Seine had during
the Gallo-Romano epoch."

He then goes on to say:

"In the sandy alluvial deposits of the Seine Basin
at Grenelle, so rich in fossils, several skeletons of
horses were discovered in 1868. Among these was a
skull almost complete.

"This skull (now conserved at the Museum of
Natural History at Paris), although broken at the
time by the pick-axes of the excavators, has been
reconstituted perfectly, and is the only perfect skull
of its epoch that science possesses, and as such is
extremely precious. Having been enabled to exam-
ine this skull before it was restored, we were struck
by the resemblance that each bone had to the
cranial bones of the Percheron of the present day.
Since then a methodical comparison of the two skulls
has permitted us to establish their complete iden-
tity."

If a typical Ethiopian and a Chinaman were to be
buried side by side, skilled anatomists could a
thousand years hence establish their complete iden-
tity by an examination of their skulls alone, if con-
served intact. It is said that the race of any given
species demonstrates in the head, more than in any
other part of its anatomy, the specific characters in-
herent in the race. Whenever a breed has been ex-
tensively crossed with another, such crossing is sup-
posed to divulge itself unmistakably, to the trained
eye, in a modification of the cranial bones.

The Percheron is said to possess a dolichocephalic
cranium. The Arabian horse is decidedly brachy-
cephalic. Among other dolichocephalic equine races

54 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

may be mentioned the old Flemish breed, but the
median depression which distinguished the Flemish
horse is reported to be absent in the skull of the
Percheron. Further, it is said that there is a pecul-
iarity about the head of the Percheron distinct from
all other breeds, in that near the half-length of the
frontal bone of a typical Percheron there is a small
re-entering curve, imparting to the physiognomy a
specific aspect.

From a brochure entitled, "Les Habitants Primi-
tifs de la Basse Orne," being a copy of a. lecture
delivered by Dr. E. T. Hamy before the Association
Frangaise pour 1 'Advancement des Science at the
Congress of Eouen in 1883, we learn that among the
human and animal fossils discovered in an excava-
tion made at the bridge of Vaucelles in 1787 was a
skull of a horse of remote prehistoric antiquity. This
skull was pronounced to be dolichocephalic, and
from the indications of the surrounding strata it was
established that the fossil dated from the Neolithic
or Polished Stone Age.

Whatever bearing all this may have on the theory
of Arab crossing upon the mares of The Perclie it
gives color to Gautier's contention at Mortagne as
to the Percheron 's being a primitive type.

BOABWAT liBADING INTO MORTAGNB.

CHAPTER III.

THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE
REVOLUTION.

In a rare old book published at Mortagne in 1801,
the ninth year of the French Republic, we find these
paragraphs :

''The breed of horses known as the Percheron is
destroyed; it is absolutely annihilated; the suppres-
sion of the haras has contributed to its dying out.
This breed was precious for its courage, its vigor,
and its longevity. It was more valuable for its wear-
ing qualities than even for its splendid conforma-
tion. It had excellent hips, fine hocks, round in rib,
free-moving shoulders — though a trifle heavy — a
neck too heavily muscled, a head a little coarse,
perfect legs and everlasting feet.

"Perhaps the Percheron breed, whose qualities
are, without doubt, due to the climate and character
of the pastures, can be reestablished by distributing
the best stallions all over the district, and confiding
them to the care of rich landowners and respectable
farmers."

The first paragraph is indeed valuable and inter-
esting for its description of the Percheron as he
existed prior to the great Revolution. "Everlasting
feet" surely constituted the best of all foundations
upon which to reconstruct a breed of horses that
had suffered grievously from the effects of inter-
necine strife. The second paragraph of course con-

(55)

56 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

flicts with the first in that it shows that the breed
was not literally "destroyed" nor "absolutely anni-
hilated," because the author points the way whereby
it is to be rehabilitated. Evidently Citizen Fon-
tenay, who used this strong language, merely in-
tended to express, with Gallic exuberance of lan-
guage, a feeling of overwhelming regret that the
native race had been so grievously injured. The refer-
ence is of sufficient importance, as leading up to the
modern history of the Percheron, to warrant our
making it the starting-point of our story of how the
old breed rose Phoenix-like from the fiery ashes of
the Bevolution, and was transformed from a race of
saddlers, hunters and diligence stock into the mod-
ern horse "de trait," or heavy draft. The increase
in weight began to be clearly manifested, as we shall
soon relate, around 1820.

Delestang- and His History. — So far as we are
aware, no writer on the Percheron horse has quoted,
or even mentioned, the author of the first really im-
portant publication or document in which the word
"Percheron" is used, as applied to the native breed
of horses in The Perche. We refer to the work
entitled, "Essai de Chorographic du IV Arrondisse-
ment du Department de I'Orne. Chef lieu; Mor-
tagne. Thermidor, an IX," printed in July, 1801,
and written by M. Delestang, the first Under-Prefect
of the Arrondissement of Mortagne, a division cor-
responding practically to a county in the United
States. True, Gallier, in his work on the French
breeds, has some idea that such a volume exists be-

THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION 57

cause he reproduces a paragraph from the Abbe
Fret relating to the Percherons and adds, "This is
equally the opinion of Odolant-Desnos, lirst Under-
Prefect of Mortagne." Now Odolant-Desnos is one
of the great historians of The Perche, but he was
not "first Under-Prefect of Mortagne," nor indeed
of anywhere else, but lived at Alengon and was by
profession a doctor of medicine. And in passing it
may be remarked that nearly all French writers have
reproduced the paragraph on the Percheron horse in
the Abbe Fret's history, but none seems to have
been cognizant of the fact that the priest had copied
it, almost word for word, from Delestang's book
which had been published about 30 years previously.

Delestang had procured his information from the
best local sources available, inviting the coopera-
tion and collaboration of the citizens of Mortagne
and the farmers of the surrounding country, and
the quoted paragraphs with which this chapter
opens, he obtained from a "Memoire sur 1 'agricul-
ture par le citoyen Fontenay. " Delestang was the
author of several books, largely compilations of
statistics relating to his district, all of which was in
The Perche. These are full of interest, and yet they
seem to have escaped modern writers on the Per-
cheron horse. On page 17 of his "Notice Statistique
de la sous prefecture de Mortagne," published in
1801 under the head of "Animal Production," he
says :

"This consists principally of horses, cattle and
sheep. The horses, known under the name of Per-

58 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

cherons, were celebrated as saddlers and hunters,
but they were employed chiefly as diligence and
express horses. There are about 13,520 horses,
mares and colts [in his district, of course]. Included
in this number 5,200 horses and 5,280 mares are
employed in agricultural work; 1,380 horses and
mares are employed in other work than agriculture;
and 1,560 are colts and fillies."

Lamagdelaine's Prizes. — In his ^'Choro graphic,"
published in 1803, Delestang speaks again of the
Percheron horse, using in part expressions similar
to those he had previously employed. But from
this it appears that it was afterwards discovered
that conditions were not nearly so bad as Citizen
Fontenay had originally stated, for under a caption,
"Additional Information," Delestang says:

"The breed of horses called Percherons owes its
restoration to the solicitude of the Prefect of the
Department, J. V. A. Lamagdelaine, who, desirous
of regenerating this breed, has begun to oifer prizes
to the land owners and farmers who present, at the
fair of Dec. 11, 1803, the finest brood mares and male
colts of the Percheron breed. These prizes will be
publicly distributed, on the fair ground, by the Pre-
fect. This fair, called St. Andrew's, is renowned for
the quantity of colts sold. The fair of St. Martin,
held at Laigle, is also famous as a great colt fair.
The commerce in horses at all the fairs of the
Arrondissement of Mortagne is valued at about
550,000 pounds sterling, and that of the markets at
about £70,000 weekly."

In view of the fact that the purchasing power of
money at that epoch was considerably greater than
at present, it will be seen that the restoration had

THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION 59

not only progressed rapidly, but that the type was
in great demand from other districts, as the major
part of the product was sold to buyers hailing from
outside points.

In 1813, the "Conseil General du Department
d'Eure-et-Loir" began to offer 1,000 francs a year
divided between the Nogent and Courtalain fairs.
At each two prizes, one of 300 francs and another
of 200 francs, were offered for the finest brood mare
and filly respectively. About the same epoch Orne
began to offer 1,600 francs at the fairs of Alencon
and Le Pin, but only Normandy horses are spoken
of at these fairs. As a matter of fact it was the
Normandy mares that were kept almost exclusively
near these latter places at this period, and these
were bred to the demi-sang, English and other
blooded saddle stallions kept for that purpose. La
Sarthe also began about this time by giving 1,200
francs in bonuses.

A Draft Type at Montdoubleau. — A complaint was
voiced from the vicinity of Montdoubleau in 1818
that there were not enough stallions of the heavier
sort available, showing that the objection of the
farmers to the government's policy of favoring the
lighter types was even then officially noticed. We
quote from the "Deliberations du Conseil General
de Loir-et-Cher" for 1818, under the head, "Elevage
des Chevaux":

''The encouragement given to this class of im-
provement (the question of horses) offers in general
satisfactory results. The canton of Montdoubleau,

60 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

however, whose mares are only suitable for either
heavy cavalry or draft purposes, would like to find
at the depot of Blois, enough stallions analogous to
the heavy type of mares found in the said region;
in default of which the farmers will procure stallions
to serve their mares wherever they can, in many
cases sires which serve a great number of mares,
because the service fees of these stallions are inferior
to those charged by the government.

"The liberty of owning a stallion or recurring to
that of one's neighbour cannot textually be de-
stroyed ; therefore it is necessary to combat this state
of things by competition, and it is only by offering
to the said canton, eminently suitable for horse
breeding, sufficient stallions appropriate for its par-
ticular class of mares and at the regular service fee
obtaining in the region, that one can succeed in de-
stroying the custom which has given rise to the
necessity . . . etc."

Unverified Tradition Exploded. — Whether the
horses captured at the battle of Tours from the
Saracens furnished the basis of horse-breeding in
The Perche or not none can say. That the Crusaders
brought back Arabian stallions from Palestine to
The Perche is a fairly reasonable assumption, al-
though there seem to be no authentic records to that
effect. That the gray and white chargers popular
in France during the Middle Ages probably carried
Oriental blood is of course possible. We now come,
however, to a comparatively recent phase of the
Arabian proposition which seems to demand special
attention. We refer to the commonly-accepted state-
ment that the modem Percheron owes not only a
great part of his excellence, but the gray color as

THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION 61

well, to the extensive use of ' ' two Arab horses from
the stud stables of Pin — Godolphin and Gallipoly."
The expression quoted is from "Le Clieval Per-
cheron" by M. Chas. du Hays, the generally accred-
ited modern historian of the Percheron in France.
He says:

"These two valuable stock-getters, both gray,
again gave tone and ardor to the Percheron race, and
transformed definitely into gray horses the stock
of the entire country, wdiich had, it is said, become
less uniform, and of all colors. ' '

It seems incredible that a writer so generally well-
informed could have been in error in a matter of
such historical importance. The story of Godolphin
and Gallipoly has been adopted and incorporated
into practically every work dealing with the Per-
cheron that has appeared during the past fifty years.
None has doubted, none disputed, probably because
of the rank and standing of the author. And yet his
positive statements in other essential points have
already been denied point blank by the Percheron
Society of France.

It wdll be observed that Du Hays states that both
of these horses were Arabs, and that both were gray.
He also locates them definitely as coming from the
government stud at Le Pin. He also says that they
stood at the chateau of Count de Mallart near
Belleme, and places the date at "towards" or
"about" 1820, This latter statement seemed to us
to indicate a little uncertainty in regard to the date,
at least. With no other idea, therefore, than merely

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62 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

undertaking to reduce to specific terms a proposition
of such interest to students of Perclieron history, we
have had the government archives at Paris searched
in quest of details as to this supposedly epoch-
making event. The results of this research are
amazingly at variance with the above statements.

Permission was kindly given by the authorities
not only to examine all the records, but to make
photographs of the original entries in substantiation
of the facts now to be set forth. And lest any ques-
tion of mistaken identity be raised, let us say at the
outset that the two stallions bearing these names,
concerning which we shall now give full particulars,
are the only horses possessing those names men-
tioned in the list of stallions at Le Pin in all its his-
tory.

Godolphin an English Saddler. — We first meet
Godolphin at the stallion inspection of 1810. The
record may be thus translated:

''No. 20, Godolphin; born 1802; height 1 meter, 54
cm. (about 15.1 hands) ; from the stable of Count de
Maulke, Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Observations: good
horse, but marked at the croup M.; inferior to the
preceding horse in the list (also a Mecklenburg-
Strelitz horse). Sire: Mock Doctor, English blood
horse ; Dam : Unknown English mare. When entered :
12 July, 1807. Description: Saddle horse."

It appears that he was secured for the stud by M.
D'Avangour, who also brought in several other
Mecklenburg horses in the same year, 1807. All these
were classed as "saddle horses." At the inspection
of 1812 we find the following observations relating

THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION 63

to Godolphin: '^Figure commune; jarrets droits et
mauvais ; vaillaine croup ; il trot mal. (Conformation
ordinary; hocks bad and straight; ugly croup;
he trots badly.) The inspection of 1813 revealed
that he was "common horse and without quality."
Inspection of 1815 was followed by this report:
* ' Grodolphin, Mecklenburg saddle horse; nothing dis-
tinguished about him; low croup; strong limbs;
action passable."

At the inspection of 1819 we find this of Godol-
phin: "This horse has ceased to serve at the Haras
du Pin ; his croup is common ; middlepiece well-made ;
head good; action altogether bad. To be deplaced.
I propose to send him to Abbeville." This horse
does not appear again in the inspections of succeed-
ing years. His color is given as "alezan dore"
(golden chestnut) ! It appears, therefore, that it was
not until after 1818 that Grodolphin ceased to serve
at Le Pin. He was then sixteen years old, and was
about to be "deplaced" as no longer suitable, and
it was proposed that he be sent to Abbeville in the
department of La Somme.*

*Lest a query be raised In this connection as to possible con-
fusion with the celebrated stallion Godolphin Arabian, of English
fame, the following- particulars are submitted. Attention is called
to the dates. These, of course, show that the Godolphin Arabian
died long years before the Godolphin of our story came upon the
scene.

Godolphin Arabian, like the Byerly Turk and the Darley
Arabian, was one of the main sources of improvement which led
to the establishment of the Thoroughbred as a breed. His earlier
career is shrouded in more or less mystery, but it is fairly well
established that he was a Barb of rather common origin and
appearance, and not a true Arabian. Though there is no authentic
account of his foaling, he is supposed to have seen the light in
Barbary in 1724, his age having been clearly stated as seven in
1731. it is not known who originally took him from his native

64 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Gallipoly a Small Turkish Saddle Horse. — This
stallion first comes to light in government records
at the inspection of 1813. We quote, and again give
a photographic reproduction, from the original docu-
ments :

"Gallipoly, Turk; light speckled gray; height, 1
meter, 50 cm: classification, saddle horse: sire, a
Turk; dam, a Turk; born 1803; entered haras Nov.
23, 1812. By whom bought: sent by the Minister.
Observations: good blood horse."

Here we have a speckled-gray saddle stallion bare-
ly 15 hands high, and ten years old at date of entry!
He was not an Arab and scarcely a type, one would
say, to build up the Percherons "around 1820,"
among which, as we shall shortly show from these
same authenticated records, there were many big
approved gray stallions in actual service and found-
ing the modern draft type from within the limits of
the native breed itself.

To resume Gallipoly 's record: At the inspection
of 1815 he is referred to in complimentary terms as
an "excellent stallion, well conserved; produces well,
good action." It must be remembered that these
inspectors had ever in mind the requirements of the

country, but it is said that a Mr. Coke, an Eng-lishman, being: in
Paris, was attracted by the appearance of the stallion in the
street and boug-ht him despite the fact that the menial labor of
hauling- a cart was then being- exacted of him. At first he was
not much thought of in England, where Mr. Coke gave him to a
Mr. Williams, who in turn presented him to the Earl of Godolphin.
Godolphin Arabian was a brown-bay in color, of about 15 hands,
with an unusual development of crest and some white on his off
hind heel. He seems to have had but the three owners in Eng-
land, passing each time as a gift. From the Earl Godolphin he
took his erroneous title, and in his possession he died at Gog-
magog in Cambride-eshire in 1753, being then, as gauged by his
seven-year-old mouth in 1731, in his 29th year.

THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION 65

army and not of tlie farm. After four years more
of service we find him still at Le Pin under the in-
spection in 1819. Of the little old horse it was then
said: "Well bred and plenty of blood, very pretty
head, short coupling; the buttocks are short, and the
tail not well attached; he trots lightly and with
vigor; he is too small and unsuitable for le Pin. To
be deplaced. I propose to send him to Brittany."
The game old saddler is still there, however, the
following year, but is going to be sent away, and
that is the last we hear of him. Too small to get
cavalry remounts, and yet regenerator and proto-
type of the modern Percheron! Is it possible? Is
it probable? And yet how could Du Hays make a
mistake in a matter to which he attaches so much
importance? Did he or any of his successors take
the trouble, as we have, to delve among those old
dusty documents? Perhaps not.

There were many other Mecklenburg-Strelitz sad-
dle horses and horses of English breeding, as well
as Nomiandy saddle horses, at Le Pin at this time.
What was their mission ? Undoubtedly to serve the
Normandy and demi-sang mares in the Merlerault
country, which was full of light mares at that time
producing cavalry colts.

Error Easily Perpetuated. — It is not so remarkable
that we find so many articles and treatises on the
Percheron breed wherein the Arabian blood is cred-
ited with having wrought important changes as late
as 1820, by writers who apparently either from lack
of time or means or other reasons have not under-

66 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

taken to verify the statement, since we find in the
preface of the first volume of the Percheron Stud
Book of France the following reference. It will be
observed, however, that the Percheron society was
by no means in accord with Charles Du Hays on
other vital particulars. We quote from the stud
book :

"It is known that the finest specimens of the Per-
cheron breed existing today can be directly attrib-
uted to the regenerating influences of the Arab, the
primitive horse, the first origin of the Percheron
breed. The authorized historian and the faithful
friend of the Percheron breed, Charles Du Hays,
supported, many years ago, this doctrine. This
author has shown his great knowledge of horse-
breeding in establishing that Jean-le-Blanc, the
horse which excited so much his admiration, was a
direct descendant of the Arabian stallion Gallipoly,
which was owned by the Haras du Pin. This horse
has been the most powerful element in perfecting the
Percheron breed since this epoch. Nearly all the
most highly estimated stallions may be considered as
the direct descendants of this horse.

''The Perche owes much to M. Du Haj^s for his
precious teachings, and we feel that we cannot do
better for our own cause and at the same time render
the latter merited homage than to cite, in this first
volume of the stud book, his ideas on the Percheron
breed and its development.

"However, we would like to state that Charles Du
Hays has committed a grave error in one of the
passages of his book, page 45, in saying that the
Perche threw its barriers wide open to all the big
mares that came along in order to make the breed
more weighty. On page 47, he also states that Brit-

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NOGENT-LE-ROTROU— RXJE SAINT HILAIKE.

THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION 67

tany draft, Picardy, Caucliois and Boulonnais stocks
have been employed. We regret that we are obliged
to refute these involuntary errors on the part of the
honorable writer, who has been deceived by false in-
dications. The Percheron breed has not been en-
larged in size except by its own blood, just as we
shall be able to prove by a notice on the Percheron
breed which we shall publish later. ' '

We shall shortly provide the proof that it is not
necessaiy to look to either Godolphin or Gallipoly,
nor indeed to any other out-crossing, to account for
the pre-stud-book Percheron and his color. He was
big and he was gray at the very time these saddle
horses were in service. In the meantime it need
only be said that those who incorporated this "tra-
dition" into the initial volume of the stud book are
not to be faulted for so doing. The story was given
currency by a writer w^ho knew and loved the Per-
cheron, and w^io would not knowingly mislead any-
body in respect to their derivation. There was none
to deny or disprove it. Du Hays was unquestionably
sincere in his belief in the tales someone had told
him as to these horses. The Societe Hippique Per-
cheronne had no special reason for doubting the
truth of the statements made. At the time of the
publication of the first stud book, its sponsors were
simply seeking to place on record the names of latter-
day breeding horses. They very naturally did not
undertake any detailed investigations touching a
matter so remote and of purely academic interest.
In other words, they were not writing history; they
were making it.

68 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Jean-le-Blanc. — In the first volume of the French
Stud Book is the following entry:

"Jean-le-Blanc, white, No. 739; born in Orne about
1823 or 1824; owned by M. Miard, Sr., Villiers-en
Ouche (Orne). It is to this remarkable stallion,
more than any other, that we owe a great improve-
ment of the breed. He was recognized as a true
Percheron, and, nevertheless, was a descendant of
the famous Arab stallion Gallipoly, of the Haras du
Pin, that stood at the chateau of Coesme, near
Belleme. (For further information on this remark-
able horse see the book, 'Clieval Percheron,' Charles
Du Hays.)

"Jean-le-Blanc died at the advanced age of 32
years, exempt from all blemish. In going through
this book one will find a great number of horses
raised in The Perche during the last 50 years that
had Jean-le-Blanc as ancestor. This fact demon-
strates that the superiority to which the Percheron
breed has attained, surpassing all other draft breeds
in excellence, is due in a great part to the regenerat-
ing influence of the Arab, fortified by consanguineous
and judicious mating."

At the very time this entry was being made there
were data lying buried under piles of other matter
at the Ministry of Commerce — the central Bureau
of the Haras was formerly under the administration
of that ministry previous to admitting the Minister
of Agriculture to cabinet rank — that would have
overturned these unsubstantiated but accepted pre-
sumptions. At least, there seems no other construc-
tion to be placed upon the facts we have adduced.
Let us recapitulate:

The Evidence Summarized. — We have shown by

TKE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION CO

an examination of the original documents of the in-
spections of the Haras du Pin, and by photographing
them, that neitlier Gallipoly nor Godolphin was an
Arab, Gallipoly being a small Turkish saddle horse,
and Godolphin a Mecklenburg-Strelitz saddle horse
of English breeding. Further, that far from Godol-
phin being a "gray," he was a "golden chestnut."
We are told that these two horses went to Coesme,
near Belleme, in 1818 and following years. Neither
documents nor deductions are attested in proof. The
facts are, that in 1818 both of these stallions were
still in service at the haras. Godolphin was then
16 years old and Gallipoly was 15 years old. In 1819
at the annual inspection we read that Godolphin
"has ceased to serve at Le Pin," and that he is
going to be "deplaced" as no longer suitable, it
being proposed to send him to Abbeville (Depart-
ment of La Somme). In the same year, 1819,
Gallipoly is going to be "deplaced" as no longer
suitable. It is proposed to send him to Brittany.
But in the follow^ing year we find the name of
Gallipoly still on the list of stallions doing service
at Le Pin, although the name of Godolphin is absent.
After 1820 we never hear of Gallipoly again; he is
then 17 years old, and has probably been sent to
Brittany.

So far as the statement that these two stallions
w^ere the means of giving the gray color to the Per-
cheron breed is concerned, all one has to do to demon-
strate such a fallacy is to read the accounts of the
approved heavy draft stallions serving simultan-

70 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

eously all over The Perclie, beginning about the year
1820, full particulars as to which will presently be
given. Practically all these stallions were dapple-
gray in color, and they are all classed as "Perche-
ron." If either of the two stallions mentioned had
been used on Perclieix)n mares the colts w^ould cer-
tainly have been smaller in size than their dams,
whereas the general tendency at this epoch all over
The Perche, following the general prosperity and
busy times after the Revolution, was to improve the
weight and stature of draft horses to meet the great
demand for heavy horses for agricultural and indus-
trial and commercial purposes. Then, again, if
Gallipoly was sent away as being "too small" as a
saddle stallion, is it possible that such a horse would
be found large enough and strong enough at 17 years
old to sire heavy draft colts'?

If we could find any evidence that would assist us
in deducing that either of these two stallions was
used to ameliorate the Percheron breed, or even used
on real Percheron mares at all, we should be glad
to support such a hypothesis, especially when we
consider the fact that such statements have been
accepted and given official countenance for so long
a period. As it is, we can only say that if these
two horses had not been given prominence by Du
Haj'^s as "Arabs" — to follow up the latter 's accept-
ance of the Abbe Fret's traditions respecting the
Arabian stallions of the Crusades — they would prob-
ably never have been mentioned in connection with
the Percheron breed.

THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION 71

The Breed "Modifies Itself." — In a memoir writ-
ten in 1883, M. Michel Fardouet, one of the dis-
tinguished breeders of his time, and the first
President of the Percheron Society of France, pre-
sented an absolutely correct statement concerning
the development of the heavy-weight Percheron of
modern days. Although without facts, names and
particulars to sustain his assertions, and admittedly
resting some of them upon remarks he had heard his
father make many years previously, M. Fardouet
could not have done better had he possessed —
though apparently he did not — a copy of the old
government records which we are now to reproduce.
This is what he said:

"I have heard my father, who was a breeder, say
that the haras deteriorated the Percheron breed with
its demi-sang stallions, instead of improving as it
pretended to do. The breeders have renounced the
colts said to be improved, to raise only colts the
product of big horses, well proportioned and of pure
origin.

"It may be boldly said that if the heart of The
Perche — that is to say the environs of Nogent-le-
Rotrou within a radius of 18 to 20 miles — has con-
served the purest type of its race of heavy Percheron,
it is thanks to the breeders and stallioners of the
region, such as Messrs. Perriot, father and grand-
father, Ducoeurjoly, Sr., the Vineaults, etc., etc. [Of
course M. Fardouet was too modest to mention his
own name, but reallv he would come very near the
head of the list.— Ed.]

"It was about 1820 to 1840 that the Percheron
breed, the breed of horses that trotted quickly, com-
menced to modify itself. It has definitely refused to

72 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

cross with the demi-sang, believing it to be harmful;
it has also, despite the assertions of Charles Du
Hays, equally rejected the Brittany draft, Picardy,
Cauchois and Boulonnais horses which have too often
and fraudulently been introduced into The Perche,
but which have never been invited to enter."

M. Fardouet Was Right. — The reference to the at-
titude of the government in connection with the
conduct of the Haras du Pin is easilj^ interpreted.
That establishment was being maintained mainly
with a view towards encouraging the production of
horses suited to the requirements of the military
service. The stud is situated near the boundary line
between the old provinces of Normandy and The
Perche. As will be shown further on, the stallions
first bought by the government for this purpose were
mainly of various demi-sang (half-blood) English
types usually carrying infusions of the Thorough-
bred blood, and classified as saddle or coach stal-
lions. These were liberally patronized by the Nor-
mandy farmers and by some of the mare owners of
The Perche, with the effect stated by M, Fardouet.

Later on, as we shall show, the government,
apparently yielding to pressure from The Perche for
w^eightier horses for agricultural pui^poses, added a
few draft stallions; but had the farmers of that dis-
trict been dependent entirely upon the Haras du Pin
for sires of horses big enough to meet their needs,
this story probably would never have been written.
However, while this statement holds good as to the
types of stallions bought and kept in service by the

THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION 73

government, it must be said to the everlasting credit
of the authorities at Paris, that while they were pri-
marily and properly looking first after the interests
of the army at Le Pin, they at the same time actively
and efficiently promoted in a practical way, as we
shall presently prove, the aspirations of the people
of The Perclie in their ambitions to increase the size
of the Percheron horse.

The credit for this work of converting the old-time
trotting Percheron into a heavy horse is due, as M.
Fardouet truly says, to the breeders of the district
themselves. Not only is that statement correct, but
the date at w^liich this important w^ork w^as inaug-
urated is also given in accordance with the actual
fact. And most important of all, M. Fardouet sound-
ed the entire depth and breadth of the whole propo-
sition touching the composition of the modem Per-
cheron when he said that ''about 1820 to 1840" the
breed "commenced to modify itself." These asser-
tions, unsupported as they were at the time by the
presentation of facts and figures, and unverified even
in the initial volume of the Percheron Stud Book of
France, are now to be rested upon the rock of the
archives of the French government.

We shall first take up the record at the Haras du
Pin, and then present the long roll of honor of gov-
ernment-approved and subsidized Percheron stal-
lions, through the services of which the breed so
effectually modified itself during the eventful years
referred to in M. Fardouet 's singularly accurate
narration.

74 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

The Government Stud. — It was not until tlie nine-
teenth century was well on its course that the French
government stud known as the Haras du Pin began
to interest itself in draft stallions. An examination
of the documents shows that in the purchases made
for the national haras from 1765 to 1789 Norman and
English blood greatly predominated. There were
many Poitevins, a few Vimeux and Limousins, some
Spanish, and but one or two Arabian stallions bought
during this period. In fact, the documents of the
Haras du Pin show that very few stallions of the
Arabian breed have ever been kept there. At one
time there was a fair number of Barbs,* but one
rarely finds the word "Arab." The breed of every
stallion used is given, almost without exception. Be-
fore the dates mentioned, Danish, Cotentin and
Italian stallions had been greatly in vogue. All
these were used almost exclusively on the mares in
the Merlerault district adjacent to Normandy. The
government was chiefly concerned in encouraging the
production of cavalry horses.

First Draft Stallions at the Haras du Pin. — We

shall now give the record of the breed at the Haras
du Pin from the time the first draft stallions were
introduced.

*The type of horse known as the Barb derives its name from the
ancient Barbary states of North Africa adjacent to the Mediterranean
coast, including Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, etc. While the type has
undergone more or less change, quite a number of the French colonial
cavalry troops engaged in the great European war are mounted on
horses of Barb type. As breeding horses the stallions are reputed to
sire larger colts when crossed with other breeds than when mated with
mares of their own blood.

THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION 7o

In the list of stallions kept by the French govern-
ment at this establishment one may search in vain
for draft stallions during the eighteenth century. It
was not until about 1808, according to the haras
documents, that the authorities commenced to pur-
chase heavy draft stallions, and then only on a very
restricted scale. For instance, we find in the list for
1809 mention made of Le Pierrot, standing about 15.3
hands, "dapple-gray" (gris pommele), and classed
simply as a " draft stallion. ' ' It seems to have been
general during the initial years of the introduction
of draft stallions at this stud to class these horses
merely as "draft" (de trait), without mentioning
the breed. There can be little doubt, however, that
these early dapple-gray horses were Percherons. Sit-
uated in the borders of the Percheron country, it is
but reasonable to take this view, and this deduction
is corroborated by the fact that on the rare occasions
on which a Cauchois or Boulonnais stallion was em-
ployed he was invariably designated as such in the
records. From 1809 up to the year in which we find
the word "Percheron" mentioned for the first time
in the list, those designated simply as "draft stal-
lions" appear with increasing frequency, and nearly
all of them are described as "grays."

Curiously enough, the first instance found where
a Percheron stallion is specifically classed as such
is in the "Controle des etalons du Pin," sent by the
director, the Count de Maille, to the director-general
of the haras at Paris, under date of Aug. 17, 1822.
The entry is that of Desarme 538: "Percheron draft.

76 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

born in 1815; color: bay with long tail; sire and dam:
unknown Perclierons; height: 15.2 hands." He
entered April 5, 1821. The director's observation
referring to this horse is ' ' bon cheval de trait. ' ' In
the report from which the preceding detail is extract-
ed practically all the stallions are described as saddle
and coach horses — of Anglais and Normandy breed-
ing.

As a matter of fact, the haras management had
very little use for a draft stallion at that time. In
1823 there were several in the list, however, as well
as mares and fillies of the draft type, but the word
"Percheron" is not used — merely "de trait." How-
ever, in the following year, 1824, w^e find a second
mention as follows: "Timbalier, Percheron draft;
dapple-gray; short tail; 16 hands; sire and dam un-
known; born 1818." Also: "Polisson, Percheron
draft; dark dapple-gray; slightly over 15 hands; sire
and dam unknown; born 1818." There is a note
opposite this horse's name: "To be sent to Auxerre."
He was perhaps too small. There is also reference
in that year to Geant, an "enormous Boulonnais,"
and some Cauchois draft stallions are mentioned.

At the 1826 inspection we hear of Desarme again,
as follows:

"Desarme covered 45 mares last year at Chanday;
32 of these were fecundated, resulting in the birth
of 13 colts and 13 fillies, all alive. The progeny of
Desarme are reputed to resemble very much their
sire; they are all good. Desarme has served this
year 43 mares at Chanday. I wish to keep Desarme. ' '

THE CHATBAU AND GLIMPSE OP THE STABUNG AT LE I 'IN.

INSIDE THE CX)UBTYAKD AT LE PIN.

THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION 77

This note was written by the director of the stud.
However, the inspector gave very little encourage-
ment to draft horses at that time, for we find in
different handwriting: "Ce clieval est trop commun
pour Le Pin. (This horse is too common for Le
Pin.)"

A big horse called Jocko is mentioned in 1826 —
a dapple-gray, standing about 16.2. He entered
March 19, 1826. We here find also the first men-
tion of Herbager, a famous stallion. There was a
certain laxity in classifying; perhaps it w^as thought
superfluous. It is fair to presume that the dapple-
gray Le Pierrot, in the list of stallions at the stud
in 1809, was a Percheron, although simply described
at that time as "de trait" (draft). Herbager, for
instance, in 1826 was classed as "de trait," no men-
tion being made of breed, but later we find him
classed as a "Percheron," as also was Jocko. Her-
bager was about 15.2, dapple-gray, with a long tail
and dark mane. He was born in 1822 and entered
Oct. 11, 1825. He served 35 mares at Belleme dur-
ing his first year.

Official Notes. — In 1827 we find this director's note
concerning Desarme: "He has covered 43 mares at
Chanday; 8 colts and 17 fillies resulted. Desarme's
colts are strongly built, and may be employed in
farm work. I still ask that I may keep Desarme."
Nevertheless, the inspector recommended Desarme 's
removal. In this year we hear also of Remorquer,
undoubtedly one of the finest of the early Percheron
stallions used at the Pin, as will be seen from the

78 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

records. His color is given as " wliite-gray " with
a long tail. He stood 16.2 hands, full. His sire and
dam were unknown Percherons. We read in the
director's handwriting: "Remorquer made his first
season (1826) at La Ferte Bernard, where he served
42 mares. I wish to keep Remorquer, who sires
strong colts." The inspector's notes are: "Fine
draft horse; good worker; to be conserved." This
horse was worked in the shafts after the breeding
season was over. Joly is another "heavy draft"
horse we hear of in this same year. He was slightly
under 16 hands.

At the inspection of 1829 we find the following
note of the director respecting the Percheron Jocko:
"In 1828 Jocko served 24 mares; 8 colts and 15 fillies
resulted. Jocko is a good draft stallion; his colts
are good. Jocko has served this year 39 mares at
Beaumont." Another entry on same page: "Jocko
is useful for doing the farm work at the haras. I
ask that he may be kept. ' ' Inspector 's note : ' ' Use-
ful for doing the work on the estate." Director's
notes on Herbager made in 1828 : ' ' Herbager served
32 mares at Nogent and Belleme in 1827; 23 were
fecundated, resulting in 8 colts and 10 fillies. Her-
bager is a good breeder; that is the reason he is in
such great demand by the farmers. He has served
54 mares this year at Belleme." Another note in
different handwriting states: "Herbager is in great
demand around Belleme, because he is such a sure
breeder. This draft stallion does useful work. " (He

VISCOUNT DB TONNAC VILLE>rEir\^E— DIRECTOR OF THE HARAS DU PIN
SIN'CE 1911— PRIOR TO THAT SUBDIRECTOR AND RIDING MASTER FOR A
PERIOD OF FIFTEEN YEABS— AN EXPERT JUDGE AND FERVENT ADMIRER
OF THE PERCHERON HORSE.

THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION 79

worked on the estate as a draft horse.) Inspector's
note: "Useful for farm work."

Remorquer "covered 44 mares at the haras in
1827; of these 23 were fecundated; 8 colts and 11
11 Hies resulted. Remorquer gets good colts; he has
served 41 mares this year at the haras. This draft
stallion is a good worker in the shafts; very useful
for work on the estate. ' ' Mention is made this yeai'
of Inconstant, a draft stallion slightly under 15.2,
born in 1823; he was light gray, slightly dappled.
He served at Courtalain and Brabadanger in 1827.
Of him it was said: "This stallion is w^ell liked
around Chanday. The farmers are pleased with the
foals he gets. This year he has served 46 mares at
La Ferte Bernard. He is useful for work on the
estate; I wish to keep him." Inconstant served 41
mares at Chanday in 1828. In 1827 Joly got 18 foals
out of 25 mares at La Ferte Bernard. He was well
liked. In 1828 the same horse serv^ed 42 mares at
Chanday, and in 1829 he had 50 mares at La Ferte
Bernard. The inspector's note on Eemorquer, 1829:
"A draft horse of great power."

From the inspection of 1830 w^e take the following:
"In 1828 Jocko covered 22 mares; 6 colts and 2 fillies
resulted. Jocko does not get many foals. However
he works very hard as a draft horse (on the estate) ;
his colts are good ones. This year Jocko has served
39 mares. Besides doing the season at the stud, he
is employed at all kinds of w^ork on the estate. I
wdsh to keep Jocko." In 1828 Herbager ser\^ed 54
mares at Belleme, and in 1829 55 mares at the same

80 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

place, getting 18 colts and 17 fillies. Note: "This
stallion is very sure; his products are good and
as a draft horse he fulfills every condition as a sire
that gets colts which sell well; for this reason it is
greatly regretted at Belleme because he was not sent
there in 1830. He has served at the haras this year,
having covered 37 mares, besides working as a draft
horse on the estate. To be conserved." Herbager
was a great horse. A further note on E-emorquer:
"He works very hard and does the season at the
stud besides. Farmers say that he gets good colts.
In 1829 he had 45 mares at the haras. ' ' Joly served
28 mares in 1828, and in 1829 he had 50 mares at
Chanday. Note: "The colts got by Joly are well-
formed." In 1830 Joly had 45 mares at La Ferte
Bernard.

Superior entered the haras in February, 1828. He
was a little lower than 16 hands. He did the season
at Nogent, getting 13 colts and 10 fillies out of 35
mares. His record reads: "His colts are good, but
as he has sired some sorrels and a certain shade of
gray which does not please the farmers, he is not in
so great demand as his merits warrant." In 1829
he served 39 mares at Nogent, and in 1830 besides
being employed as a work horse he served 39 mares
at Chandayon.

Directors ajid Inspectors Disagree. — As showing
the prejudice which the government inspectors sent
from Paris had against these early draft stallions, it
appears that in almost every case at the annual
inspection, where draft animals were concerned, the

A JLUtKET DAY AT XOGEXT-LE-ROTKOU.

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THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWlN(i THE REVOLUTION SI

inspector's note recommends that these draft stal-
lions be kept only as work horses and should not
be allowed to serve — this in spite of the high recom-
mendation of certain horses by the director of Le
Pin, wdio was best able to judge their merits. The
truth is, that the government inspectors discounte-
nanced the use of draft horses. They wanted all
the mares in the country to be served by blood
horses. They were always obsessed by the necessity
of finding cavahy remounts. However, we find that
the director continued to use these Percheron
stallions for breeding purposes just the same, despite
the inspector's recommendations. It is amusing to
observe the director's note, year after year: "I wish
to keep this horse," and then the inspector's note
under it: "To be used as a work horse only; should
not serve mares." Then the next year we read that
the stallion had served mares and done work on the
estate besides. And so it continues year after year.
The obvious fact is that the farmers were pleased
with the colts they were getting from this draft
blood. They were increasing the size of their horses,
which were doing good service in the fields and
probably bringing better prices at this period than
army horses.

CHAPTER IV.
EVOLUTION FEOM WITHIN.

We have seen that about 1809 the government
began adding draft stallions to the coach and saddle
types maintained in the Haras du Pin, and that these
did considerable service as well as the heavy hauling
about the establishment. Work was apparently about
all that the army officers thought they were fit for,
and from their standpoint the inspectors were doubt-
less right enough. The farmers of The Perche, how-
ever, were not to be turned from their now clearly
apparent determination to produce a bigger horse.
Normandy might breed all the army remounts she
liked. The Perche had other plans, seeing which the
departmental and central government authorities set
forces in motion that soon brought important results.
This aid took the form of government inspection and
approval of certified stallions and a bonus to the
owner. We find the first reference to this epoch-
marking step in 1818.

Prizes Stimulate Effort. — The ''Annuaire Statis-
tique et Administratif du Dept. d'Eure et Loir pour
1819," after reciting the fact that "formerly, from
the province of ancient Perche, horses suitable for
the dragoons and hussars were obtained, and also
excellent cobs for the stage-coach service," refers to

EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 83

the desire of the authorities and intelligent breeders
to "improve the species of horses natural to the
country, suitable for withstanding prolonged fatigue,
and on that account very much in demand." We
quote :

"The Count of Breteuil has taken effective meas-
ures to improve the horses in The Perclie, and, in-
cidentally, to better the breeding establishments.
His decree of the 27th of August, 1818, approved the
16tli of September following by His Excellency the
Minister of the Interior, empowers an inspector to
visit all the stallions destined for service and to in-
dicate those having the necessary qualities rendering
them fit for the purpose, and also to see that only
those mares suitable for coupling with such stallions
are allowed to be covered. Each stallion owner will
receive a booklet containing the names of his horses.
The list of entires appropriate for public stud work
will be published and exposed at the prefect's office."

In the same publication for 1820 we find the fol-
lowing:

"The excellent breed of Percheron horses belong-
ing to the Department is appreciably improved since
a selection of the stallions has been practised and
prizes awarded to the finest brood mares. Owners
of approved stallions receive from the government,
for each year the horses are kept at stud, 100 to 300
francs as a pension, according to the quality of the
stallion.

"At the Courtalain fair, held on the 25th of No-
vember, and at the Nogent market on the Saturday
preceding St. Andrew's Day, prizes are awarded to
the farmers possessing the best brood mares that
have been served by the stallions approved by the
government, or by stallions owned privately, pro-

84 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

vided tliey have been declared suitable for public
service. M. Barre, farmer at Maintenon, has just re-
ceived a medal from the government in recognition
of his great care given to his horses.

''Nogent-le-Eotrou has four fairs, which attract
great gatherings. Many horses are sold there."

Notice should be taken of the fact that in these
original inspections not only had the stallions to be
certified before being permitted to serve, but the
mares offered for service had also to be approved.
This brings us to the presentation of the incon-
trovertible proof of the correctness of M. Fardouet 's
statements already quoted.

The National Archives in Evidence. — Clearly the
original manuscripts in the National Archives at
Paris are not to be disputed, and they reveal a story
of splendid service rendered to The Perche by the
government of France in the days when the horse-
loving people of that province were seeking to lay
the foundations of an industry that was destined to
add millions to the wealth of French and Amer-
ican farmers. In these archives the detailed story
of the creation of the Percheron horse of heavy
draft, so long untold is revealed, and we need
not say that it gives us much pleasure thus to be
able to clear away misconceptions heretofore handed
down, substituting fact for fiction, and authentic
records for mere traditions; thus placing underneath
the records of the Percheron societies of France and
the United States the data that anchors their founda-
tions in the bed-rock of an official registration dat-
ing back now nearly one hundred years.

EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 85

It will be shown in the following pages that the
splendid work of the French government in giving
bonuses or prizes to approved stallions of the Per-
cheron breed dates simultaneously from about 1820
in the Departments of Eure-et-Loir (Arrondissement
of Nogent), Orne (Arrondissement of Mortagne), and
Loir-et-Cher (Arrondissement of Vendome) — the
very cradle of the Percheron breed. Later, the De-
partment of La Sarthe entered upon the same good
work. We have already shown that the beginning of
Percheron breeding at the Eoyal Haras du Pin com-
menced about the same time. We quote now exclu-
sively from the original documents (manuscripts)
in the National Archives at Paris, covering the for-
mative period of the modern Percheron.

First Approved Stallions Near Nogent. — The first
three approved stallions in the Nogent district were
Superb, Le Curieux, and Le Percheron. Superb be-
longed to M. Debray, Margon, just outside of No-
gent. He was a dapple-gray, and was approved on
the 14th of August, 1820. His bonus was fixed at
300 francs a year, and he was considered the best
stallion at that time. In 1822 he served 42 mares,
from which 29 foals were born. In 1823 he had 58
mares. Five of the mares were described as "Per-
cheron-Norman," the others were "Percherons."

Le Curieux was owned by M. Chevet, Coudray.
He obtained first prize as an approved stallion in
1821. He was four years old, and is described as a
"Percheron suitable for draft purposes," dapple-
gray, with a light-colored head; he was got by a

86 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Iiorse called Bonliomme, "out of a mare of M.
Cochin." These particulars, besides others, are given
on the certificate issued to the owner. In height
this horse was about 16.1 hands. Le Curieux was
again approved in 1822 and in that year had 60
mares. In 1823 he served 110 mares, 23 of which
belonged to one owner, a M. Lememe. Five Picardy
mares were served by Le Curieux in 1823 ; there were
also several Normans, but about five- sixths were
Percherons. In 1824 he served 47 mares in the com-
munes of Bazoches-Gouez, Chapelle-Royal, Charbon-
ieres, St. Bomert, Souance, Bethonvilliers, Vich-
eres, Coudray, Etilleux and St. Lubin, all in Eure-
et-Loir. In addition he served 74 mares in the De-
partment of Orne (communes of Masle and Ceton)
in the same year. From the 47 mares served in Eure-
et-Loir, 31 foals were born; 19 of these were gray
in color. In 1825 Le Curieux served 101 mares in
all; 34 were in Eure-et-Loir, and of these 13 were
gray, 7 black, 6 red-roan, 2 brown, 4 bay and 2 chest-
nut.

In 1825 Aubert, belonging to Cottereau of Coudray,
not far from Nogent, served 90 mares, 25 of which
were gray, 8 black, and 19 bay. This stallion ob-
tained an approved bonus of 240 francs.

Le Percheron was approved on Aug. 14, 1820. He
is described as a seven-year-old bay, of the Per-
cheron breed. He belonged to M. Guillemain Conie,
and served only two years. He received an annual
bonus of 100 francs. In 1821 he served 47 mares.

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EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 87

to Grand Pierre, owned by Dieu, of Coudray. This
horse was born in 1818 and was a dapple-gray. He
served 60 mares in 1824, among them one belonging
to M. Ducoeurjoly, a probable ancestor of Ducoeur-
joly, one of the first members of the French Per-
clieron Society. The mare was a gray and she bore
a filly foal, also gray. Grand Pierre got 37 foals
from the 60 services. In 1825 he had 61 mares and
in 1826 he served 64. We next find Bijou, owned
by M. Vasconcelles, Houssaye (commune of An-
verre). In 1824 he had 54 mares, and the result was
36 foals. Then conies Le Coq, a great stallion be-
longing to Benoit, Illiers. In 1824 he served 101
mares and 70 foals resulted. In 1825 and 1826 he
served 75 mares each year. This stallion was dap-
ple-gray, and stood a little over 16 hands. Bijou
w^as also dapple-gray, but only 15.li/2 hands high,
though he is described in the certificate as "Per-
cheron, heavy draft." He was evidently in great de-
mand, in the years 1825, '26, and '27 serving 116, 124,
and 135 mares.

Liberally Patronized. — In 1827 we find that a letter
was sent from the Minister of the Interior (Bureau
des Haras) to the Prefect of Eure-et-Loir ordering
1,070 francs to be paid to the following stallioners:
Benoit (2 stallions), 400 francs; 240 francs to Cot-
tereau, of Coudray; 100 francs to Dieu, Coudray;
180 francs to Monnier Vasconcelles, Anverre; and
180 francs to Marechal (sometimes written Marchal),
St. Germain-le-Gaillard.

Aubert, one of the horses already mentioned, was

00 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

a strawberry-roan born in 1820 and standing slightly
over 15.3 hands. He served 90 mares in 1825 and 91
in 1826. He belonged to Cottereau. In 1827 he had
77 mares. Lecoeur belonged to Benoit. He was a
light-gray, about 15.3 hands high, and was born in
1819. In 1825 he had 65 mares and 115 in 1826.
There were many blacks and grays among the mares
served by this horse in 1826. Marechal owned a
horse called Le Percheron (not the one previously
mentioned). He stood about 16.2 hands high, a dap-
ple-gray. In 1825 he had 108 mares, among them
being 8 belonging to one Labiche. In 1826 he served
117 mares and in 1827 he had 88. According to the
Minister of the Interior's letter, dated 18th of June,
1828, we find that Cottereau 's stallion Aubert was not
allowed to serve mares after that date. In 1827 he
had 88 mares. Mention is made of an approved
stallion, Le Braillard, which served 73 mares in 1826.
Marechal 's Pierrot, a dark dapple-gray born in 1822,
was approved the 25th of November, 1826. Pierrot
got 82 living foals in his first season out of 113 mares.
Big Horses in Service. — That the big stallions were
popular in those days is instanced by the list of mares
served by the "heavy draft" stallion Le Grand, that
stood 17 hands high and was dapple-gray in color.
He was owned by Toutay, of Coutretot, and served
in the Nogent district. In 1826 he had 112 mares,
and in 1827 he served 91. In the list of mares served
by the approved stallions about this period we find
that the dapple-grays are becoming more numerous
and bays occur less frequently. In 1829 le Grand had

^wiimm

.*ij.

TRITON. TYPE OF PEKCHEROX STALI^ION USED AT THE GOVEKOTtENT STXJD.

PBBOHBRON STALLIONS AT LE HABAS DU PIN.

EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 89

60 mares, and in 1830 he had 63, 16 of which were
dapple-gray and 9 of other shades of gray. There
were also 9 blacks among the number. Toutay had
another stallion, approved the 18th of November,
1828, called Charles, dapple-gray, and described as
"heavy draft." He stood 16 hands high. Beansang
(Madame Toutay) and I'Eveille, (serving in the
Chateaudun district) are two other stallions men-
tioned at this time. Beansang stood 15.3 hands high,
and was dapple-gray. L'Eveille was also dapple-
gray, measured a little over 16 hands, and was born
in 1823. He served 109 mares in 1828. In 1830 he
had 78 mares, "gris pommel e"- — dapple-gray —
greatly predominating among these colors. He was
authorized, but not approved at this tim(\ In 1831
he had 85 mares.

We next hear of Cottereau's 16-hand wdiite-gray
stallion Franconni. He liad 82 mares in 1 829 and 101
mares in 1830. Bijou, already mentioned, served 120
mares in 1829 and a still larger number in 1830. AVe
note also that Le Cadet, born in 1824, dapple-gray, 16
hands high, served 117 mares in 1829 and 136 in 1830.
Margot, a dark gray of about 15.3 hands, belonging
to M. Facheux in the Chateaudun district, served 53
mares in 1828, 54 in 1829, and 64 in 1830. Benoit
had a stallion at this time, Le Robuste, a 16.2-hand
dapple-gray born in 1823 that served 107 mares in
1829 and 111 in 1830.

Le Coq Goes to Belgium.— In 1829 the fine stallion
Le Coq w^ns purchased by the director of the St. Paul
Riding Academy, Brussels, This is the horse that

90 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

was owned by Benoit. According to a letter found
among the documents relating to the approved stal-
lions, 2,540 francs was offered for Le Coq at the fair
of St. Andre before he was approved. The letter is
written by the Prefect of Eure-et-Loir to the Min-
ister of the Interior. In 1828 Le Coq served 154 mares
and in 1829 had 116 mares. Bijou had 130 mares
in 1828. Cottereau's stallion, Braillard, served 64
mares in 1828 and the same number in 1829. At
the end of the 1829 season this stallion broke his
thigh while serving a mare, as attested by affidavit
made out at Coudray on the 7th of October, 1829.
Le Grand had 81 mares in 1828, 60 in 1829, 72 in
1830, and 52 in 1831. The owner of Le Grand
(Toutay) had also another approved stallion at this
time, called Le Veau Raye. He had 60 mares in 1828,
61 in 1829, and 55 in 1830. This stallion, born in
1824, was dark gray and 16 hands high.

In 1831 the owners of the approved stallions in
Eure-et-Loir were Benoit, Madame Toutay (Beau-
mont), Guillaumin, Gaubert, Cottereau, Toutay, and
Marechal. Toutay and Marechal had each three
stallions. Benoit had two stallions; one, Le Cadet,
served 120 mares in 1831 and 145 in 1832, while the
other, Le Pommele, born in 1827, and standing 16.1
hands full, had 95 mares in 1831 and 108 in 1832.

More Big Gray Horses. — Marechal 's Le Bijou (an-
other Bijou, probably a son of the first), born in
1826, had 112 mares in 1831 and 61 in 1832. The
same owner's Le Pierro, a dapple-gray of 16 hands,
born in 1826, had 106 mare^ in 1832. Marechal 's

EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 91

third approved stallion was Le Courtois, dapple-
gray, born in 1828. He served 68 mares in 1832.
There is also a stallion mentioned at this time, Le
Deve, 16 hands in height and a dark dapple-gray,
born in 1828, that served 61 mares in 1832. Gaubert's
stallion, Largneux, served in the Chartres district.
He was dapple-gray, 15.2 hands high, and had 57
mares in 1831, 50 in 1832, 53 in 1833, and 51 in 1834.
Giiillaumin had also a stallion named Le Coq (not the
Benoit stallion) that served at this time. He had
101 mares in 1831 and 111 in 1832. Toutay's Le
Grand, the 17-liand stallion previously mentioned,
that served near Nogent had 59 mares in 1832; he
was then ten years old and Ducoeurjoly had a gray
mare served by him in that year. Toutay's Le
Charon, a 16-hand dapple-gray born in 1828, had 63
mares in 1832. The same owner had another stallion,
Dorchene, which died from colic. This fact is attest-
ed by the mayor of the commune. One of the wit-
nesses was a M. Chouanard (8th of June, 1832), a
probable ancestor of the well known Chouanard
family of breeders near Nogent. Dorchene served
60 mares before he died in 1832. Franconni had 64
mares in 1831, the same number in 1832, and 55 in
1833.

Others in Nogent District. — In 1835 the amount of
bonuses given to approved stallion owners in Eure-
et-Loir was 1,580 francs, as follows: 400 francs to
Toutay (2 stallions), 340 to Benoit (3 stallions), 200
to Guillaumin, 150 each to Marechal and Dieu, 120
each to Cottereau and Gaubert, and 100 francs to

92 A HISTORY OF THE PERCIIERON HORSE

David, making a total of 10 stallions, the majority of
them in the Nogent district. Toutay's stallions this
year were Le Grand and Le Percheron. In 1833 Le
Grand had 72 mares, and in 1834 he served 60 mares.
Benoit's Le Pommele served 109 mares in 1833, and
111 mares in 1834. The same owner's Le Coquet had
82 mares in 18.34, while his third stallion, Le Cadet,
had 107 mares in 1833 and 68 mares in 1834. Guillau-
min 's Le Coco received a prize of 200 francs and was
probably a very fine stallion. In 1832 he had 90
mares, in 1833 he had 91 mares, and in 1834 63.
Largneux served 53 mares in 1833 and 51 in 1834.
Dieu's Le Poulet had 53 mares in 1833 and 56 in 1834.
We should have mentioned also Le Bijou, belonging
to a M. Thion, that had 60 mares in 1833. Cottereau's
Franconni, now described as ''white" in color, had
50 mares in 1834. David's stallion (name not given)
served 82 mares in 1834, and from his services in
1833 we are told by the records that he got 49 living
foals.

In the Department of Orne. — From the documents
relating to tlie Department of Orne the splendid
work of these early approved stallions runs concur-
rently with those in Eure-et-Loir. We first hear of
a dapple-gray stallion belonging to M. Launay, Mau-
vaisiniere, near Mortagne. This horse got 23 foals
from the 1824 season. Louis Pelletier, tenant farmer
at Corbon, had a stallion, Le Bijou, that made the
1825 season, serving 38 mares. Just as in the case of
Eure-et-Loir the full list of mares is given together
with date of service, height of mare, color, age, the

H. PELLiETIEB OF LA BERNTJCHE, ORNE,

EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 93

name of owner, etc., certified correct and stamped
with all the seals of the mayors in the several com-
munes in which the mares were served.

All the mares, with hardly an exception, are de-
scribed as ''Percherons. " The first list will give a
correct idea of the colors prevailing at that period.
Among the mares served by Pelletier's horse in 1825
there were 13 grays, 9 bays, 1 brown-bay, 4 blacks,
and 3 chestnuts. The mares were not so high as
those in the Nogent district; hardly any were over
15.2 hands. Some mares were served in Eure-et-Loir
by Launay's horse, and he also served mares in La
Sarthe. Launay's old stallion book is found among
the records ; it is bound in sheepskin, with a raw-hide
lace attached to close it. On every page appears the
stamp of the mayor of the different communes. That
is why we can state that his horse served a few mares
out of his own department, as we find the mayor's
stamp of Buissaye (3 mares) and Reveillon (1 mare),
both places in Eure-et-Loir. It seems that Launay's
horse began serving in 1822, but the list is lacking.
We find, however, a statement that he got 26 living
foals out of 31 mares. It should have been men-
tioned that the first full list of Launay's mares was
in 1823 — 91 mares — but the observations made re-
specting the colors apply to 1825. It is a very simple
matter to find the colors of any given year, however,
if greater detail is deemed necessary.

In 1823 all the mares are described as Percherons
except 9 Brittany mares, and one Normandy mare.
We find the name of Aveline for the first time in

94 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHEROX HORSE

1823 at Mont Gaudray. He bad a brown-])ay mare
served by Launay's borse.

Service for 12 Francs.— In Launay's notebook for
1822 we read tbe following interesting detail: "Mares
to be served three times, after wliicli payment of 12
francs for the service shall be made, and 1 franc,
50 centimes for the groom. ' ' Several of the farmers
had two or three mares sei'ved. Some of these men
are described as land-owners, while others are tenant
farmers. Lannay's horse received a bonus of 200
francs a year, as shown by a letter from the director-
general of the haras at Paris to the Prefect of Orne
transmitting money to be handed over to Launay.
Pelletier's horse got 33 foals from the 1825 season,
and 32 from the 1826 season. This horse was a dap-
ple-gray, standing 17 hands higli, and his prize money
was 150 francs a year. M. l^efort had a dapple-gray,
described as "Percheron, heavy draft," born in 1821.
In 1826 he served 26 mares, and in 1827 he had 32
mares. He stood 16 hands high.

At Mortagne in the Early '30's.— In 1830 there
were three approved stallions in the Arrondissement
of Mortagne. Two belonged to Pelletier, and the
other to Jacques Geru. Geru's horse, Hercule, was a
dapple-gray, 16-hand, heavy draft, born in 1825. He
served 52 mares in 1830, and 58 in 1831. Pelletier's
stallion, Le Bijou, born 1825, was dapple-gray; he
served 35 mares in 1830, and the same number in
1831. Most of the mares were under 15.2 hands at
this time in that part of The Perche. They are,

EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 95

however, all described on the stallion sheets as "Per-
(■ herons."

In 1833 the approved-stallion owners in Urne were
Pelletier (2 stallions), Dntlieil of Eperraix, Herrissay
and Guerree. Guerree's horse was abont 15.3 hands
high and dapple-gray in color. Dutheil's liorse was
described as "heavy draft," standing 16 hands high,
a gray — slightly dappled. In 1834 he served 51
mares, and in 1835 he had 35 mares. There is also
another stallion mentioned, Bijon, which served 30
mares in 183-1-, and 38 mares in 1835. He was 17
hands high, was born 1829, and was dapple-gray in
color. Herrissay 's stallion, born 1830, a 16-hand dap-
ple-gray, served 34 mares in 1834 and 32 mares in
1835. He had another horse, described as "white"
in color, which served 35 mares in 1834 and 32 in 1835.

The owners of approved stallions in Orne in 1834
and '35 w^ere Leconte, of Veuville (2 stallions, 350
francs) ; Pelletier, Corbon (2 stallions, 400 francs) ;
Herrissay, St. Germain de Martigny (200 francs);
Guerree, Fremongene (100 francs). Herrissay 's
Bijou served 53 mares in 1835, and 60 mares in 1836.
Bijou (Guerree's) served 60 mares each year in 1835
and 'o6, while L'Ami (Pelletier 's) had 32 mares in
each of those years. The mares served by Herrissay 's
iiorse measured from 15 to 16 hands. Already there
seems to be an improvement in the size. Leconte 's
Cuirassier was not a Percheron. He is described as
a heavy coach horse, dark chestnut in color and
served in the coach-horse district — around Argentan,
that part of Orne lying in Normandy. He sei^ved 56

96 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

mares in 1836. The other Leconte horse was a sad-
dler, and served only 19 mares in 1836. All of these
jtallions had to serve a minimum of 30 mares in order
to obtain the bonus.

In La Sarthe. — We first find record of La Sarthe's
.':guring among the departments having approved
;tallions in 1832. M. Cousin, commune of Peray, had
I dapple-gray stallion, born 1827, slightly under 16
hands, which served 40 mares in 1832, 43 mares in
1833, and 42 in 1834. We find the names of Aveline
and Hamelin among the owners of mares served by
this horse. Another approved stallion was M. Pierre
Abot's horse Mouton, "dapple-gray, heavy draft,"
born 1828, 16 hands high. He had 57 mares in 1833,
but in the following year was not allowed to serve.

Loir-et-Cher. — In the department of Loir-et-Cher,
in that part of the department lying in The Perche
(Arrondissement of Vendome) very intensive breed-
ing of Percherons took place, beginning about the
same date as in the other departments, and we find,
just as in the case of the stallions in the other dis-
tricts mentioned, that those in Loir-et-Cher were
practically all grays of different shades.

The first approved stallion we find record of in
this district belonged to a M. Ferrand. He was a
silver-gray, of 15.2 hands, and was described as
heavy draft. In 1827 he served 103 mares. Then we
find a record of Coco, a slate-colored gray with four
white feet, belonging to M. Eichandeau, St. Gourgon.
He stood about 16 hands. In 1830 there were two
approved stallions. One of these was Coco, and

Tup — Chas. Aveline, loms Avelinc and M. E. Jones In Chas. Aveiine's pastures.
Middle — PaxU Cliouanard looking at cattle at M. Tacheau's. Bottom — Same
individuaJs as seen in top picture.— SCENES IN THE PEBCHE.

Kvoi.i Ti.iN ^:^ m v.. thin 97

45 foals were born as the result of his lirst season.
Ferrand 's horse served 94 mares in 1830, and 106 in
1831. In 1831 more bonuses were given for ap-
proved stallions. T. Tardiveau's Moulinet, a dapple-
gray of 16 hands, born in 1823, served 140 mares in
1831. Another dapple-gray belonging to Tardiveau
is reported to have served 181 mares in 1831. There
was another stallion belonging to a M. Crignon, Me-
rainville.

In 1832 we find a growing interest in Percheron
breeding in this section. Ferrand had three horses,
and Kichandeau, Tardiveau and Crignon one each.
Crignon 's horse served 32 mares in 1832. Moulinet
had 151 mares in 1832. Ferrand 's horse served 86
mares in 1832. Another of his horses (name not
given), born 1823, a heavy draft of 16 hands, gray,
served 102 mai-es in 1831 and 94 in 1832. His third
stallion was also 16 hands high, white in color. He
served 98 mares in 1832. Tardiveau's horse served
108 mares in 1832. A stallion belonging to Tardi-
veau, authorized but not approved, 17 hands high,
gray, served 85 mares in 1831 and 84 in 1832.

In 1833 there were about seven or eight approved
stallions, and 1,150 francs was distributed in bonuses.
Ferrand had three horses, and T. Tardiveau, Richan-
deau, Crignon and P. Tardiveau one each. All these
stallions were either white, dapple-gray or silver-
gray with white manes and tails; all were ''Per-
cherons." Gray greatly predominated everywhere
in this country among the mares served, according to
the lists; and the stallions are remarkable, not only

98 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

for the number of mares served, but also for their
fecundity, as evidenced by the attested lists of liv-
ing foals from the seasons' services. In 1834 Fer-
rand had three approved stallions, which served 101,
105 and 103 mares. The other stallioners were T.
Tardiveau, P. Tardiveau, Contangeau, Chevet (Mont-
doubleau), and Thereau. None of these stallions
served fewer than 80 mares, while some of them had
considerably more than a hundred.

This part of The Perche has always been noted
as a mare country, although buyers — Americans, at
least — do not visit the centers like Montdoubleau,
Savigny-sur-Bray and Droue as frequently as for-
merly. Nevertheless, a great many colts from
that region get into the hands of the stallioners
around Nogent and are ultimately sold for export to
America.

A Broad Constructive Policy Continued. — It might
be interesting, although somewhat wearisome, to
undertake to extend this sort of data further, but we
have already brought it down through the formative
period named so accurately by M. Fardouet. More-
over, this carries the French side of the narrative
well down towards the beginnings of the export trade
with the United States, and we must now be turning
our attention to our own side the Atlantic. Suffice
it to say, therefore, that this same system of bonuses
and inspection was continued in The Perche, and
with happy results.

Speaking of the policy pursued during the years
succeeding those so fully covered by the foregoing

EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 99

notes, the Abbe Fret, from whom we have so fre-
quently quoted, says:

' ' Since 1836 the desire to ameliorate agriculture in
The Perclie has made great strides among the farm-
ers. A noble emulation has been set by creating
' prizes of encouragement, ' an agricultural committee
having been established at Nogent, which unites
annually under the presidency of the Count de Bussy.
This committee has already justified the hopes of its
founders and is spreading its influence over the re-
gion. A depot of stallions has been established at
Nogent, at the barracks of St. Denis, by the Haras
du Pin, which has greatly improved the horses of
the Percheron breed. They have distributed prizes
at Nogent to the owners of the finest brood mares. ' '

A few more records and we shall conclude this
discussion. In the "Bulletin de la Societe Eoyale de
Mans" is an interesting account of an agricultural
show held at Mamers in 1838. Prizes were given for
the best draft mare having foaled during the year,
age 4 to 9 years; also for the best colt, two to three
years, and the best filly, same age. All were to be
of the Percheron breed. Agricultural shows at which
Percheron horses were exhibited also took place at
Saint Calais, Beaumont-le-Comte, Saint Pater, La
Ferte Bernard and Marolle-les-Braults.

At a show held at La Ferte Bernard on the 19th of
September, 1841, a M. Torsay won the first prize on
a light flea-bitten gray mare, about 16.2 hands high
and eight years old. Second prize went to M. Vin-
cent on a steel gray, five years old, of about the
same height. A black mare, six years old, measuring
about 16.1, received honorable mention. It will be

100 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

seen from this that there were big drafty mares in
The Perche even in those clays. M. Richard won the
first prize on fillies with a brown bay of about 15.2
hands, and second prize went to M. Prudhomme on
a filly of similar color, about the same height.

In stallions first prize went to M. Pennetier, and
second to M. Fleurida. These stallions had no com-
petition, as evidenced by the following:

''Although these stallions had no competitors, the
judges nevertheless thought they ought to be
awarded prizes as presenting in the highest degree
the qualities which constitute a stallion suitable for
the production of draft colts, and it is probably owing
to the superiority of these two individuals that one
must attribute the absence of competitors."

At the show in the same town in 1842 M. Pennetier
again won first prize in stallions with a horse of
16.3 hands, dapple-gray, six years old. In the fol-
k)wing year M. Tacheau, probably the grandfather of
the present noted stallioner and breeder, won first
prize in fillies.

Outcrossing Exaggerated. — Had tlie Percheron,
then, during this evolution, received no crosses from
other breeds? Very likely experiments were tried,
but it is entirely clear that misguided alliances with
extraneous blood w^ere never permitted specially to
influence the race in its entirety. The specific and
inherent qualities of the type were always conserved
intact. Unsatisfactory colts, the product of occa-
sional infusions of blood from other breeds, were
promptly set aside as work horses and not al-
lowed to reproduce their kind. Xo men are more

EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 101

tenacious than tliose of The Perche. None knows
better than the Percheron farmer himself which
type of horse suits his needs best.

The possible influence of an introduction of a few
Picardy mares near Montdoubleau about the begin-
ning of the 19th century has been grossly exagger-
ated. We have had an examination made of the
original sheets containing full descriptions of the
native mares served in The Perche by the approved
Percheron stallions from the time these approved
stallions first began their work, and only in a few
instances do we find the name ''Picardy," as applied
to the "provenance" of the mares, mentioned. This
blood was quickly eliminated, as is shown by ref-
erence to later documents. But long before the or-
ganization of the stud book the purity of the breed
was almost guaranteed by the fact that only the most
typical sires were allowed to serve mares. Each de-
partment had very stringent rules to assure the
purity of the breed. No stallion could serve mares
without official permission first having been obtained.

As to Color. — With respect to the black color
which became popular some years ago much has
been said by way of insinuating that this came from
an outside source. There have always been plenty
of black mares in The Perche. Precise information
touching this is to be found in the government serv-
ice sheets. Every stallion sheet that we have had
examined, beginning about 1820, alludes to black
mares of the "Percheron" breed. The breeders of
The Perche, like other men, cater to their customers,

102 A HISTORY OF THE PERCIIERON HORSE

and tliey were easily able to produce blacks in con-
siderable numbers from within the breed itself by
natural selection.

When the special demand for blacks abated, stal-
lions of that color were discarded and the farmers
began to put their mares again to grays. Similarly,
if a craze for bays had sprung up years ago, it would
have been possible to produce bay colts all over The
Perclie. The first Percheron specifically mentioned
in the records of the government stud, as has already
been set forth, was of that color. The gray color,
however, has always been common to the Percheron,
and it was through the influence of the approved stal-
lions which we have listed that this color became
predominant. The stallions used in The Perche,
almost without exception, during the early formative
period were grays, and of these nearly all were dap-
ple-gray ("gris pommele").

That was the period when the popularity of the
Percheron as a stage-coach or diligence horse had
reached its zenith. Three important turnpike roads
from Paris to the coast passed through The Perche,
and as the railroads had not yet come traveling was
by diligence. Some of these coaches also carried the
mails, and good time had to be made regularly. The
lighter Percheron of those days was considered ideal
for this work, and the gray color pleased the pro-
prietors because the teams could be seen more dis-
tinctly at night. The introduction of railroads caused
the Percheron later to be drafted into omnibus work,
principally at Paris, where fliousands of these dap-

i

EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 103

ple-gray horses in matched couples and threes were
until very recent years a familiar sight.

Passing of the Diligence Type. — But even before
the railways came, under the influence of the service
of the large approved stallions we have mentioned
the breed was becoming more drafty, a fact which
called forth some protest, as is evidenced by a report
made at a meeting of the Agricultural Society of
Mans, on Feb. 5, 1845, from which we quote:

''It is an incontestable fact that the stallion shows
of this department (Sarthe) have produced satis-
factory results. But, really, what do we want today?
Light, vigorous draft horses for our artillery, mail
coaches and diligences, the number of which has
been doubled since twenty years ago. We need
horses capable of doing about 7 to 10 miles an hour,
at least, in harness. Shall we obtain these results
with heavy horses, only suitable for heavy draft
work and large exploitations'?"

The Beauce was asking for larger horses to do the
plowing and to prepare the land for the wheat crop.
This region is contiguous to The Perche, and is called
the ' ' granary of France. ' ' The growing population
of Paris, which has always taken most of the Beauce
wheat, compelled more modern methods of culture
on the part of the grain-growing farmers of that fer-
tile region. Oxen were gradually being discarded
and heavy horses were being used in greater numbers
throughout all France. The call upon The Perche
for material of this sort was not only persistent but
it came from many different districts.

Some Conclusions. — The more profoundly one

104 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

studies The Perclie and its history, tlie more firmly
one is persuaded: first, that the Percheron horse is
a product of this ancient province and indigenous to
the basin of the Seine, and second, that he has been
developed and has acquired his most distinguishinu
characteristics through judicious breeding within the
territorial limitations of The Perche itself. Centu-
ries of evolution in a small country where the soil,
the climate, the forage, and the very air itself con-
duced in the highest degree to the production of
good horses have accomplished the result so admired
today.

Modifications of type have taken place in the past,
and no doubt will appear in the future. All draft
breeds have undergone mutations to meet the chang-
ing exigencies of the times. During the Dark Ages
the native horse of The Perche was in demand as a
Avar horse. Later we know that in the 17th century
depredating bands frequently entered The Perche,
primarily for the purpose of appropriating the fine
horses known to be there. Although we have no
historical facts to prove that Rotrou III sallied forth
from Nogent with his numerous retinue of knights
and vassals, all mounted on the light type old-time
Percherons, when he went to fight the infidels in the
Holy Land in 1095, history does not tell us, on the
contrary, that other than native horses were em-
ployed in this expedition, or in the second Crusade,
or in the campaign against the Saracens in Spain.
To all of these martial exploits many of the seigneurs
of The Perche contributed their quota.

EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 105

Through many generations during various periods
of the Percheron's history the same old families
have been engaged in producing colts in this won-
derful nursery of good horses. The names of some
of those who have contributed largely to the making
of Percheron progress will be mentioned in a subse-
quent chapter. The specially rapid maturing quali-
ties of the Percheron, and the extraordinary plas-
ticity of the breed have served these persistent breed-
ers admirably in their eminently successful effort to
produce larger horses. All this has been brought
about under the stimulating influence of foreign gold
by a rigorous selection of the breeding materials,
rational working of the brood mares, and liberal
feeding of the young stock with suitable grain and
forage.

This, then, is a fair account of the original evolu-
tion of the modern type in France, so far as can be
ascertained by an exhaustive examination of all
available records pertaining to it. The famous stal-
lions appearing in the first volume of the Percheron
Stud Book of France were undoubtedly the direct
descendants of the government-approved stallions
listed in the foregoing pages. It will be observed
that the long record so carefully examined at the
expense of much time and labor yields the name
of but one stallion in service during this period
described as a "Boulonnais," and he was not owned
by a Percheron farmer but belonged to the govern-
ment. The Perclie was increasing the weight of
its own horses by free recourse to the services of the

106 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

larger stallions and mares selected and mated with
this particular object in view, under official inspec-
tions. The stallions named in this chapter, and they
alone, are the true historic forbears of the heavy
draft Percherons of the years that followed their use.

CHAPTER V.
FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA.

Somewhere on the shaggy shores of the mighty
seaward outlet of the Great Lakes, quite probably
at Quebec, the first horses brought from the old to
the new France were debarked. Doubtless within
the crypted chests of the churches and monasteries
of Canada records of horses imported in the seven-
teenth and eighteenth centuries lie buried deep in
the dust of time, but in none of the public documents
of the Dominion, church or state, is there mention
of such shipments. Louis XIV sent some mares and
a few stallions from the Royal stables in 1665, 1667
1670, but they were not of a sort well suited to the
purposes of agriculture. Other stallions besides the
few donated by the king must have been imported
by the colonists themselves and these in all probabil-
ity were of a sturdier, more useful type. After the
cession to Britain in 1760 the insular types assumed
the ascendancy, save in the old French settlements.

The primeval forests of the Lower St. Lawrence
were first seen by Jacques Cartier, the French ex-
plorer, in the year 1535, but it was not until 1609 that
Champlain began building upon the now historic
rock of Quebec. This event marked the beginnings
of Canadian agriculture, and to this day the horses

107

108 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

of the province of Quel)ec, in the hands of the de-
scendants of the first "liabitants, " reveal in their
activity and endurance, if not in size, something
of the character of the sturdy, fast-traveling, long-
distance trotters for which France had been famous
for generations. More than a century ago the native
horses of eastern Canada offered in their conforma-
tion indisputable proof of a Gallic origin, but so
altered to meet the exigencies of a new country as
to be entitled to recognition as a distinct type.

Authentic Records Begin. — The first stallions im-
ported into North America from France of which
there is record in all probability did not come from
The Perche. The so-called" "McNitt Horse,"
brought into Canada in 1816, was a dapple-gray
standing from 15.2 to 15.3 hands high. At the time
he was imported the French government, as we have
already shown, was just beginning at the Haras du
Pin to give a more or less grudging support to the
idea of developing heavy drafters in The Perche.
While the breeding and origin of the McNitt
Horse, or European, as he was sometimes called,
cannot now be fixed, it is clear that he was of a type
then in favor in France. He weighed around 1,200
pounds and was a trotter of renown. Moreover, he
proved a successful and prolific sire. His sons were,
as a rule, so superior to the native stock of the time
that many of them were kept entire and used in the
stud. At a rather advanced age he was brought
into Washington County, New York. Both he and
several of his sons were popular in the Empire State

EDWARD HARRIS OF NEW JERSEY— PIONEER IMPORTER OF PERCHERONS.

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 109

and New England, but whatever mark they may have
left upon the horses of that portion of the United
States was later effaced by the stronger blood of imp.
Messenger, a Thoroughbred and also a gray, whose
stock even to the second and third generations
proved popular in the east.

Alexander's Norman. — One son of the McNitt
Horse gained a measure of renown in this country.
This was the gray Morse Horse, sire of Alexander's
Xorman, a noted stallion taken from New York state
to Robert A. Alexander's famous Woodburn Farm in
Kentucky some time during the '50 's of the last
century to sire work horses. This he did with suc-
cess, and incidentally he founded a small and com-
paratively unimportant family of trotters. The
name of this horse would indicate that the French
type probably had been preserved in his case.

Diligent search of old newspaper hies and such
public documents as are available reveals no proof
of further importations from France for a long-
series of years. There is a tradition that at some
time between 1820 and 1831 gray French horses
were imported into Maryland, but if so all traces
of them, their owners, and their history have van-
isliod.

First Importation to the States. — Tn 1831 Edward
Harris, a resident of Moorestown, N. J., was travel-
ing for pleasure in northern France and became so
impressed with the excellence of the hardy horses
that liauled the heavy diligences in which he tra-
versed the country that he determined to ship a few

110 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

specimens to the United States. It was not, how-
ever, until 1839 that he succeeded in putting this
determination into effect, and then bad luck pur-
sued his venture; only one of the first four head
shipped reached America alive, and this sole sur-
vivor was a mare. Nothing daunted, Mr. Harris
immediately took ship again for France, and re-
turned this time with two stallions, one named Dili-
gence, and two mares, one of which died shortly
after landing. This importation, it would appear,
had only a passing influence on the native stock of
New Jersey. One of the stallions went blind during
his first year in this country and was permanently
retired from service. One of the mares named Dap-
ple proved a non-breeder, while the other, Joan, a
gray, produced a gray colt, a chestnut filly, and a
bay colt at successive foalings, all being got by the
gray Diligence. Joan's next and last foal, born in
1856, was a bay by Harmer's Norman, a stallion
said to have been imported and not hitherto located,
but which will be definitely referred to later on.
Diligence was a compactly built horse standing
about 15 hands high, and according to his owner he
begot about 400 foals. He died in 1856. One mare,
Julie, foaled in 1851, and two stallions. Diligence 2d
and Louis Philippe, all by Diligence, were entered
among the foundation animals accepted for registry
in the first volume of the American Stud Book.

Ohio Importations of 1851. — In another volume the
author has shown that the cattle stocks of the mid-
west states were profoundly influenced by the im-

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 111

porting operations of the enterprising fanners of
south-central Ohio carried on at intervals during
a long series of years beginning in 1834. These men
were mostly of Virginia extraction and never could
abide inferior domestic animals. Their attention
Avas first given to their herds and flocks, which
acquired in due course a nation-wide celebrity.
Their love for a good horse Avas proverbial, but it
first expressed itself in an attachment to the English
Thoroughbred or blood horse and to those Avonder-
fully gaited saddlers Avliich are still the pride of all
men and Avomen of Virginia stock. Nevertheless, Ave
haA^e here to credit to these same public- spirited
Ohioans of the old school the bringing in of the
original seed from Avhence the great Percheron har-
A^-est of our OAvn times has been reaped. In short,
we haA^e noAv to record that the importation into
Ohio in 1851 of the tAvo French stallions Normandy
and Louis Napoleon Avas followed by results of
Avhich their importers little dreamed, and that in
the career of the one in Ohio and of the other in
Illinois Ave liaA^e rcA'^ealed the solid base upon Avhicli
the subsequent popularity of the French horse of
heaA^y draft throughout the Uuited vStates really
rests.

It Avould be interesting if Ave could trace the exact
origin of these two successful stallions, but this is
noAv impossible. We knoAv that they Avere not
bought in The Perche by the men who imported
them. The importers probably never had heard the
name. It is a fact, nevertheless, that at that date

112 A HISTORY OF THE, PERCHERON HORSE

The Perclie was a prolific producer of horses of this
type, and that, as we have already shown, the farm-
ers of that province were free sellers of colts to out-
side buyers.* It will never be positively known,
however, whether or not these horses were of the
true Percheron blood. What little is known about
the breeding of Normandy is vague and of Louis
Napoleon's ancestry nothing whatever is available.
We know that both were bought in the vicinity of
Eouen and that Normandy was bred near that city,
but from what sort of ancestry tradition sayeth
naught. Their importers had not penetrated as far
as The Perche. Here are the known facts:

Normandy, or Pleasant Valley Bill. — Hitherto it
has been popularly supposed that in 1851 two stal-
lions only were imported from France, the one being
Louis Napoleon 281 and the other Normandy 351, or
Pleasant Valley Bill, as he was well-nigh universally
known during his lifetime. So far tradition has been
right as to the importations, but wrong as to the
number of horses. Dr. Marcus Brown, Circleville,
0., really imported two stallions, so that in 1851
three entire horses came from the northern part of

* In a book entitled "European Vineyards," written more than
fifty years ago, Mr. Wm. J. Flag-g, speaking of the heavy horses in
harness in the Bordeaux district, says:

"Two farmers, whom I afterwards met while traveling in
Normandy, told me the Perche country was really the home of the
breed and that it was their custom to buy there six montlis' colts,
which tliey raised and broke, working them from two years old,
and selling them when they got to be five or six years old, the
prices obtained for full-grown and well-broken animals ranging
from $200 to $250. I am glad to learn they are at length bringing
them to America, where a late importation sold for prices which
averagred $2,500."

I

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 113

France to Ohio. Proof that Dr. Brown imported
two stallions is complete, or rather that Samuel
Holman, Chester Springs, Pa., who was entrusted by
Dr. Brown with the task of procuring for him a
French horse, bought two with Dr. Brown's money
and took one of them for himself.

Among Dr. Brown's papers turned over in con-
nection with the sale of a half-interest in "Old Bill"
to the late T. C. Bigelow, Columbus, 0., there is a
letter from Samuel Holman dated at London, Eng-
land, July 10, 1851, which reads:

"I leave these few lines to inform you that I have
used the £100 got of you for the purchase of a
horse. I have bought two, one for you and one for
myself. The one is a two-j^ear-old and the other
three years old. They are strong able colts. I sup-
pose will weigh 1,200 to 1,400 pounds each now. The
color does not please me exactly and another objec-
tion T had to them was that they cut all their foals'
tails off as soon as they are foaled in this country and
consequently both are short-tails. Their colors are
darkish silver, black legs, manes and tails. How-
ever, I concluded to risk them."

The remainder of the letter goes into details con-
cerning shipping. Attached to this are the original
French certificates of sale and identification, inter-
esting mainly as descriptive of the breed to which
these horses belonged, thus:

"Rouen, July 1, 1851.

"I do hereby certify that the two Diligence colts

purchased from me by Mr. Sam'l Holman of the

Fnited States of America were bred and raised by

me and from my best brood mares. The stock is

ll-l A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

pure and I consider them as fine as I ever sold and
I doubt whether a better pair of colts can be found
in all Normandy.

"Z. PIMONT."
Follows then this certificate:

"Havre, July 16, 1851.
' ' This is to certify that I shipped the two Norman
colts bought by Mr. Samuel Holman of Z. Pimont
of Eouen on the 8th day of July, 1851, on board the
ship Scianne, Capt. Williams, consigned to R. W.
Hopkins & Co., New York. I am Avell acquainted
with M. Pimont and his stock of horses and know
they are of the finest diligence stock, as he keeps
no other kind on his farm. This stock of horses
is held in high estimation here on account of their
great bone and muscular power, quick action and
durability and I consider the pair sent as a fair sam-
ple of the stock.

"Y. BARBE."

Next comes the statement of the import agents in
this w4se:

"New York, August 30, 1851.

"We do hereby certify that the two gray horses
consigned to us by Mr. Samuel Holman when re-
ceived on board the packet ship Scianne, Capt.
AVilliams, on the 12th day of August, 1851, in good
condition, and delivered them according to his or-
ders, one to his brother F. Holman, and the other
to Doct. Brown of Ohio.

"R. H. HOPKINS & CO."

These letters readily attest the fact that two
diligence stallions were imported by Dr. Brown and
Samuel Holman in 1851. Further reference will
be made to the Holman horse. These letters and
certificates prove that Pleasant Valley Bill, or Nor-

FIRST FKEXCli llOKSES JN AMEKICA 115

mandy, and liis mate were of the "true diligence
type." Fortunately we can even at this late date
tell, approximately at least, what the type was like
from the illustration of Xormandy presented here-
with. This cut was made from, a large and very
clear daguerreotype in the possession of T. L. Bige-
low, Columbus, 0., son of and successor in business
to the late owner of the horse, and to whom we
desire to express our thanks for his aid in reaching
the exact history of this importation. It will appear
that Louis Napoleon and Pleasant Valley Bill were
of two distinct types, though imported from the
same district of France in the same summer.

A Great Career. — Just past two years of age when
imported, Normandy 351 was located by Dr. Brown
at his home town of Circleville, 0., and at first was
not very popular in the stud as a country stallion.
Dr. Brown has left no written statement among his
papers intimating whether he intended when he
started for Europe that spring to buy a stallion or
not. He was an enthusiastic advocate and supporter
of all improved methods of agriculture and stocl:
breeding, hence it is considered more than likely that
he had such an importation in mind when going
abroad in the spring of 1851. For 3^ears he owned
the Pickaway County fair grounds at Circleville,
and gave their use free of charge to the Pickaway
County Agricultural Society. He once offered to
donate Normandy to that organization provided it
would stand him for public service at the fair
grounds, but that offer was curtly declined and in

116 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

1856 Dr. Brown sold the liorse to Bigelow & Marshall,
who removed him to the town then called Pleasant
Valley but now known as Plain City. There the
stallion achieved a splendid reputation, begetting
an amazingly numerous progeny and finally passing
into the hands of the late Thomas Jones, father of
C. M. Jones, now treasurer of the Percheron Society
of America and resident on the old homestead. In
his possession Normandy died in 1874 full of years
and honors, having been owned by Mr. Jones just
ten years. Many good stallion colts as well as fillies
remained after him, and his descendants were widely
disseminated.

While at Plain City Normandy became variously
known as '' Pleasant Valley Bill*" "Old Bill," and
"The Valley Horse," the title by which he is best
remembered being the first of these. Few people
knew that his real name was Normandy 351. He
did more than any other horse to popularize the
French type in the state that reaped the benefit of
his services. He was extraordinarily prolific and is
known to have begotten as many as 110 colts for
which the fees were paid in a single season. Of
his extreme fertility the late Thomas Jones is quoted
in Volume 1 of the Percheron Stud Book of America
as having said:

"It is safe to say that he averaged sixty colts a
year for eighteen years and that they sold at three
and four years old for an average of $200, many of
them having brought $500 each, and some as much
as $1,000. It w^as when the United States govern-
ment began scouring the country for good horses

T^imoihy L . Bige/o yv

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 117

during tlio War of the Rebellion that the seal of
fame was set upon Valley Bill for all time. His get
readily brought from $50 to $125 more than the
common stock of the country where he stood, the
general belief being that those who had Bill's colts
to sell to Uncle Sam received on an average $80 per
liead for them more than was paid for other varie-
ties."

His get were wonderfully uniform, none of them
very large, and the great number of red-roans which
followed his cover has given rise to a belief quite
general in some quarters that he was when young
of that ruddy hue, shedding out to white at a com-
paratively earlj^ age. As a matter of fact, however,
in his youth he was a silvery gray with dark legs,
mane, and tail and later became well-nigh snow
white. Nothing need be said here descriptive of his
conformation. Our illustration shows more clearly
what he was like than could be told in words. He
stood about 15.3 hands and weighed between 1,.'500
and 1,400 pounds.

The Holman Horse. — Not nearly so much is known
of the three-year-old gray diligence colt that accom-
panied Pleasant Valley Bill on his journey from
Havre to New York. Lewis E. Holman, son of
Samuel Holman, the importer, Phoenixville, Pa.,
takes up the thread of the story from the time the
two colts reached New York in 1851 in the following
statement:

"Gray Billy, as we called our horse, was shipped
to the home of my father's brother, Frederic Holman,
to await mv father's arrival. From there he was

118 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

brought to our farm on wliicli we still live and always
have lived. The reason we do not know his age
when he died is that after keeping him many years
we sold him to a Mr. Bird of New Jersey. How
long he lived after that we do not know. His weight
was between 1,300 and 1,400 pounds. His colts were
fine and he was a sure foal-getter. He was not popu-
lar at first, but it was not long before he was appre-
ciated, though not in our immediate neighborhood.
Buyers came from New York and many places of
distance to buy his colts as they were remarkably
fine and far superior to the colts by ordinary horses.
He was a dark silver, dappled, three years old, one
year older than Valley Bill. He was perfectly gentle
and for his size very active, as were all of his colts. ' '

The illustration of Gray Billy is from a curious
old oil painting in the Holman home near Phoenix-
ville, Pa., our engraving being a facsimile reproduc-
tion, without etfort to correct its manifest crudities.
Gray Billy is thus identified with the hitherto un-
placed Harmer's Norman, Holmes' Norman, Hol-
man's Norman, and Duke of Normandy 172, recorded
under that number without date of birth or im-
portation, or other data.

Louis Napoleon. — In 1851 in the course of a trip
abroad three Ohio men — Erastus Martin of Wood-
stock, Pearl Howard of the same place, and young
James Fullington of Milford Center, a member of
a family distinguisliod in Ohio agricultural history — •
went from England to France in quest of Merino
sheep. Somewhere in the neighborhood of Rouen
Martin saw a gray stallion with which he was deeply
impressed — a big one possessing the distinction of

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 119

being kept for stud service alone. As to where be
came from bistory is silent. Tbis borse took Mr.
Martin's fancy, but all efforts to buy bim proved
futile. Xot to be foiled entirely, bowever, be did tlie
next best tbing and bouglit a tbree-year-old full
brotber described at that time as "a raw, unfinisbed
colt" but promising to attain good size.

Mr. Martin paid $350 for tbe colt and on rejoining
bis comrades told tliem wliat be bad done, express-
ing bis belief tbat sucb a stallion would do a good
business in tbe part of Oliio from wbicb tbey came.
Besides, it would not cost mucb to get bim liome
witb tbe rest of tbe stock. Pearl Howard declined
point blank to invest any of bis money in so big a
stallion, but young P^ullington, wbo was merely trav-
eling witb tbe party on a pleasure jaunt, committed
bis brotber Cbarles, then a well-known figure in Ohio
stock-breeding circles, to pay for a half interest in
the horse.

Landed safely in the Darby Plains country of
Ohio, Louis Xapoleon, as this French-bred colt had
been named, met with a chilly reception. Tbe late
James H. Sanders, founder of tbe American Per-
cheron Stud Book, Avbo was born and lived as a
young man in central Ohio, has left the following
statement concerning this borse:

"Louis Napoleon was a gray three-year-old of
good size, but not of the largest type, short-legged,
closely ribbed, blocky, and compact, with a neck
rather short and head a little too large for elegance,
but withal clearly cut, about 151/2 bands high, and

120 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

weighing, in full flesh, about 1,600 pounds. At that
time he was a dark iron-gray, but long before his
death, he became perfectly white.

"At this time the writer was living within a few
miles of Messrs. Fullington and Martin, and well
does he remember the jokes that were hurled at
Charley Fullington for what was called his folly in
bringing such a horse all the way from France. The
chunky, short-legged, gray colt and his importers
were the butt of every horseman in that country;
but the Fullingtons believed in him firmly, and bred
several mares to him in the spring of 1852. His
service fee that season was put at $10 to insure,
yet such was the prejudice against him that only
ten mares were bred to him, and seven of this num-
ber belonged to his owners. In the meantime, Mr.
Erastus Martin had come to the conclusion that the
horse was destined to prove a bad investment, and
accordingly, he embraced an opportunity of selling
his interest to Mr. Gordon, one of his neighbors.

"In the spring of 1853 it was thought best to try
a new field with the big gray colt, and accordingly
he was sent to Dayton, and his service fee was fixed
at $15; but he did very little better there than he had
done during the previous season in Union County.
Early in the summer of 1853, the few colts that he
had got in Union County during the previous season
began to show signs of that remarkable excellence
that was destined soon to make the despised French
horse famous throughout the entire west, and then
came a demand that he should be returned to that
county. Accordingly, during the next season (1854)
he was again kept at Milford Center, Union County,
and although his fee was placed at $15 — a price hith-
erto unheard of in that region — he was well patron-
ized by the people who had two years before ridi-
culed him."

LOUIS NAPOLEON.— DRAWN FROM AN OLD PHOTOGRAPH.

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 121

It is related that Howard had remarked when the
purchase of a one-third interest in the colt had first
been suggested to him that "when he wanted to
breed his mares to a bull he would choose one with
horns, ' ' and that sentiment, implying that the horse
was too big and clumsy, Avas very general at first
among the owners of mares around Woodstock, Mil-
ford Center, and contiguous territory.

Taken to Illinois. — A. P. Cushman of DeWitt Co.,
111., a trader widely known in his day, while visiting
in central Ohio that fall saw^ for the first time ' ' The
French Horse," as Louis Napoleon was then gener-
ally known. At a glance his practiced eye grasped
the potentialities inherent in the big dark-gray stal-
lion, then turning six years of age. To him it seemed
merely a matter of sufficient size in the mares, and
Tazewell, DeWitt, Logan, and other Illinois counties
had many big ones sired by Oakley's English Cart
Horse Samson and his sons. So for $1,500 Mr. Cush-
man acquired "The French Horse," and "roaded"
him to his new home in the Prairie State.

Acquired by the Dillons. — Louis Napoleon made
the season of 1855 at Waynesville, and within the
next three years various undivided interests in him
were traded and sold until finally in the fall of 185s'
Ellis Dillon acquirod a one-fourth interest in addi-
tion to the half already owned by Isaiah and Levi
Dillon, thus giving them a controlling interest. The
Dillons, afterwards to acquire such prominence in
the trade, were at that time residents of Tazew^ell
county, and to their home Louis Napoleon was moved

122 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

and there he made the regular season of 1859. His
success was not great that spring and on July 4 he
was sent to the farm of Eli Hodgson in Grand Ridge
township, La Salle county, to stand during the fall.
These details are offered to show how lacking the
horse was at first in popularity. His colts from the
Samson mares had not yet begun to show their worth.
Purchase of the odd one-fourth interest in the horse
had been precipitated by the declaration by Cushman
that he would move him to Kentucky in search of
fields more easy of conquest. During the fall season
of 1859 Louis Napoleon covered but seven mares,
five of them the property of Mr. Hodgson.

Early in the spring of 1860 the fast-whitening stal-
lion was returned to the Dillon headquarters, and
as his foals developed his business in the stud in-
creased. By mid-summer the demand for his services
had become pressing and great secrecy was main-
tained regarding the date at which he was to be
moved again to the Hodgson farm in La Salle. Young
Martin Hodgson — still a prosperous breeder, and for
many years a member of the firm of Prichard &
Hodgson, now dissolved — rode the white horse home
in the dead hour of the night following the celebra-
tion of the national holiday. But so keen had been
the scouting that when the journey was ended at a
little before dawn, it is related that no less than
forty-two mares were tied to the fences surrounding
the Hodgson homestead awaiting their chance to be
bred or booked. He had served but seven the season
before. It is at this point, therefore, that we un-

CHARLES OAKLET— OWNER OF SAMSON.

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA . 123

cover the real foundation of tlie popularity of the
French horse of heavy draft in the western states.

Louis Xapoleon made several spring seasons in
Tazewell county and fall seasons at the Hodgson
farm in La Salle. In 1864 he was moved by the Dil-
lons to Xormal, in McLean county, Avhere some two
years later he became so badlj^ infected that the
operation of penotomy Avas resorted to in the hope
of partially preserving his utility in the stud. After
this, it is related, he sired three foals, dj^ing in 1871
on the farm of B. Caldwell in "Woodford county to
whom the Dillons had presented him. First and last,
it is believed, Louis Napoleon begot some 400 foals,
not one of which was out of a purebred mare. Only
the merest traces of his blood are discovered among
our registered stock, a few recorded via the top-
cross route descending from him. His number in the
Percheron Stud Book is 281.

There is no question whatever that to the excel-
lence of his colts and lillies from mares of Samson
(English) blood was due the high degree of popu-
larity which Louis Napoleon achieved in Illinois.
He did far better with them than with any others.
Practically all of his male progeny were maintained
entire, quite a few of them selling for $800, $1,000,
and even longer prices. He bred fairly true to his
own color, and in the hands of so shrewd a federa-
tion as the Dillons no stone was left unturned to
keep him in the limelight. Displays of his grade
colts were for years features of the Illinois State and
other fairs. It is doubtful if there is another region

124 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

in the whole United States in which we could have
met mares of better weight or conformation. Many
of these weighed 1,400 pounds, some as much as
1,500, and a few even up to 1,600 pounds — big,
roomy, shapely, solid matrons, admirably fitted to
mate with a stallion of Louis Napoleon's size, build,
and type.

Various alleged portraits of this famous horse have
in the past enjoyed a meretricious vogue, but all
doubt as to his appearance at maturity is now defin-
itely removed by the illustration herewith pre-
sented, prepared from an enlargement of a small
daguerreotype taken in 1852 when the horse was four
years old and dapple-gray in color. In height at full
maturity he stood between 15.3 and 16 hands, and his
greatest weight was 1,630 pounds.

Maryland Importation of 1853. — In Volume I of
the Pereheron Stud Book of America Col. Charles
Carroll, Baltimore, Md., is credited with having im-
ported the stallion Chartres 88, but no statement is
made as to color or date of birth. In that volume,
too, J. Howard McHenry, Pikesville, Md., is named
as the importer of two mares — Lily 572 and Snow-
drop 607 — gray and white in order written, but with-
out certainty as to age. To Snowdrop the produc-
tion of two purebred colts is assigned, both being
stallions and both by Duke of Normandy 172 — the
Gray Billy imported in the ship Scianne along with
Pleasant Valley Bill. Nothing further of the his-
tory of these importations of 1853 has been reached.
Both of the mares died at a comparatively early
age, the two stallions by Duke of Normandy 172 out

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 125

of Snowdrop being the only progeny alleged to have
descended from them. Nothing more is related of
the stallion Chartres and as the compiler of the stud
book working indefatigably forty years ago was un-
able to unearth other data, no more space need be
occupied in their behalf. The bare facts, however,
are interesting as showing that the home-raised
stock of purebreds was slowly being augmented and
as tending to fix definitely the identity of Duke of
Normandy 172 and Gray Billy. Of the Maryland
importations of 1853 it may then be fairly said that
they left no sign so far as has been discovered up to
this late day.

Rollin Imported in 1856. — By the spring of 1856
the few colts left by Louis Napoleon in Ohio had
begun to display their merit and Erastus Martin,
who had originally purchased the gray stallion near
Rouen, in company with John Gordon, also of Wood-
stock, 0., conceived the idea that a bay French horse
would take well where the lighter color had failed
of popularity. Accordingly an order for a bay stal-
lion was dispatched by some of the stock buyers
searching for Merino sheep in France and in due
course of time the dapple-bay stallion EoUin 418
landed at Woodstock. Great preparations had been
made for his reception on the Gordon farm, a new
stable having been built during the summer for his
occupancy. This shows that a hearty welcome await-
ed the newcomer and high hopes were entertained
that he would prove a mighty success. Mr. Gordon
had been associated in the last Ohio ownership of

126 A HISTORY OF THE I'ERCHERON HORSE

Louis Napoleon, when sooth to say the big gray
horse had come to be looked upon more or less as
"trading stock," which is well proved hj the terms
of the long-time deal on which he was acquired by a
professional trader in an era when good horses were
easily cashed. Sentiment had begun to veer, how-
ever, in favor of the imported horse.

Rollin was somewhat larger than Louis Xapoleon,
very thick at both ends and in the middle, not at all
high-headed or stylish, but short-legged and drafty,
and an impressive sire, a peculiar rotundity of barrel
persisting in his get and descendants for genera-
tions, as well as a tendency to the production of
red-roans. H. Dorr Martin, a banker of Woodstock,
0., and son of the late Erastus Martin, says of Rollin:

''He left a lot of good colts, I remember some of
them — mostly bays and browns, good blocky fellows.
When the rebellion broke out we had some of his
stock and they sold like hot cakes. They had good
action for such large horses."

Despite his increased popularity, however, Rollin
was not destined to remain long in the Darby Plains
country. Inter-ownership trouble of some sort
forced his sale and in 1850 the 1)ig bay horse left
the new barn that had been built for him on a journey
west to Onarga, 111., L. Russ, later of the firm of
Russ, McCourtey & Slattery of that point, having
purchased him at a price recalled by Mr. Martin as
$3,000. Rollin stood in Onarga and nearby towns
for several seasons, doing a fine business, and in
1865 was bought by Jas. L. Owen, Mokena, 111., as

Henri/ Guy 1 ^ f ErasiiisMartiti

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 127

whose property lie died six years later. He was the
second imported stallion in Illinois and quite a num-
ber of mares by Louis Napoleon were sent from Taze-
well, McLean and La Salle counties to be bred to
him. His get included few grays, bays and browns
persisting strongly except when the red-roan cropped
out, so that his descendants could not be readily
followed, except by records privately kept, among
the native stock of the region where he stood for
service. It is certain, though, that Eollin was a
successful sire and did much to improve the farm
horses of northern Illinois.

Darby Plains Importation of 1857. — Along in the
later '50 's Ohio stockmen were very active in the
effort to improve their sheep and cattle and in 1857
the Darby Plains Importing Co., the membership of
which included stockmen in Union, Madison and
Champaign counties, dispatched representatives to
Europe. In this delegation were Henry Guy,
Mechanicsburg, and Charles Fullington, Milford
Center. After they had acquired cattle and other
stock in Britain they crossed the channel to France
in quest of Merino sheep and horses. Journeying
together to Rouen Mr. Fullington left Mr. Guy and
continued further afield after sheep.

Mr. Guy relates personally that having taken up
a coign of vantage in front of an inn in Rouen he sat
for days watching the horses as they were driven
to town from the surrounding country. Finally he
saw a four-horse outfit, the leaders of which just
filled his eye. After much haggling he succeeded in

128 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

buying these at $500 for the pair. The wheelers
Mr. Guy describes as having weighed probably a
ton apiece and entirely too big for his purpose. They,
were held at $500 each, or just twice as much as
the smaller leaders. All were gray, but the pairs
were of quite distinct types. A few days later a
third stallion was bought, and also the mare Doll
540, the first ever brought directly from France west
of the Alleghanies. One of the pair of leaders died
on the ocean, the survivor being the famous Baker
Horse 21. His shipmate was Nonesuch 346, other-
wise and in his day better known as Old Bob. This
was probably the last importation ever made on a
sailing ship and a terribly rough voyage was en-
countered. Though badly battered the two stallions
and the mare after a time reached the Darby Plains
alive and each won way to high renown. Doll went
through many hands and proved prolific.

Put up at auction by the importers, the unnamed
gray leader bought right out of the harness in the
streets of Eouen was purchased by Dr. Baker, from
whom he took his name, for lack of a better, and
from that year (1857) he passed through many own-
erships but always did well. The Baker Horse was
not a big one by any means, weighing about 1,500
pounds. He was of the diligence type and a re-
markably fertile and impressive sire. In 1864 he
Avas purchased by Abram Curl of Woodstock, 0., and
he stood there until 1867. Of the Baker Horse H.
Dorr Martin writes:

''He was a finely shaped horse and left some of

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 129

the best draft colts of any of the early importations.
They were very tough and lived to a good old age.
Mr. Curl had a team of horses by the Baker Horse
which I remember very well that lived to be about
25 years of age and worked every day. I personally
owned a mare of this stock that raised me thirteen
colts straight. Some of them sold as high as $300
and $500 apiece."

To Nonesuch 346, or Old Bob, is due the original
popularity of the French horse in Delaware Co., 0.,
a county that has since that time been a leader in
Ohio draft horse production. At the sale held by
the Darby Plains Importing Co., in 1857, "Bob"
was bought by Peter Bland, Milford Center, one of
the staunchest supporters of the type from the ear-
liest days, and by him was resold to Lewis Lee of
Delaware, at which place the stallion stood until
the year before his death in 1875. Old Bob was about
the same size and type as the Baker Horse and dur-
ing his sojourn in Delaware had all he could do in
the stud. Assuredly he made plain the path trodden
by the breed in later times.

Doll 540 was the largest of the three animals im-
ported by the Darby Plains Co. in 1857. She stood
16.3 hands at the shoulder and weighed upwards of
1,700 pounds, being of a larger, more rangy type
than the two stallions that accompanied her across
the ocean. She was possessed of the characteristic
"Frenchy" or "creasy" rump, then a marked fea-
ture of the horses being brought over from France.
She was rather short and droopy in her quarters,
had heavy bone with some feather and in color was

130 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

gray. In the spring of 1866 Charles Fullington, who
by that time had acquired her, sent her to the
Thomas Jones farm at Pleasant Valley to be bred to
Old Bill. Prior to that year she had produced four
foals by the Baker Horse 21, those of 1858 and 1859
dying young and those of 1860 and 1862 surviving
and being named respectively Doll 541 and White
Rose 613. In 1866 the late Thomas Jones bought
old Doll 540 and the filly at her side by the Baker
Horse 21, later named Rose 604. The price for the
pair was $400. In 1867 she foaled the filly Eugenia
13000 by Pleasant Valley Bill and during that sum-
mer she and the foal were sold to A. Gill and K. L.
Wood for $1,000. In 1869 old Doll produced the
filly Josephine 1502 by the big horse Conqueror 109,
a five-year-old gray of great scale imported in 1867
by Wallace, Watkins & Co., Marion, 0.

Shortly after this Gill & Wood dissolved their
partnership, Gill retaining the old mare and Wood
the filly Eugenia, which afterwards produced several
foals for him. In 1870, again to the cover of Con-
queror, old Doll produced the stallion Thompson
461, probably the heaviest French colt bred in the
United States up to that date, but phenomenally
crooked in his hind legs. Despite that fact he is
said to have proved a fairly successful sire. He
and Josephine, both by Conqueror 109, were consid-
erably larger than the others of old Doll's progeny,
both exceeding a ton in weight. Poor old Doll did
much for her various owners and for the breed at
large, but Gill, who was a dour and crabbed citizen

' Eli Hodgson, \

\ Wvj Hodgson^ \ \ M.C.Hodgson r

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 131

with peculiar notions as to horse improvement, when
she became his exclusive property bred her to a
Belgian horse, after which her usefulness came to
an end. The filly Rose 604 by the Baker Horse 21
was bred as a two-year-old to Pleasant Valley Bill
and produced three fillies in successive years to his
cover. All of these were prolific, so that the de-
scendants of old Doll 540 are very numerous.

Kentucky Importation of 1859. — Following the
Darby Plains Importing Company 's venture of 1857,
the Kentucky importation of 1859 takes chronologi-
cal precedence. This consisted of a stallion named
Napoleon 4th 1723 and a mare named Marie An-
toinette. This importation was made by Dr. Nove,
or Nave, for the Jessamine Importing Co., Nicholas-
ville, Ky., and the horse was later transferred to
Gen. W. C. Preston, Lexington, as whose property
he died in 1878. The mare died in 1863 and here
once more we find no lasting impression left upon
the native equine stock.

Massachusetts Importation of 1864. — About the
end of the sixth and opening of the seventh decades
of the nineteenth century prospects in agricultural
America were not such as to encourage private in-
vestment of large Bums in any kind of live stock;
indeed it was not until 1864 that further importa-
tions were attempted. In that year the Massachu-
setts Agricultural Society imported the stallions
Conqueror 108 and Orleans 255 and the mares Em-
press 542, Lyons 574, and Normandy 587. Here
again we run up against the dead wall of oblivion,

132 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

the sole progeny credited to this band of five being
a roan filly dropped in 1866 by Lyons to the cover
of Orleans. And there their history stops.

Gray Duke. — The horsemen of Ohio began anew
in 1865. The shipment of that year consisted of
but a single stallion — Gray Duke 1724, a gray foaled
in 1863 — and was made by the Gallon Importing
Co., of which J. M. White, Cardington, 0., was the
leading spirit. Mr. White was a passenger con-
ductor on one of the early western railways and an
enthusiastic horseman during his entire career. To
his enterprise may be credited the first importation
of French blood into the Gallon district and the re-
sumption of the business after the close of the war.
He personally sent money to France for the purchase
of a gray colt and then sold one-third interest in
the youngster to two of his friends, the three forming
the nucleus of the later prosperous Gallon Import-
ing Co.

Eastern Imports of 1866. — Three stallions and the
same number of mares were brought across the ocean
in 1866, S. W. Ficldin, Charlottesville, Va., import-
ing the stallions Bienvenu 37 and The Colonel 459
and the mares Constance 530 and Eugenia 802. Both
of these mares proved prolific and left recorded prog-
eny behind them.

In the same year Dr. J. Pembroke Thom, Balti-
more, Md., imported the mare Charlotte Corday 529,
but later sold her to J. W. Hunt, Frankfort, Ky.,
where all trace of her is lost. In 1870 and 1871 she
produced gray fillies to Little Corporal 274, a home-

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 133

bred horse got by Duke of Normandy 172 (Gray
Billy), imported in 1851 with Pleasant Valley Bill,
out of" Snowdrop 607, imported into Maryland in
1853.

First Direct Importation into Illinois. — It has been
popularly supposed that it was not until 1868 that
horses were imported direct from France into Illi-
nois, but the records show that in this year of 1866
Dr. A. G. Van Hoorebeke brought the black stallion
Lucifer 285 to Monmouth, which advances the date
of direct importation into the great Prairie common-
wealth some two years. Indeed Dr. Van Hoorebeke
is to be credited with being the pioneer importer of
Illinois as he brought over Lucifer 285 in 1866, the
gray Leon 266 in 1868, the black Norma 348 in
1869, and the gray Laurent 709 in 1870. Unfortu-
nately, Norma died the same year that he was im-
ported.

Ohio Active in 1867. — Ohio importers had it all to
themselves in 1867, Brown, Bigelow & Co., of Co-
lumbus, and Wallace, Watkins & Co., and Gilmore &
Houser, of Marion, being the only linns recorded as
having engaged in the importing business that
season. Brown, Bigelow & Co. included in its mem-
bership Dr. Marcus Brown, of Circleville, importer
of Pleasant Valley Bill in 1851, and the late T. C.
Bigelow, in his time the leading team owner in the
Ohio capital and one of the foremost horsemen of
liis time. It was surely the irony of fate that his
death should have been caused by injuries sustained
in an attack made upon him by one of the stallions

134 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

he imported. It is to the courtesy of liis son and
successor, T. L. Bigelow, that this history is indebted
for the portrait of Pleasant Valley Bill and for much
authentic information gathered from his own per-
sonal recollections and the papers belonging to the
old firm, dating back to 1851 and including the orig-
inal documents in French relating to the purchase
by Mr. Holman of Old Bill and Gray Billy at Rouen
in 1851.

Brown, Bigelow & Co. imported in that year Na-
poleon 325, Black Robert 54, and Duke of France
165. Wallace, Watkins & Co. brought Conqueror
109, a big gray horse already referred to in connec-
tion with the history of old Doll 540, and Gilmore
& Houser had Napoleon 2d 335, later sold to E. Dillon
& Co., Nomial, Bl. The two Ohio firms last men-
tioned were later amalgamated into the Marion
County Importing Co., which at one time was classed
as handling better stallions on the average than any
one in the business at the time. ''Wat" Watkins
was the brains of the coalition, but quit before the
ball had been fairly set a-rolling. There is a story
told of him in connection with the Illinois State Fair
of 1872, which throws light on the state of live stock
improvement in that era:

Decatur was the place of holding the Illinois show
that season and substantially all the men interested
in draft horses were on hand, the count showing a
total of forty-two imported and grade animals on
exhibition. These were all lined up in some sort of a
parade and "Wat" Watkins happened to be stand-

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 135

ing next W. E. Prichard, now, as then, a resident of
Ottawa, 111.

"Prichard," quoth Watkins, "look at that, forty-
two head, count 'em. Tell you what; this business
is going to be overdone and I'm going to stand from
under before the bottom drops out of it. ' ' And stand
from under he did, getting out of the business shortly
afterwards, and though the family was right at the
top of the ladder at the time, the name of Watkins
is hardly remembered now in its old home location
in connection with any such important position.

Regarding the three stallions imported by the Co-
lumbus firm in 1867 T. L. Bigelow gives the follow-
ing descriptions :

"Black Robert 54, black, weight about 1,500
pounds, of pure Norman blood, wonderful action and
endurance.

"Duke of France 165, bay, weight 1,750 pounds,
fair success in stud at fee of $20. Sold to go to Ga-
lena, Delaware Co., 0. Bay Duke (as we called him)
was a beautiful Norman-French horse, fine style but
not possessing the action of the pure Norman or
diligence breed of horses.

"Napoleon 325, dapple-gray, weight 1,650 pounds,
fair success in stud only. Stood mostly at Chillicothe
and in Ross Co., 0. This stallion was awarded first
premium at the World 's Fair held at Rouen, France,
1866, in competition with some 500 stallions. As was
the custom, the owner considered him sold to the
Imperial Stud and would not put a price on him on
that account for export. Messrs. Brown & Bigelow,
however, through the influence of a member of the
court, secured a personal audience with the Emperor,

136 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Napoleon III, obtaining from him an order for the
horse, later paying an enonnous price. ' '

These details supplied by Mr. Bigelow in connec-
tion with the stallions included in this and other im-
portations made by the firm are of great value as
showing the weight of the stallions then obtainable
in France and proving the existence of at least two
well differentiated types at that day. The name
"Norman" was apparently given to the diligence
or quick-moving, smaller pattern of Pleasant Valley
Bill, while the larger, slower, more drafty sort, to
which Louis Napoleon had belonged seems to have
been referred to merely as "French."

Up to the end of 1867 twenty stallions and eleven
mares had been imported from France, practically
all of them having been purchased at or near the
town of Rouen. In so far as can be ascertained the
diligence type was j^referred and had done better
with the eastern mares than the heavier horses im-
ported.

Louis Napoleon and Ivollin, the first French stal-
lions brought to Illinois, had the advantage of meet-
ing larger mares than those available farther east,
or indeed anywhere else. It is presumable that Duke
of France, the stallion referred to by Mr. Bigelow
as of "Norman-French" blood, was one of the heav-
iest retained in Ohio up to tliat time and probably
about the same size as Rollin. That both these
horses were bay and hailed from the same locality
suggests a racial connection between them. Their
ruddy coats and superior scale would suggest also

* Ellis Dt lion » • Isaiah Dillon^ •

FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 137

possession of some blood distinct from the diligence
type. Up to the close of 1867 only three imported
stallions had been brought into Illinois and none had
been located in any other state west of Ohio.

CHAPTER VI.
THE IMPOKTING KECOKD TO 1870.

More stallions and mares were imported into the
United States from France in 1868 than during all
the previous seasons, the figures being 31 stallions
and 8 mares. Seven of the mares were brought across
the sea by the late Gen. ^Y. T. Walters, Baltimore,
Md., and the remaining one by Jeff C. Clark, Nor-
mandy, Mo.

Importers of stallions in 1868 included, besides the
two already named, the Gallon Importing Co., Gallon,
0.; Wallace, Watkins & Co. and the Marion County
Importing Co., Marion, 0.; Brown, Bigelow & Co.,
Columbus, 0.; Dwight Gay, Columbus, 0.; Fulling-
ton, Phellis & Co.,'' Irwin Station, O.; A. G. Van
Hoorebeke, Monmouth, 111., and W. J. Edwards, Clif-
ton, 111. Territorial expansion was the order of the
day and greater size seems to have been sought in
France by most of the importers. Practically all the
stallions were bought in the towns of Rouen, Amiens,
Elboeuf, Boulogne, and Havre. The Paris dealers'
stables were also resorted to. The exact origin of
the imported horses of this period will never be
known, and this statement will apply with equal
truth to many a good horse brought to America from
France in subsequent years. It is clear that those

138

Tty^^U^^:;^^

THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 139

who brought out the earlier Ohio stallions were not
men who had made any special study of the business.
The Perche, as such, was to them more or less a terra
incognita. They knew nothing of what had been
going on in that district for fifty years preceding
their visits. The buyers of Louis Napoleon and
other horses were not even in quest of horses. There
were no stud books. No pedigrees were obtained,
and none of these early buyers appears to have made
any effort to seek out the real fountain head of the
type that was destined to play such an important
part in the development of draft horse breeding in
the United States. In good time, however, this was
discovered and commonly recognized.

Of the Missouri importation, consisting of two
stallions and one mare, no information can now be
secured further than that conveyed by the records.
In Illinois the case is far different, because on the
importation of Success and French Emperor by W.
J. Edwards was raised by the late Mark Wentworth
Dunham the most magnificent success ever achieved
by one man in the heavy horse business.

A Profitable Business. — By this time the importa-
tion and sale of imported stallions had settled down
to the level and dignity of an established trade
and prices ranged in this country between $2,000 and
$3,500. In France prices remained on about their
old scale. Among Dr. Marcus Brown's papers is a
memorandum showing that the five stallions he
bought in 1868 for Brown, Bigelow & Co., cost laid
down in Columbus, 0., an average of $578.68. One

140 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

of the five was a Belgian wliicli proved so utterly un-
reliable in the stud that he never succeeded in get-
ting a mare with foal. In consequence he was never
recorded. Another member of this importation,
Black Leopard 50, had considerable Belgian blood
in his veins; he was of medium stature and a fine
mover. It was this horse that killed Mr. Bigelow.
With the expansion of the business westward and
the development of the fillies by earlier imported
stallions, there arose an insistent demand in some
quarters for more weight. Importers found it also
to their advantage to be choice in the matter of in-
dividuality when making their selections abroad.
Profits were very satisfactory. Sales were quite gen-
erally for cash and guarantees of reasonable sure-
ness as foal-getters had not yet been exacted by pur-
chasers. Service fees had reached a remunerative
level and were going higher. In short the whole
business had begun to take on that air of prosperity
ill which it was swathed a decade later.

Activity in Ohio. — In almost all of the importa-
tions of 1868 one or more stallions of outstanding
merit were included. For instance, in the Gallon
company's lot of half-a-dozen, the largest importa-
tion brought over that year, no less than three —
Napoleon 733, Puelo 752, and the oddly named Pluri-
bustah 747 — gained something more than local re-
nown in the stud. While most of the imported stal-
lions still ranged in weight between 1,600 and 1,700
pounds several imported that year were much
heavier.

THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 141

The transactions of Brown & Bigelow that season
will serve to illustrate the nature of the business as
carried on in that distant day. Importers of the
present time will be interested in the following par-
ticulars :

Black Leopard 50 was the dearest horse of the lot,
costing 3,020 francs, or $604, in France. He was con-
sidered by Mr. Bigelow the best horse he ever saw
and after making many very profitable seasons at
$20 the mare he was sold at the age of sixteen for
$1,000. Diligence 137 cost $364, was sold for $2,500,
and stood all his life at $20. Coburg, the stallion that
covered 100 mares and never got one of them with
foal, cost $264 in France and brought $2,500. Two-
thirds of this price was on time and the notes were
returned. Dictator 134 cost $620. An offer of $3,000
was refused for him. He made ten big seasons at
$20 a mare. Vigorous 486 was acquired for $204 and
found a buyer at $2,200. There seems to have been
no direct connection between size and price, as the
two highest priced stallions in this lot, Dictator and
Black Leopard, were in the order written the largest
and the smallest in it. The average price paid for
the five stallions abroad was $413, but as gold was
at a premium they actually cost the average previ-
ously named.

From all accounts the three lighter stallions in
this lot. Black Leopard, Diligence and Vigorous, all
weighing from 1,600 to 1,650 pounds, did quite as
good business in the stud as the larger Dictator,
which scaled 1,900 pounds. The heavier sorts were

142 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

yet very much in the minority, the proportion of
three light to one heavy in this importation probably
holding good for all the others. The figures for the
Brown & Bigelow lot tell the story of the business
at that time.

In the importation brouglit over b}^ the Watkins
federation of Marion, 0., was the never-to-be-forgot-
ten Napoleon 2d o37, purchased that fall shortly
after landing by the firm of Llewellyn & Prichard,
Ottawa, 111., which consisted of W. E. Prichard, still
of that place, and his brother-in-law. Napoleon 2d
was a very shapely gray horse of superb quality. He
sprang into instant popularity when brought to Illi-
nois. He was later commonly known as ' ' Old Poley "
and that sobriquet soon became familiar throughout
La Salle and adjoining counties. Mares were brought,
so great was his renown, over 40 miles to his court.
Later his fame extended all over the state and his
sudden death in 1877 deprived the budding heavy
horse industry of the Prairie commonwealth of its
best foal-getter. He cost $3,300.

Of the Fullington-Phellis lot no less than three dis-
tinguished themselves more or less as sires in cen-
tral Ohio. These were Duke of Normandy 168,
Prince Albert 385, otherwise known as "Jim," and
Prince Imperial 388, better remembered locally as
' ' Old Charley. ' ' This firm was composed of Charles
Fullington, back in 1851 part owner of Louis Napo-
leon, and Charles Phellis, one of the best known
stockmen and one of the most advanced of Ohio
agriculturists of his day.

PERCHEKON STALJ,ln_\ J I L K i I LE S— IMPOKTEB IN 1868 BY W. T. ^YALTERS.

ri;ji( ii];uox staxmox .mohuck i.mi'urted in ises by w. t. w^UvTers.

THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 143

The Walters Percherons.— To Gen. W. T. Walters,
Baltimore, Md., clearly belongs the credit of having
been the leading importer and breeder of the Atlan-
tic Coast country of the early day.

In 1868 he brought across the ocean four stallions
and seven mares, establishing them on his estate just
outside Baltimore. It may be said fairly that the
gray diligence horse of France became an obsession
with him. He was a man of wealth, position and
large affairs. He resided in France for a consider-
able period and during his sojourn in that country
became deeply impressed with the adaptability of
the Percheron to American conditions. He formed
a connection with one of the officials of the French
government stud who assisted him in making his
selections. He contended that the diligence type was
suitable in every way for use before a gentleman's
carriage. He sought generally the lighter weights,
and seated in his platform spring wagon or double
carriage draw^n by a pair of what he always called
Percheron mares, driven by a colored coachman, he
was a familiar figure on the Baltimore drives.

Gen. Walters never overlooked an opportunity to
promote public interest in his Percherons, and hav-
ing ample means at his command he was in a position
to go as far as he liked. He caused a translation of
Du Haj^s' history of the Percheron horse to be made
and published at his own personal expense. He dis-
tributed among his friends a splendid quarto volume
profusely illustrated with plates of stallions and
mares made from photographs by Schreiber of Phila-

144 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

delphia, then and for long years afterwards the fore-
most live stock camera artist of America. The repro-
ductions herewith of plates from Gen. Walters' pri-
vately circulated book disclose at a glance the type
of horse he favored.

The late Dr. Ezra Stetson, Neponset, 111., procured
some of the Walters mares, and their descendants
proved among the most useful horses of the early
days of Percheron breeding in the middle west.

Old Success Imported. — W. J. Edwards, Clifton,
111,, was a patentee and manufacturer of improved
road-construction machinery, a traveler, a gentle-
man, and the possessor of untiring energy. In 1868
he journeyed to Europe and when he returned to
Clifton brought with him three imported stallions
— a bay which was the largest of the trio, French
Emperor 203, and the gray Success 452. Just where
he acquired the bay and what became of that big
horse diligent research has failed to reveal. These
three stallions made seasons in Clifton in 1868, and
that fall the two grays were purchased by the
Fletcher Co., Wayne, 111., which took its title from
its first president, the late Mark Wentworth Fletcher,
father of James Moore Fletcher, who some years
later in connection with Oaklawn, and aftei^wards
on his own account, became a leader in Percheron
circles. Success attained great celebrity, as will be
noted further on.

M. W. Dunham Enters the Business. — In this
Fletcher company, as one of its members, was iho
late Mark W. Dunham, Wayne, 111., one of the most

PERCHERON STAIXION SUI/TAN— IMPORTED IN 1881 EV \V i'. \\Al.ri;K^

IJIPORTE© IX 1866 BY W. T. WAX.TERS.

THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 145

resourceful and far-sighted men ever identified with
animal breeding in North America. Firai in the
conviction that a great future lay before the French
horses in the United States, Mr. Dunham bought
out his colleagues in this enterprise and there and
then founded the great importing and breeding
enterprise which has made the names of Dunham
and Oaklawn household words among the draft horse
breeders of two continents. His subsequent stu-
pendous success will necessarily come in for frequent
reference as our story progresses.

Napoleon Bonaparte. — While no very direct ac-
count can be given of the events which followed
the introduction by Jeff C. Clark of French blood
into Missouri, further than as contained in the rec-
ords, the facts seem to be clear enough. Eugenia
802, the gray mare imported by Mr. Clark that
year as a four-year-old, proved prolific, though un-
reliable as to the color of her progeny. Mr. Clark
seems to have held on to his imported horses for
some seven years, when he disposed of Eugenia to
Henry V. P. Block, Aberdeen, Mo., and the stallion
Napoleon Bonaparte 334 to the Pike Co., Mo., Horse
Association, Louisiana, Mo. Of this gray horse it
is of record that while weighing close to 1,600
pounds he was possessed of coach horse conforma-
tion, style and beauty, quality and action. More-
over he was quite fast at the trot. There is a tradi-
tion, of sufficient moment at the time to induce the
discriminating compiler to record it in Volume I of
the Percheron Stud Book, that Napoleon Bonaparte

146 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

trotted a mile over the old St. Louis fair grounds
track in 3.42, pulling a four-wheeled coupe contain-
ing four men. Bismarck, the stable companion of
this fast traveler, in 1874 became the property of
Dr. Stetson of Neponset, 111., but apparently he did
not meet his views, as in the year following he
passed to the same company that owned Napoleon
Bonaparte.

This covers quite closely the main facts which
transpired in 1868, the most memorable year since
the inception of the importing business. Almost as
many mares were imported as had thitherto crossed
the ocean — 8 as compared with 11 head — and the
number of imported stallions had been increased 150
per cent, the figures from 1839 to 1867 inclusive be-
ing 20 as compared with 31 in 1868. Imported
horses had penetrated as far west as Missouri and
the second and third direct importations had been
made into Illinois. By far the most important fea-
ture of the year was the entrance of Mark W. Dun-
ham into the ranks following the banner of the
French horse. Unpretentious and inauspicious
though that beginning may have been it marked
the opening of the era during Avhich the breed was
destined to assume the dominance of the American
draft horse breeding industry, with M. W. Dun-
ham as its leading exponent.

A Lull in 1869. — In the season following the boom
of 1868 importations were greatly reduced, general
commercial dullness and financial stringency being
given as the causes. In 1869, too, we note the giving

PERCHERON STALUONS TRIBUNE AND SALVATOR— IMPORTED BY W. T.

WALTERS.

PERCHEROX ilARE KATE— I-M1'< HtlKD JX ISmj I;Y W. T. WALTERS.

THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 147

way of the Ohio contingent as the leader in the im-
porting business, and the promise of the rise of
Illinois to the proud position of prominence it was
soon to assume and which it has held ever since.

Not one of the previously prominent Ohio firms
is named as having brought horses across the ocean
in 1869, the only importer of record in that state
for that season being F. D. Dunham of Cincinnati,
whose lot consisted of two stallions which do not
seem to have made any impression on the equine
affairs of the state. Hume & Short of Brighton
and A. G. Van Hoorebeke of Monmouth are the Illi-
nois operators listed in the records. With three
residents of Pennsylvania they comprise the roster
of those actively engaged. The Pennsylvanians
were E. W. Shippen, Meadville, who brought out
three stallions, Edward Schreiber, AUentown, who
brought five stallions and one mare, and John S.
Parker, AVest Chester, who brought two stallions.
The total importations for the entire year amount-
ed to fifteen stallions and one mare. No mark worthy
of prominent mention seems to have been left by
any of these animals. Only one foal is recorded as
having been produced by the mare imported that
season, Eugenia 803. It was a colt, color not given,
sired by Prince Imperial 748 (imported the same
year) and foaled in 1876.

It was in this year of 1869 that the state of Iowa
received its first imported stallion. In the fall of
1868 Peter Bland, one of the earliest converts to the
draft horse faith and a resident of the Darby Plains

148 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

country of Ohio, bought from Fullington, Phellis
& Co. the five-year-old gray Duke of Normandy 168,
locally known as John Sheridan. One year later
Mr. Bland sold this stallion, which was of the dili-
gence type and weighed not more than 1,600 pounds
at full maturity, to A. W. Cook, Charles City, la.,
who kept him until 1874 and then sold him to Jacob
Erb & Co, of Ames. Pride of Perclie 382, imported
by the AVatkins federation of Ohio, reached the
Iowa Agricultural College this same year. John
Sheridan was not long destined for his work in Story
county, his death following in August of the same
season in which he was taken there.

Across the Continent. — The year 1870 saw the
hub of the country's draft horse importing and
breeding industry pass westward to Illinois, where
it has ever since remained. Kansas received its first
direct importation from France in the gray stallion
Napoleon 736, imported by M. J. Parrott, Leaven-
worth, but fated not long to be retained in the Sun-
flower state. In 1872 Napoleon was sold to W. C.
Meyer, the pioneer breeder of the Pacific slope, who
in that year took his second lot over the Rocky
Mountains. Mr. Meyer's first purchase, made in
this year of 1870, included the stallion White Prince
496, boll 541 (by the Baker Horse 21 out of old Doll
540, imported in 1857) and some grade mares with
three crosses of imported blood in their veins. From
these grade mares he was able in 1878 under the
new top-cross rule to register the fillies Jane 812 and
Josie 815, the foniier by Pride of Perche 380 and

PEBCHEKON MARES JAQUEONB, TOPSY, BELLE AND ALENB— IMPORTED IN
1S6S BY W. T. WALTERS.

rERCIIEIMX -rAI.I.lnXs SILIAX AXIi \]rr(i]t— IMPORTED AND OWNED
I'.Y W. T. WALn:RS.

THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 149

the latter by Geii. Fleury 846, their pedigrees other-
wise being the same — dam Jennie by Prince Imperial
388 (Old Charley), grandam by Normandy 351
(Pleasant Valley Bill), third dam by Nonesuch 345
(Old Bob), fourth dam by Louis Napoleon 281.

White Prince 496 was the first imported horse ever
taken west of the Rocky Mountains, and it will be
observed that even as early as 1878 we had Ameri-
can-bred horses of high breeding graded up from
the native stock. White Prince was a fine individual
and an extraordinarily successful sire, never a big
one, weighing around 1,600 pounds, and remembered
as a typical specimen of the true diligence breed in
its highest estate. His get followed his own pattern
closely as to both type and color. Indeed he was
regarded as exactly the horse that should have been
chosen to make a start in a region where the im-
provement of the native stock had not previously
been attempted. Unfortunately lie was poisoned in
1878, foul play in that manner removing perhaps
the most impressive getter ever used on the common
run of mares in the early days in that country.

Good Buying for Illinois. — Fullington, Thompson
& Co., Irwin Station, and the Marion company still
held the fort in Ohio, each firm importing three
stallions in 1870. All the other importers of that
year, with the exception of Mr. Parrott, already
mentioned as hailing from Kansas, were residents
of Illinois. They were: Hume & Short, Brighton;
Russ, McCourtey & Slattery, Onarga; Westfall,
Moore & Rexroat, Macomb; A. G. Van Hoorebeke,

150 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Monmouth ; Jas. A. Perry, Wilmington, and last but
not least, E, Dillon & Co., Normal, which had been
identified with the business since the purchase of
Louis Napoleon in 1858. Illinois' delegation consist-
ed of 17 out of the 24 stallions imported that season.
Josephine 814, brought across by Mr. Parrott, is the
only mare listed for 1870. She was disposed of the
following spring to Mr. Meyer, but died before she
could be shipped.

Duke de Chartres Brings $4,000. — Among the stal-
lions imported in 1870 were several celebrities. In
the quartette brought by James A. Perry, Wilming-
ton, 111., was Duke de Chartres 150, a four-year-old
gray conceded to have been the handsomest imported
stallion of his day, and extraordinarily successful in
the showring at the Illinois State and other fairs.
He earned the further distinction of being the first
imported horse to be taken to California, William
Hill & Co., Petaluma, being the buyers at a price
reported to have been $4,000, or the highest paid up
to that date. Diligent inquiiy has failed to develop
information touching Duke de Chartres' career after
reaching the Golden State. Vidal 784, another stal-
lion in the same importation, was later sold by Mr.
Perry to the Degens of Ottawa, his acquisition mark-
ing the entrance of that Illinois family into the
business in which they were prominent for some
years.

Pride of Perche 382, a four-year-old gray imported
by the Marion company in Ohio, was probably the
second imported stallion taken into Iowa, having

THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 151

been purchased by A. G. Howland, Otisville, the
same year he was imported. He made several
seasons at the Iowa Agricultural College, Ames, but
like John Sheridan died in 1877. Most of the stal-
lions imported by Russ, McCourtey & Slattery,
Onarga, and Westfall, Moore & Rexroat, Macomb,
seem to have done yeoman service in the improve-
ment of the native Illinois stocks, proving in the
main long-lived, prolilic, and impressive. One of
the stallions imported by Westfall, Moore & Eex-
roat was sold to A. V. Brookings, Macomb, 111.,
marking the beginning of a connection that persisted
prominently in that portion of the state for a great
many years.

First of the Blood in Wisconsin. — Whether to
Simon Rublee or to H. B. Sherman, both now mem-
bers of the great silent majority, belongs the credit
of having taken the first imported stallion into Wis-
consin the records are not altogether clear. It is the
tradition that Mr. Sherman bought a stallion in Ohio
of 1870 importation, but finding him wanting in some
essential particular later obtained another in ex-
change for him — Pride of Perche 380. But it is cer-
tain that Mr. Rublee bought Mahomet 291, imported
in 1870, from the Dillons. He was one of their first
lot of four head. In just which year the first im-
ported horse was taken into the Badger state the
records do not make clear, but the honor of blazing
the trail in that commonwealth belongs to one or
the other of these two men.

Dillons' Big St. Laurent. — With the importation

152 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

of four head, which marked the beginning of the
Dillons' importing career, there came certainly the
weightiest stallion that up to that time had entered
this country, and quite likely as big as any that has
followed him. This was St. Laurent 435, a gray
foaled in 1866, and said to have weighed near 2,400
pounds. He was loosely put together, and a some-
what uncertain getter, but there is no question as to
his mastodonic dimensions.

Recapitulation. — Beginning with the Harris im-
portation of 1839 and closing the first era of the im-
porting business with the end of 1870, we find a
total of 90 stallions and 21 mares definitely recorded
as having been brought to these shores from France.
It is generally believed that a few animals besides
those mentioned here were actually imported within
tlie period described, but the data concerning them
and the points of their origin were too indefinite for
the compiler of the stud book some forty and more
years ago to recognize their claims. At the best
they could be but few in number. Some of the early
imported stallions of the diligence type bred re-
markably true to form, and there is little room to
doubt that on removal far from the point of produc-
tion some of their sons w^ith age, whitening coat,
and growing success in the stud gradually assumed
the dignity, by local reputation, of ''imported
stock." If a few genuinely imported stallions were
overlooked it is no more than must have been ex-
pected in the circumstances, but without doubt a
place was found for every animal whose history

THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 153

could be traced without break or flaw. Naturally,
too, there was considerable duplication of names, but
that also was unavoidable. It is possible when the
affairs of a stud book organization are in running
order to prevent two animals being registered by
the same name, but that is impossible in gathering
together materials for a retrospective volume.
Names under which stallions have been known for
many years can not be changed for the purposes of
making a more intelligible record. In reading the
history of the earliest importations it is necessary,
then, to sense properly the number following the
name when tracing the career of any given individ-
ual. Of Napoleons, Dukes of Normandy, Prides of
Perche, and Princes of various realms there were
many and unless the stud book number is carefully
noted in connection with the name confusion must
ensue.

Of the 90 stallions imported between 1839 and
1870, Ohio had 42, Illinois 24, Pennsylvania 10,
Maryland 5, Massachusetts, Virginia, Missouri and
New Jersey 2 each, and Kansas 1. Owing to the
activity of Gen. W. T. Walters, Maryland easily
leads among the mares with a total of 10 out of 21,
followed by Massachusetts with 3, Virginia and
New Jersey with 2 each, and Pennsylvania, Kansas,
Missouri and Ohio with 1 each.

Starting once more with the landing of the Harris
stallions and mares in New Jersey, we have the
spread westward in chronological order to Maryland,
Pennsylvania and Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri,

154 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

Kansas, Iowa and Oregon. Micliigan received its
first blood also in 1870, when Hon. Z. T. Chandler,
Lansing, bonght Mark Anthony 296 from Gen. W. T.
Walters, Baltimore. Oddly enough, although every
stallion taken into Illinois and further west neces-
sarily had to pass through Indiana there is no men-
tion made of the location of any imported stallion
in that state w^ithin the period of 32 years just re-
viewed. Mahomet 292, a five-year-old gray stallion
imported in 1868 by the Watkins confederacy in
Ohio, is recorded as having made several seasons in
Illinois and Indiana, but that is as close as we can
come to discovering any early awakening in Indiana
to a sense of the merits of these imported horses.

By the close of 1870 draft horse breeding had
been established in Illinois as a commercial industry
on a sure and solid basis, though as yet no purebred
mares had been owned within the state. Up to this
time a large percentage of the male progeny of the
imported stallions, especially if gray in color and
descended from the Samson mares, were kept entire
and used in the stud, some of these grades being
high-class individuals and often really not to be dis-
tinguished from the imported article. "Weights as
high as 1,800 and even 1,900 pounds had been
achieved in this line of breeding and prices up to
and beyond the $l,000-line had been paid for the best
specimens. Four hundred and $500, and even $600,
$700, and $800 were prices constantly quoted for
young gray horses possessing the characteristic
"Frenchy" form, even though only half-bred. Stal-

THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 155

lion fees were liberal, reaching as high as $25, $35,
and even to $40 and $50 in the top register. No
line of live stock endeavor was so popular and at
the fairs big and little the owners of French horses
vied strenuously with one another in making dis-
plays of the colts and fillies begotten by their stal-
lions. Of course these young things were all grades.

In New Jersey all trace of the early importations
was gradually swept away, the mark left by Gray
Billy, stallmate of Pleasant Valley Bill on the jour-
ney across the ocean, being perhaps the hardest to
efface, owing no doubt to the superior purity of his
blood and his prepotence as a sire. Despite the so-
cial and personal prominence of Gen. W. T. Walters
and the care and money he lavished on his Per-
cheron breeding venture, little benefit accrued to the
state of Maryland. Indeed, save that in some locali-
ties the weight of the native farm stock was measur-
ably increased, it is questionable if the equine inter-
ests of the commonwealth received any lasting bene-
fit. Much the same is true, on the best authority,
of the earliest importations into Virginia, and all
vestiges of the Kentucky importations of 1859 have
vanished completely.

In Pennsylvania no doubt the war of 1861-5 swal-
lowed up most of the grades old enough to go to the
front, the state at that day being famed as the
breeding ground wdiere the best big horses in the
Union were produced. Indubitably the heavy de-
mands made on the newly improved equine pos-
sessions of Pennsylvania for military purposes gave

156 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

the work of amelioration so grievous a setback that
before the machinery of improvement had again been
set in motion the tide of agricultural advancement
and settlement was flowing westward in such over-
mastering volume and strength that the ground lost
could never be quite regained. Nevertheless Penn-
sylvania remained for years one of the dominant
factors in the American heavy horse breeding in-
dustry.

To a lesser extent the same is true of Ohio. In
the Buckeye state perhaps the farmers' yards were
not raked quite so clean as in Pennsylvania, and
though the prices offered by the agents of the War
Department tempted many breeders to sell their
grade mares for army uses a larger percentage re-
mained after the close of hostilities with which to
begin anew the making of the native-bred drafter.
Old Doll 540, imported in 1857 by the Darby Plains
Co., proved a tower of strength to the budding pure-
bred industry, not only in her own career but also
in the prolificacy of her several daughters. They
gave the Ohio fanciers a start in the breeding of
purebred stock and the constant supply of unrelated
imported stallions from 1851 onward gave them the
opportunity to put successive crosses upon the native
foundation until registration under the top-cross rule
of 1878 had been achieved. We find no evidence
that this new rule was taken advantage of in that
day by the breeders in Maryland or Virginia.

Just how Indiana escaped from being infected with
the desire to improve its work horses by the use of

THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 157

the imported blood will never be explained, but that
not a single imported stallion had up to 1870 ever
been taken for service within the boundaries of the
state is proved beyond a doubt by the records. How
such a priceless boon came to be overlooked entirely
in the main line of western travel must remain an
unsolved mystery.

Illinois seems to have been shaped by destiny to
be the center of the American draft horse breeding
industry. As already stated, the existence of the
big mares carrying the blood of Samson contributed
to the early success on the broad prairies of Taze-
well and adjacent counties, and there is a tradition
that even as early as 1835 grades of another draft
breed had been used to better the work stock of that
region. Moreover, Illinois with its deep rich soil and
its wonderful grazing was from the very first an
ideal horse-breeding ground.

As early as 1820 or thereabouts the Dillons, Hodg-
sons, and other w^ell known old Illinois families had
achieved fame as horse breeders in the localities back
east from which they originally hailed. About that
year several of these families sent scouts west with
instructions to look up a new location, the repre-
sentatives of the Dillons and the Hodgsons being
charged specifically to locate lands where horse
breeding could be made a specialty. They came on
horseback and the practical judgment of these hardy
pioneers is well demonstrated by their original
choices of location along the Illinois River in Taze-
well and La Salle counties. They brought good

158 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

horses of the Dragon and Conestoga stocks with
them, and the portion of the state where they settled
has ever since been within the best breeding ground
for draft horses in the west.

It was into Tazewell county that tradition alleges
the very first stallions of draft blood brought to Illi-
nois were taken about 1835. It was into that same
county that Samson was imported in 1843, and it
was there again that Louis Napoleon made the ' ' hit ' '
that paved the way for all that has since transpired
in this great branch of American animal husbandry.

CHAPTER VII.
MID- WEST PIONEERS.

The production of French horses in America from
imported ancestry on both sides was so limited prior
to 1871 as to be of little consequence. As a matter
of fact only 23 animals since recorded in the Ameri-
can Stud Book were foaled during the years from
1871 to 1874. More rapid headway was made after
1875, however, as a considerable number of mares
had meantime been imported. Summarizing the
situation, we find that 874 stallions and 152 mares
were imported between 1871 and 1880, and that 104
stallions and 115 mares were bred in America during
that same time.

Restricted as home-breeding may seem to have
been, a solid foundation had nevertheless been laid.
The value of the French horses in improving the
common stock of the country, already demonstrated
by Louis Napoleon, French Emperor, Success, Pleas-
ant Valley Bill, and numerous others, had been more
than sustained by the importation and use of Apollo
14, Vidocq 483 (732), St. Laurent 435, Nogent 738
(729), Dieppe 135, Malbranche 293, and numerous
other sires of more than average merit. Actual
breeding had begun in fifteen states. Last but not
least, a number of firms had passed through the

160 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

pioneer stages of importing and breeding and were
leading the way to rapid improvement in our draft
horse stock.

Leaders of the Period. — Mark W. Dunham, E. Dil-
lon & Co., James A. Perry, Daniel Dunham, A. W.
Cook, Virgin & Brown, Degen Bros., B. H. Campbell,
James H. Sanders, R. B. Chisholm, and the Onarga
Importing Company were leading figures in the trade
during the period of which we speak. All but Cook
and Sanders were located in Illinois. They were
carrying the colors to the front in Iowa. There
were, however, seventy-seven other men who are
credited with importations during this time, and
some excellent horses were brought over by some of
the minor operators. In some cases importations
were made by men who did not go abroad, but who
bought their horses through accredited agents in
France.

The leading breeders of the early 70 's, as shown
by entries subsequently made in the American Stud
Book, in order of importance were M. W. Dunham
and E. Dillon & Co., both of Illinois; S. W. Ficklin
of Virginia; Thomas Jones & Son and C. M. Jones,
of Ohio; W. T. Walters of Maryland; W. H. Winter
and Daniel Dunham of Illinois; W. C. Myer of Ore-
gon ; George W. Stubblefield & Co., and Ed. Hodgson
of Illinois. Thirty-two other breeders produced
from one to four animals each during the years men-
tioned, and their product was distributed over the
states named and ten others.

Oaklawn in Front. — Mark W. Dunham was not

MID-WEST PIONEERS 161

only tJie principal importer, but easily the leading
breeder of his time, both in point of numbers and in
the excellence of animals produced. Between 1872
and 1900 385 mares and 353 stallions (a total of 738
Percherons) were bred at Oaklawn, more than in
any five other breeding establislinients operating dur-
ing the '70 's, '80 's and '90 's. Aside from this, the
character of the animals produced was such that
Oaklawn took the premier position at the outset, and
its leadership was never seriously disputed during
the lifetime of its founder.

Born in 1842 of New England parentage Mark W.
Dunham succeeded in 1865 to the farm which his
father had purchased from the government in 1833.
His education w^as obtained in the local schools and
on the farm, under the guidance of a father who
was a good farmer and a raiser of livestock of more
than average merit. The father died when Mark
was only 23, and he at once assumed the management
of the place which then comprised but about 300
acres, located near Wayne, 111., where the buildings
now stand.

Mr. Dunham as a practical farmer had bred good
livestock from the outset, and as has already been
briefly mentioned he had entered upon his career as
a horseman by becoming a member of the Fletcher
Horse Co., headed by his uncle, M. W. Fletcher.
This was the company that had bought Success and
French Emperor in 1868, shortly after their im-
portation by W. J. Edwards. A few years later
Mr. Dunham bought Success from the company for

162 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

$3,300. The excellent character of the colts sired
by this stallion out of the small, nondescript mares
then common in northern Illinois, and the decidedly
greater value of the colts for work or sale (they
brought twice as much at the same age as any other
colts sired in the county) together with the fact that
very few such horses were in service convinced Mr.
Dunham that an excellent business opening was here
presented. He lacked means, but had the confidence
of his bankers, who financed his initial venture —
an importation of 6 stallions in 1872. He did so
well on these that he brought over 17 stallions and
4 mares in 1873, and steadily increased his importa-
tions in both stallions and mares, until by the end
of 1880 he had imported a total of 300 stallions and
75 mares.

Home Breeding Emphasized. — From the very be-
ginning Mr. Dunham encouraged the breeding of
Percherons in America, as is amply attested by the
fact that he brought over 75 of the 152 mares im-
ported during the '70 's. The other 77 mares were
brought over by 17 different importers, the Dillons
bringing 18 and Daniel Dunham 17.

Mignonette 584 (1447) was the best of the mares
imported at this time. She is described as ''16%
hands high, weight over 2,000 pounds in fair order,
dapple-gray. ' ' She was six years old when imported
in 1876, was champion mare at the Centennial Expo-
sition at Philadelphia that year, and was a noted
winner in France prior to importation. She was
retained in the stud and was considered one of the

MID-WEST PIONEERS 163

best brood mares at Oaklawn. She was the dam of
Nyanza 869, sold to head the stud of Henry Avery,
Wakefield, Kans., in 1881. Ophelia 590, Minerva
585, Countess 537, Adelaide 519, and Midocean 583
were other mares that proved to be good producers
at Oaklawn. By the end of 1880 20 stallions and 28
mares had been bred and reared by Mr. Dunham
as an earnest of his belief in the production of Ameri-
can-bred Percherons. Success 452, Apollo 14, and
Vidocq 483 were the sires used, in order named, dur-
ing this period.

Some Celebrities Described. — As a matter of inter-
est a detailed description of these horses is here
given:

Success 452, foaled in 1864 and imported in 1868,
was 16 hands high; weight 1,700 pounds. He was
vigorous, hardy, an easy keeper, compact and sym-
metrical, with unusual elegance and attractiveness
in general appearance and movement. His get were
described as uniformly large-sized, compactly built,
clean-limbed, stylish and active, whether from large
or small mares.

Apollo 14, foaled in 1868, imported in 1875, was
16% hands high, weighed 2,000 pounds, and was a
dark dapple-gray. He was very symmetrical and
stylish and excellent in quality. Grand champion
at the Centennial in 1876, he sired but 5 purebred
colts at Oaklawn before his untimely death early
in 1878. Such colts as he did sire were very large,
massive, and excellent in character.

Vidocq 483 (732), foaled in 1869 and imported in

164 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

1874 stood 16^/4 hands liigli, weighed 1,850 pounds,
and was dapple-gray in color. He was very com-
pact, symmetrical and stylish, with extreme spirit
and courage. He was second at the Societe Hip-
pique Percheron Show at Nogent in 1872, being
beaten by his half-brother, Duke de Chartres 162
(721). He was sold to Leonard Jolmson of Min-
nesota shortly after importation, but the colts sired
by him in France proved so good and were such
consistent winners when imported that Mr. Dunham
bought him back to head the Oaklawn stud in 1878.
Here he remained in service till 1885; he was the
chief stock horse until superseded by Brilliant 1271
(755). He sired 36 purebred colts, most of which
were bred by Mr. Dunham and Mr. Johnson. His
greatest son, Nogent 738 (729), was placed at the
head of the Dillon stud in 1877.

Drawing from the Fountain Head. — Mr. Dunham's
pioneer service as an importer and breeder was
notable for his insistence upon purchasing only
horses of true Perclieron breeding and character.
He was not long in locating the source of the best
draft horses in France. He sought his material in
the very heart of The Perche. He early determined
that the Percheron combined the necessary size and
quality with unusual S3mimetry, style, action, spirit,
and courage. His earliest purchases were made from
such men as M. Cajet, M. Fardouet pere, M. Dupont,
M. Miard and Ernest Perriot, Sr., all located in The
Perche, and all leaders in Percheron breeding. His
deliberate selection of the best stallions and mares

' cJas. M.Fleieher • < Leonard Johnson '

MID- WEST PIONEERS 165

obtainable in France for use in his own breeding
operations at Oaklawn set a high standard for other
American breeders to follow; last but not least, his
aggressive advertising through the agricultural
press and at fairs and expositions, together with
well-planned circular and catalog distribution, did
more to bring Percherons to the front in these early
days than any other factor. In his advertising Mr.
Dunham placed emphasis on the greater value of the
colts begotten by Percheron sires, and repeatedly
scored by pointing out that the colts sired by his
Percheron stallions were selling for twice as much
at the same age as the colts sired by the common
grade or mixed-bred sires then in general use. The
utility value of "the draft horse was his theme,
whether for work or sale, and he drove this point
home so aggressively that his sales of Percherons
in 1875 and 76 aggregated almost $200,000 — elo-
quent testimony, even at so early a date, as to the
high character of his selections.

The Dillons. — Ellis Dillon and his nephews, Levi
and Isaiah Dillon, operating under the name of E.
Dillon & Co., were first located in Tazewell, and later
in McLean county in Illinois. The Dillons were the
first family to locate in Tazewell county, and came
there from Ohio in 1823. They brought with them
horses larger than the average descended from
English draft stock. Subsequently they had the
services of old Samson, an imported English draft
stallion, probably a Shire, brought over by Col. Oak-
ley in 1843. They continued the use of this blood

166 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

and bred mares of more than average size at a time
when most farmers were frittering away what draft
stock they had by mating their mares to trotting
sires.

As already related, the Dillons obtained Louis
Napoleon in 1857, and his phenomenal success as a
sire finally led them to decide on direct importations.
Four stallions were brought over in 1870, and from
1872 to 1880 importations were annually made, ex-
cept in 1878. From 1872 to 1880 they imported 84
stallions and 18 mares.

The breeding operations of the Dillon firm were
restricted because of the limited number of mares
available, but some very valuable sires were in use
during this time. St. Laurent 435, their first sire,
was a horse of tremendous scale; and w^liile he was
not a great breeding horse some of his get sold at long
prices at early ages. Nogent 738 (729) was imported
in 1877 by the Dillons, and was used by them in the
late '70 's and early '80 's, supplementing St. Laurent
435 in the stud. He was a horse of exceptional qual-
ity and merit as a sire, and while he begot only 5
purebred colts after importation to America, the colts
sired by him in France, many of which were later
imported, were so excellent as to stamp Nogent 738
(729) as the greatest son of Vidocq 483 (732) and
one of the ranking sires of the '70 's.

All told the Dillons bred 28 stallions and 13 mares
between 1871 and 1880, most of them produced after
1876. They bred some very high-class animals, espe-
cially in mares, were aggressive exhibitors in the

MID-WEST PIONEERS 167

showring and good advertisers, and by reason of
their prestige and influence in central Illinois in a
business and political sense they exerted a strong
influence on draft horse breeding. They were not
particular, however, to hold strictly to Percheron
type and bought many useful horses of other French
derivation. They emphasized great weight, massive-
ness, and ruggedness, and placed rather less impor-
tance upon quality, finish, and action. They led the
faction which held that all horses coming from
France should be grouped as one breed, to be called
''French Draft," and this divergence in views later
caused a split in the ranks of the men who were
forwarding Percheron horse-breeding interests in
America.

Ohio Breeders of the 70 's. — While the most ag-
gressive Percheron campaign was being waged in
Illinois, Ohio 's breeders were not idle. Andrew Gill
and Thomas Jones & Son, at Plain City, and H. L.
Wood, at Piqua, bred a total of 17 Percherons during
this decade. Thomas Jones was the leading breeder.
His operations were really started in 1864 by the
purchase of Normandy 351 (Pleasant Valley Bill)
from Timothy Bigelow. Doll 540 (imported) was
bought in 1866 and her filly, Rose 604, foaled in 1866,
was retained, though Doll and her next foal, a filly,
were sold in 1867 to Gill & Woods for $1,000. From
Rose 604 came three recorded fillies, foaled in 1869,
'70, and '71, all sired by Normandy 351. These four
mares were subsequently bred to Ajax 5, a very good
big horse, imported in 1871 by the Delaware Import-

168 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

ing Co., and bought in 1874 by Jones.* By 1880 the
firm had bred and reared 5 stallions and 8 mares, of
more than average merit.

Ajax 5 was about 17 hands high and weighed
approximately a ton when in good flesh. He made a
tremendous improvement in the size of the Perche-
rons in Ohio, and was a very prepotent sire, both as
to size and color. In the 18 years during which
he was used at Pleasant, Valley Stock Farm he never
sired a colt that was not gray in color. Belle 522
was the best brood mare of those owned by the
Jones firm at this time. She produced altogether 5
stallions and 3 mares, most of them foaled before
1880, and her descendants are to be found in all parts
of Ohio.

The other Ohio breeders operating during this dec-
ade produced but two animals each, but they had
laid the foundation for more extensive work and
had, through the use of Percheron sires, made
notable improvement on the common horses of their
districts.

The East and the Far West. — The men who stood
third and fourth in number of Percherons bred dur-
ing this period were S. W. Ficklin of Virginia with
13, and W. C. Myer of Oregon with 12. Both were
pioneers in their respective states, and must be given

*C. M. Jones, the son, then associated with his father, states
that the farmers in his part of Ohio had the value of draft horses
driven home to them most forcibly during the Civil "War, when the
descendants of Louis Napoleon, Pleasant Valley Bill, and the Baker
Horse brought twice as mucli as common horses and ■were eagerly
sought for by army buyers. The lesson struck home and the farm-
ers gave liberal patronage to draft sires thereafter.

MID-WEST PIONEERS 169

great credit for campaigns waged against odds.
Farming on a large scale, which quickly forced the
greater utility value of the draft horse upon the at-
tention of cornbelt fanners, was not general where
these men lived, and the farmers and horsemen were
less numerous and less able to buy.

Mr. Ficklin's start was really made in 1866, by
the importation of 2 stallions and 2 mares. One of
these mares produced a filly in 1867, and from these
3 mares he produced 13 colts during the period under
consideration. The stallions produced w^ere lost to
sight in the common stock of Virginia, but the fe-
male line persisted and is today represented by more
than 60 descendants, in the studs of T. L. White,
F. B. Albert, D. T. Martin, C. H. King, D. M Cloyd,
and others, all of Virginia. More than 40 of these
trace through Constance 8th 8215, foaled in 1879.
Mr. Ficklin's Percheron breeding ceased in 1888.

On the Pacific Coast. — In December, 1870, William
C. Myer of Ashland, Ore., bought White Prince 496.
His place was located in a valley tributary to the
Rogue River. Here, within sight of mountain peaks
and with Indian pony mares as the chief mates in
his harem, that imported horse started the work of
improvement. The colts were uniformly good in
color, compact, well-proportioned, with style, sym-
metry, and size. The progeny, even from pony mares
not exceeding 800 pounds, weighed 1,200 pounds and
over. Such results were exactly what the western
ranchmen wanted, and as a consequence Mr. Myer
established a stud by bringing out 2 more stallions

170 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

and 4 producing mares, 2 of which came from Ohio,
one from Pennsylvania, and one, of Ohio breeding,
from Wisconsin. The stallions were Pride of Perche
380, imported in 1874, and Gen. Fleury, imported in
1875. Both were brought over by Fullington & Co.
of Ohio. Marked impetus was given to the growing
popularity of the Percheron by these shipments of
Mr. Myer, and he is justly credited with the most
important pioneer work on the Pacific Coast.

Dr. W. H. Winter.— W. II. Winter of Princeton,
Daniel Dunham of Wayne, G. W. Stubblefield & Co.
of Bloomington, and Eli Hodgson of Ottawa, all of
Illinois, were other leaders, with 11, 10, 8, and 5
American-bred Percherons to their respective credits
by the close of 1880.

Dr. Winter was of English descent and came from
Pennsylvania to Princeton in 1850. He was engaged
in the drug business, but was by inheritance a farmer
and soon established Edgewood Farm. Here he
bred Shorthorn cattle and draft horses. In 1874 he
made his start in Percherons by purchasing Mal-
branche 293, imported in 1873 by the Princeton
Horse Co., and in 1874 he had the mares Jeanne 560
and Joan 562 imported through N". C. Buswell. The
mares both proved to be good breeders and by the
close of 1880 he had 3 stallions and 8 mares descend-
ed from this modest foundation.

Malbranche 293 is described as a large gray, about
17.1 hands high, weighing over a ton. He was a
deep-bodied, wide-chested horse with two good ends
and a good middle. He was considered the best sire

MID-WEST PIONEERS 171

ever used at Edgewood Farm, although many of his
colts were bays and sorrels — colors that were none
too popular. Bernadotte 36, a bay bred by Dr. Win-
ter, sired by Malbranche 293 out of Jeanne 560, was
also used, supplementing his sire.

Dr. Winter was a man of high character and con-
sidered a ver}^ good judge of horses. He exerted a
wholesome influence on horse breeding in his dis-
trict, but this was largely local at the time. Dr. Ezra
Stetson of Neponset, 111., was one of his contempo-
raries who bred a few horses during this early
period ; his operations will be dealt with later.

Daniel Dunham. — Mark Dunham's elder brother
Daniel 's operations during the decade under review
require but passing comment. He bred 10 alto-
gether, from mares purchased at Oaklawn, using the
sires which were at the head of his brother's stud.
In 1880 he imported 3 stallions and 17 mares, selected
with particular view to his own Percheron breeding
operations, so that his foundation was properly laid
at the close of the time we are considering.

Eli Hodgson. — Mr. Hodgson had used Louis Na-
poleon during the early '60 's. He owned some
good grade draft horses, and in 1874 made an im-
portation of 3 stallions and 1 mare. Of the stal-
lions Bob Havre 57 proved most valuable. He sired
but few purebred colts, for purebred mares were
scarce in his time, but his get out of common grade
mares were so good that he earned over $10,000 for
his owner in 10 seasons and was then sold at the age
of 13 for $2,500 to W. P. Corbin, Pontiac, 111. The

172 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

mare, Pride of Paris 593, proved to be a regular
producer, but she and her descendants were coarse
and so lacking in both quality and symmetry that
Mr. Hodgson discarded all of them after a few years.

Hodgson's operations between 1870 and 1880
served to develop great interest in draft horse breed-
ing in La Salle county, and as a direct result a
number of purebred studs were established there in
the next decade, of which we shall have more to
say anon.

Stubblefield Importations. — George W. Stubble-
field & Co., Bloomington, 111., made importations in
1874, '75, and '80, and bred altogether 8 Percherons
by the close of this period. Henry Abrahams 224,
imported in 1874, was the only sire of consequence
used by Mr. Stubblefield during this time. He was
an upstanding horse, a little over 17 hands, weighing
around 1,800 pounds. He was a light gray, with
fine head and neck, short back, and heavily muscled
quarters. He had extra quality, good style and
action. As a sire on the common mares of McLean
county he proved extremely popular and did much
to increase the demand for Percheron sires in that
section.

Percheron Breeding in Other States. — A detailed
discussion of the work of the 32 other breeders who
contributed to Percheron breeding during this pio-
neer period is hardly necessary, for in most in-
stances they were merely laying the foundations for
later work, and while so doing aroused interest in
draft horse breeding and convinced the average

MID- WEST PIONEERS 173

farmers who came in contact with the get of Per-
cheron stallions out of common mares of the tremen-
dous value to accrue through the use of such sires.
The missionary work done by these early breeders
was such that their names are worthy of mention on
the pioneers ' roll of honor, together with the number
of their productions.

They were: R. W. & T. T. Stubblefield, Bloom-
ington, 111., 2; Henry Avery, Wakefield, Kans., 2;
C. Billborrow, Paw Paw, Mich., 1 ; James Dunn, Wa-
seca, Minn., 3; Andrew Gill, Plain City, 0., 2; Ezra
Stetson, Neponset, 111., 4; H. V. P. Block, Aberdeen,
Mo., 3; C. Cameron, Brickersville, Pa., 4; J. J. Park-
er, West Chester, Pa., 1; J. W. H. Reynolds, Frank-
fort, Ky., 1; H. A. Babcock, Neenah, Wis., 1; A. W.
Cook, Charles City, la., 4; Jeff C. Clark, Normandy,
Mo., 2; Ed. Hodgson, Ottawa, 111., 5; Rogy & Trim-
ble, Walnut, 111., 2; H. M. Aldrich, Orland, Ind., 1;
C. W. Pierce, Boston, Mass., 1; W. W. & Al. Power,
Pulaski, la., 1 ; Reuben Wright, Normal, 111., 1 ; Bangs
& Billborrow, Paw Paw, Mich., 1; Bangs & Co., Paw
Paw, Mich., 1; Dickinson Bros., Ridgeway, Pa., 2;
E. 0. Hills, Bloomingdale, 111., 1; T. Skillman, Peta-
luma, Cal., 1; Charles K. Harrison, Annandale, Md.,
1; L. M. Hartley, Salem, la., 1; Avery & Murphy, De-
troit, Mich., 1; F. J. Schreiber, Moorhead, Minn., 3;
W. H. Hubbard, Evanston, 111., 1; K. L. Wood, Piqua,
0., 2; S. Murphy, Detroit, Mich., 1; Poindexter &
Orr, Dillon, Mont., 1.

The popularity of Percherons was materially ha-
stened by the importations made by horsemen who

174 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

brought over only stallions, and whose work was
purely that of dealers. While these men cannot be
considered to have contributed so directly to the up-
building of Percheron breeding as those who proved
their faith in horse breeding by investing capital in
breeding mares to be retained in their owm studs,
their work was nevertheless extremely valuable in
that it placed numerous Percheron sires of merit in
communities where draft horse improvement was be-
ing earnestly sought.

The unifoiTQly good results obtained by crossing
such Percheron sires on the common stock of that
time created a strong demand for Percherons, made
possible the tremendous expansion of the following
period, and poured hundreds of thousands of dollars
into the pockets of American farmers through in-
creased values of colts produced. Among the men
of this class who were especially active prior to 1880
were James L. Perry of Wilmington, 111., A. W. Cook
of Charles City, la.. Virgin & Brown of Fairbury,
111., Degen Bros, of Ottawa, 111., E. B. Chisholm of
Elgin, 111., the Onarga Importing Co. and'Euss, Mc-
Courtey & Slattery, both of Onarga, 111., Fullington,
Phellis & Co. of Irwin Station, 0., the Delaware Im-
porting Co. of Delaware, 0., N. C. Buswell of Prince-
ton, 111., Dan McCarthy of Ames, la., the Marion
County Importing Co. of Ohio, M. D. Covell, first of
Ohio and later of Kansas, and numerous others scat-
tered over more than fifteen states. These are men-
tioned in the order of their importance as to number
imported.

MID-WEST PIONEERS 175

James H. Sanders. — Contemporaneous with the
entrance of these men into the field of Percheron im-
porting and breeding, the late James Harvey San-
ders, founder of live stock journalism and compiler
of the first Percheron Stud Book ever projected, com-
menced as early as 1868 in the state of Iowa activities
destined to have a far-reaching influence in the mid-
dle west.

Reared upon a faiTQ in central Ohio, Mr. Sanders
had accompanied some of the pioneers across the
western prairies prior to the outbreak of the Civil
War. Locating in Keokuk Co., la., he embraced the
first opportunity to indulge an inborn fondness for
good horses. He had personal knowledge of the
superiority of the descendants of the French stallions
imported into his native state over the ordinary
farm stock of the western country, and in 1868 he
went back to his old Ohio home and bought a four-
year-old gray known as Victor Hugo, sired by imp.
Count Robert, commonly known as the Baker Horse,
imported by the Darby Plains Co. in 1857, and — as
he tells us in an old hand bill printed after this colt
was taken to Iowa — ''universally admitted to be the
best trotter ever imported from France into that
region, now 18 years old, sound and hearty, and
making a fortune for his owners. ' ' The dam of Vic-
tor Hugo was by ''Old Bill," imported by Dr. Brown
of Circleville in 1851 — the "Valley Horse" of such
celebrity as has already been mentioned, "now 21
years old and so highly valued that his owner re-
fuses to put a price upon him." Victor Hugo's

176 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

grandam was a mare by old Louis Napoleon, then
still living at the age of 23 years, the property of the
Dillons, the sum of $1,000 having been offered for
him only 12 months previous by Mr. FuUington of
Ohio.

Thus it will be seen that this stallion was a seven-
eighths-blood horse, and individually he was in
every way worthy of the three splendid sires whose
blood coursed in his veins. He stood about 16^/4
hands, weighed about 1,550 pounds, and was put in
service at Sigourney in the spring of 1869 at a fee of
$20 to insure a mare with foal. He was fairly well
patronized from the start even at that figure, and
Mr. Sanders encouraged farmers to breed to the
horse by offering to buy the choice of the foals to be
dropped at $125 at weaning time, and the second
best foal at $100. After several years of good work
in the stud Victor Hugo died from a ruptured blood
vessel.* He was one of the first stallions of his type
taken into the state of Iowa, and his success paved
the way for the profitable introduction of the valu-
able imported horses Dieppe, Diligence, and Temp-
est, subsequently purchased by Mr. Sanders. Dieppe
and Diligence were imported by E. Dillon & Co.
Dieppe proved one of the greatest sires of his day
in the central west. Mr. Sanders paid the sum of
$3,000 for Dieppe, and it proved a fine investment.

•Victor Hugo was the first draft stallion the compiler of this
volume ever saw, and our recollection of this fine big horse is
entirely clear. He had the traditional activity of the Percheron
race, easily doing five miles an hour at the walk. He was worked
in heavy harness every winter, and was the pride and admiration
of the entire community in which he was owned.

JAJrES HABTEY SANDERS, FOUNDER OF THE AJMERICAJST PEBCHERON

STUD BOOK.

MID-WEST PIONEERS 177

This liorse lived to a ripe old age, and did more for
the improvement of the farm horses of Keokuk and
adjoining counties than any other stallion of his time.
A Campaign of Education. — Mr. Sanders was not
only one of the pioneer introducers of Percheron
blood west of the Mississippi River, but he set in
motion educational influences that greatly facilitated
the subsequent successes of the Percheron through-
out the United States. He was first of all a student.
In his library were the works of Charles Darwin,
Herbert Spencer, Huxley, Francis Galton, and other
scientists specializing on the laws governing the
transmission of hereditary qualities. He read every-
thing he could find in print relating to animal breed-
ing. He felt the rising of the great tide of live stock
improvement that swept through the mid-west
states during the years immediately following the
close of the Civil War. The state fairs were begin-
ning to attract good exhibits. Shorthorn cattle,
"Norman" and trotting horses, as well as "Magie"
swine, were seen and talked about. Nobody knew
much about any of the ''new" breeds, but many
were interested and were seeking light. There was
no medium of communication between those who
awned or were considering the purchase of better
animals to replace the native types. Little informa-
tion was available. Why not a newspaper, a peri-
odical devoted especially to the discussion of animal
breeding and management, and the news of the busi-
ness in general? With J. H. Sanders to think was
to act.

178 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

In the month of May, 1869, Mr, Sanders began
the publication of a 16-page monthly, which he per-
sonally edited and issued at his own expense from
the then primitive printing plant of the local
newspaper known as the "News." He was at
the time engaged in banking and railway con-
struction, besides trying to wake up the farmers of
his state to the desirability of better blood. His pur-
pose in founding the "Western Stock Journal" was
purely altruistic. But it met with a cordial recep-
tion, and after a successful career of a few years its
possibilities were so obvious that a Chicago syndicate
took it over and made it the basis of the monthly
magazine known as the "National Live Stock Jour-
nal," Mr. Sanders assuming by request of the pub-
lishers the editorship of the horse department to be
conducted by mail from Iowa. Then came the great
fire of 1871, the financial panic of 1873, the sweeping
away of his private fortune, the enforced sale of the
country place that had been the pride of his heart,
removal to Chicago, and the assumption of the duties
of editor-in-chief of the powerful magazine that was
being builded upon his little Iowa venture as a
foundation.

And so it came to pass that when the western
draft horse breeding interest began about 1875 to
feel the first great impulses of the boom that was
now impending the necessary cooperation for a suc-
cessful campaign of publicity and promotion in be-
half of Percheron interests was assured. Mr. San-
ders had the personal knowledge, the ability, and

MID-WEST PIONEERS 179

the medium of communication with the public that
combined to render his services invaluable at this
juncture; the more so because he had the confidence
of the western people, and had already proved his
breadth of view by adding to his own stud in Iowa,
by purchase from Hon. George Murray of Racine,
Wis., at a cost of $5,000 the celebrated imported
Clydesdale stallion Donald Dinnie. His sympathy
with and advocacy of all the improved breeds prom-
ising to be useful to the American people was a mat-
ter of common knowledge.*

Foundation of the Stud Book. — With the great
expansion of the importing business following the
entrance into it of the Dillon confederacy and M. W.
Dunham the necessity for the establishment of a stud
book Avas sensed by those most in interest. Up to
that time ''The General Stud Book" of England,
wherein the pedigrees of, and other data concerning,
the Thoroughbred horse were preserved, had been
the sole register of the kind in existence. Neither in
France nor in Britain had a similar record been

*In further illustration of Mr. Sanders' desire to work disin-
terestedly for the improvement of our American draft horse stock
as a whole, may be cited the following announcement appearing in
the editorial columns of the "National Live Stock Journal" for
December, 1876:

"A Clydesdale Register. — At the urgent request of many of the
leading breeders and importers of Clydesdale horses in the United
States and Canada, the editor of T:ie Journal has commenced the
compilation of a Clydesdale Register, which will be published as
soon as the ■work can be completed. It will contain an account
of the various breeds of cart or draft horses in Great Britain, the
origin of the Clydesdale breed, and, so far as can be ascertained, a
complete list of the imported and prominent native-bred Clydesdale
horses and mares in the United States and Canada, with their
pedigrees."

Only great pressure of work that accumulated shortly after-
ward prevented the carrying out of this sincere intent.

180 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

founded for any of the draft breeds, though some
agitation of the subject had been started in both
England and Scotland in connection with the Eng-
lish Cart Horse (as the Shire was then known) and
the Clydesdale. "The General Stud Book" was be-
gun as a private venture. There was no organiza-
tion responsible for its arrangement, rules or publi-
cation, its chief utility lying in the aid it gave the
Jockey Club in keeping the British turf free from
fraud and originally in the stamp of official approval
it gave to the private records of breeders kept and
conducted in accordance with its few and simple
regulations. It was plain, however, that a different
policy must be pursued with registers in which the
pedigrees of drafters should be preserved. Private
ownership was impossible on the face of things. A
society must be formed by the breeders and import-
ers for the protection and promotion of their mutual
interests and the verification and registration of
pedigrees.

Therefore late in 1875 this proposal to establish a
stud book for imported heavy French horses, their
progeny and descendants took shape in the issuance
of a call for a meeting of importers and breeders.
In pursuance of that call, which W. E. Prichard, the
only surviving member of the gathering, believes
was sent out by the Dillons, a meeting was held in
the old Briggs House, Chicago, in December, 1875 —
the very first of its kind ever convened with the same
object in view. Present on that most memorable
occasion were M. W. Dunham, Ellis, Levi and Isaiah

MID-WEST PIONEERS 181

Dillon, James A. Perry, W. J. Edwards, James L.
Owen, W. E. Pricliard and J. H. Sanders, all of Illi-
nois, and Simon Ruble of Wisconsin. Two sessions
were held without definite result, but a few weeks
later — in February, 1876 — at a meeting held in the
Transit House, Union Stock Yards, Chicago, with a
larger number present, the "National Association of
Importers and Breeders of Norman Horses" was
finally launched on the troubled waters of pedigree
registration and breed promotion. A full report of
the discussion had upon this occasion has not been
handed down, but it is a matter of record that the
following resolution was passed:

' ' Resolved, That in the opinion of this meeting the
Picardy horse, the Bolougne horse, the Percheron,
and tlie Normandy lior^ are essentially the same
race or breed, and should be designated as the Nor-
man horse."

This resolution was introduced by James A. Perry,
Wilmington, 111., and was unanimously adopted. A
constitution and by-laws were also adopted, provid-
ing that ' * any person owning an imported or native
full-blood Norman stallion or mare may become a
member of this association." As a matter of fact,
this meeting was not an altogether representative
one, even for that early day. It was true that the
term "Norman" had been in very general use in
this country from the earliest importations. As a
matter of fact, it had no significance at that time,
nor at any other time so far as indicating a fixed
breed of draft horses known as such in France was
concerned, for the simple reason that no such type as

182 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

a Norman draft horse was ever known in that coun-
try. Our people knew that most of the original im-
portations, and many of the later ones as well, had
been bought within the borders of the ancient prov-
ince of Normandy. Little or nothing was known at
that date as to the part which the province of Perche
had really played in the production of the best horses
of this stamp on the other side. There were several
different types of draft horses used and bred in the
Normandy district, but there w^as no draft horse
originated and perpetuated under the name of ' ' Nor-
man" in that province.

Naturally the early American importers were first
attracted by the horses seen in the streets of the
commercial centres near the coast of northern Nor-
mandy, such as Rouen, and it was here that they
began making their first purchases. They did not
at first penetrate as far inland as The Perche. Just
what proportion of Percheron blood was carried by
Louis Napoleon, the Valley Horse, and others of the
early celebrities can never be known, but from the
prepotency which the best of these stallions after-
wards demonstrated when crossed upon the native
mares of the United States it is safe to assume that
they were strongly bred horses, and that in all prob-
ability some of them at least had their origin in the
Percheron country proper. That is at this late day,
however, a purely academic consideration.

It is easy to understand why those who were large-
ly interested in these horses in 1876 should prefer
to stand by a name which had become so well estab-

MID-WEST PIONEERS 183

lished on this side the Atlantic, even though it were
known to be a positive misnomer. It was purely a
title of convenience, and this small conference of im-
porters and breeders undoubtedly had in mind the
idea that it mattered little as to what these horses
were called in this country so long as they were of a
good sort and were rendering the service for which
they had been introduced. However, there were
others who took a different view and who thought
that it would be unwise, and in the long run unfor-
tunate, if a purely American invention of this sort
should be perpetuated. The more the history of the
type Avas studied, the more convinced were those who
had most regard for the facts of history, that the
word "Norman" should ultimately be abandoned.
Prominent among those who held this view at this
time were M. W. Dunham, B. H. Campbell, and Mr.
Sanders. They knew of course that the term "Nor-
man" was in general use, and had indeed employed
it themselves in accordance with the prevailing usage
in the west. This did not prevent them, however,
from undertaking to bring about a modification of
the term.

Long before the meeting in question had been
called Mr. Sanders had been engaged in gathering
authentic data concerning the earlier importations
and their descendants of the pure blood, with a view
towards laying the foundation for an American
breeding interest. In the month of June, 1876, in an
editorial published in the "National Live Stock
Journal," he announced that he had undertaken the

184 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

compilation of a "Norman Stud Book" as a private
enterprise. While personally not in favor of the
adoption of this name, he apparently at first deemed
it best to follow the lead of those who had attended
the February conference above mentioned. The
work of preparing the initial volume progressed
rapidly, and the book was issued from the "National
Live Stock Journal" press late in that year, but
fortunately a second edition was soon required and in
this revision Mr. Sanders, upon his own motion,
decided to adopt as the title for the volume "The
Percheron-Norman Stud Book."* He believed he
was justified in so doing. He had become convinced
in his own mind, and rightly enough, that the real
parent stock in France was the Percheron, and upon
his own initiative he adopted the hyphenated title.
This was of course a compromise between historical
fact abroad and American usage at home, and like
all compromises was not particularly satisfactory to
anybody concerned. Nevertheless, it stood for some
years.

The Peoria Convention of 1878. — At the original
meeting at Chicago in 1876 there were but three
states represented, and these by only 14 individuals.
In the meantime, Volume 1 of the Percheron-Norman
Stud Book had appeared — the first draft horse pedi-
gree register ever issued on either side the Atlantic.
On Feb. 14, 1878, another meeting of the association

*Orlg'inally Vol. I of the Percheron-Norman Stud Book was bound
in green covers, and though it had 145 pages as against 212 for the
revised edition — bound in the familiar brown boards — it was actually
little more than one-half tlie size of the latter book.

MID-WEST PIONEERS 185

that had been formed at Chicago two years previ-
ously was called, at which the attendance numbered
nearly 100. Fifty of these were active members
representing 8 different states and territories. At
this meeting, which was presided over by Ellis Dil-
lon, it was moved by Dr. Ezra Stetson that the con-
stitution be amended so as to change the name of the
organization to ''The National Association of Im-
porters and Breeders of Percheron Horses." Col.
B. H. Campbell, who acted as secretary of this his-
toric conference, moved to amend by substituting the
words ''Percheron-Norman," as used by Mr. Sanders
in the first volume of the register. This amendment
was accepted by Dr. Stetson, and after an extended
discussion participated in by Mr. Dunham, Mr. San-
ders, Mr. Virgin, Mr. Isaiah Dillon, and others, the
motion as amended was unanimously adopted.

A motion to reaffirm the action of the Chicago
meeting of two years previously, wherein it was de-
clared that the various types of draft horses to be
found in France under different names were sub-
stantially all of the same breed, provoked a spirited
discussion and was finally tabled. A motion was
adopted suggesting that for the future entries for the
stud book showing five crosses of purebred horses
on a native foundation should be accepted for reg-
istry. Officers were then elected as follows: Presi-
dent, Daniel Dunham, Wayne, 111.; treasurer, T. C.
Sterrett, Warrensburg, 111.; secretary, B. H. Camp-
bell, Des Moines, Ta. The following resolutions were
unanimously adopted:

186 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

"Resolved, That the history of the Percheron-
Nonnan horse, published by Mr. J. H. Sanders, as
an introduction to his Stud Book, is the most valu-
able contribution to the literature pertaining to this
matchless breed of horses which has ever been writ-
ten in this country or Europe ; and that for the labor
and ability which he has bestowed upon his work,
Mr. Sanders has placed the National Association of
Importers and Owners of Percheron-Norman horses,
as well as all others interested in the improvement of
our horses, under great and lasting obligations to
him,

''Resolved, That while the registry of animals con-
tains some errors, mostly typographical, the work,
on the whole, gives evidence of much labor and care;
and that, both as a history and a record, the Stud
Book is worthy of the entire confidence of the public.

"Resolved, That the Stud Book is calculated
greatly to increase the popularity of the Percheron-
Norman horse in this country; and that it is not only
to the interest, but it is the duty of all importers and
owners to aid in its circulation.

"Resolved, That Mr. Sanders has not only labored
conscientiously in our behalf, but in performing his
task he has adhered substantially to the spirit of the
covenant made between him and our Association."

Naturally this action was very gratifying to Mr.
Sanders, who as a matter of fact had devoted many
months of time, and had expended considerable
money in an earnest effort to put upon its feet a
public registry that should be entitled to general
confidence. He announced that he would proceed
at once in the preparation of a revised edition of the
volume that had already been issued, for the pur-
pose of correcting any errors that had crept into the

MID-WEST PIONEERS 187

first edition, and also to add to tlie record the names
of horses and mares that had in the meantime be-
come available for registry.

At a meeting of the board of directors held in
Chicago on July 10, 1878, the following additional
resolutions were adopted:

"Resolved, That we reaffirm the resolutions passed
by this Association at Peoria, in February last, en-
dorsing the Stud Book prepared and published by
Mr. Sanders, and respectfully request that he pro-
ceed with the publication of the revised edition at
his earliest convenience.

"Eesolved, That we assure the public that Mr.
Sanders has the hearty co-operation of this asso-
ciation in his work, and that we denounce, as base
and malicious slanders, all representations to the
contrary."

Unfortunately, more or less feeling had grown
out of these extended discussions as to the name
under which these horses should be known in the
United States, and at a later date the advocates of
the idea that all heavy horses imported from France
should be registered in one book and under one title
perfected an organization and began the publication
of a second stud book known as "The National
French Draft Horse Register." This book had the
active support of the Messrs. Dillon and others
among those who had been earnest and successful in
promoting the interests of the French horses in the
United States during the preceding years.

CHAPTER VIII.
THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED.

Before proceeding with an account of the great
expansion of Percheron breeding in America which
characterized the decade beginning with 1880 and
closing in 1890, let ns return to France, and take
note of the further progress of events in the home
of the breed.

We have already shown by copious extracts from
the national archives of France, preserved in Paris,
that beginning with about 1815 the government ex-
tended systematic support to the aspirations of the
breeders of Percherons through the medium of offi-
cial inspection of stallions offered for service, and a
system of subsidies paid out of the national treasury
to the owners of the approved horses, besides pur-
chasing and maintaining at the government stud at
Le Pin stallions regarded as specially valuable for
service in connection with the work in hand. This
resulted in the establishment of a type better suited
to agricultural uses than the ancient trotting and
diligence stock for which the district had for so long
been famous.

Practical Promotive Work. — A royal ordinance of
Dec. 21, 1833, created in France several new govern-
ment stallion depots, and reorganized some of those

188

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 189

that had been in existence for many years previously,
such as the Haras du Pin. As has already been
shown, the Percheron breeding district, of which
Nogent-le-Rotrou is the capital, had from the earliest
periods benefited by the government's initiative at
the stud just mentioned. Every year approved stal-
lions from Le Pin were located in the old barracks of
St. Denis at Nogent, where now stand the town col-
lege and court of justice.

In the year 1836 a committee of prominent men,
including most of the best farmers of this district,
organized a committee for the purpose of holding
exhibitions or meetings known as comices in various
localities, for the purpose of awarding prizes to the
best animals and incidentally of encouraging agri-
culture and good farming through the continued
maintenance and improvement of the Percheron
breed. These comices exist at the present day, and
are held in addition to the annual central show main-
tained under the auspices of the Percheron Society
of France.

In 1836 we find that the president of the council
of Nogent was the Count of Bussy, and among the
members were Messrs. de Maurissure, de Chabot,
Bailleau, fanner at Brunelles, Noel of La Messes-
selle, Ducoeurjoly and Le Marie of Nogent. Similar
councils were also established at Chartres and Chat-
eaudun. Some idea of the magnitude of the horse-
breeding operations in the Perche during this per-
iod may be gleaned from the fact that an old pub-
lication sets forth that ' ' the district of Eure-et-Loir

190 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

delivered annually for the trade about 10,000 five-
year-old stallions, selling at from $200 to $300 each. ' '

On March 22, 1841, the Duke of Montmorency,
speaking at a meeting of the municipal council of
Chateaudun, said: "For many years stock-breed-
ing societies of Switzerland and of different parts
of Germany and of upper Normandy have been com-
ing into the Perche to buy Percheron stallions and
mares." This confirms once again the claim that
the Perche has been for generations recognized as
the home of a distinct and valuable type.

In 1844 the general council of Eure-et-Loir voted
the sum of $900 to be given by the different com-
mittees to the best brood mares, in addition to the
sum that previously had been awarded. The many
privately-owned stallions serving in the district
were inspected, authorized and pensioned by the gov-
ernment officials according to their merits in ac-
cordance with an edict of Oct. 27, 1847.

More Pre-Stud Book Records. — Resuming now our
examination of the official documents in the posses-
sion of the Government of France, at the point
where the study was temporarily suspended in a pre-
ceding chapter (page 101), let us summarize briefly
certain facts of historical interest relating to the
pre-stud book period.

The records, from which we quote, supply the
names of the leading stallioners of the Perche dur-
ing the period when the breed was "modifying
itself" in the direction of greater weight. Such men
as Launay of Mauvaisiniere, Langis (Orne), Pelle-

Qhartes 'Rene

THE FIRST SECRETARY OF THE rERCTIEROX SOCIETY OF FRANCE (AT
TOP) AND THi: LONG-TERM HONORAHY TREASURER.

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 191

tier, Corbon (Orne), Benoit, Tontay, Cottereau, Guil-
laumain, Dieu, Monnier, de Vasconcelles Pigeard,
Mareclial, Gaubert and their contemporaries con-
tributed largely to progress in the direction of a
draft type. Several of these were located in the
Nogent district of Eure-et-Loir. Due credit should
also be given to men among these earlier stallioners
residing in that part of the Perche lying within the
Department of Loir-et-Cher, such as the two Tardi-
neaus, Ferrand and their enterprising colleagues.
Some of these continued their work in this direction
throughout a long series of years. However, a new
school gradually succeeded them, carrying on the
development of the race along similar lines, so that
by the time the great American demand for still
heavier horses set in the Perche was in a position
through a very simple course of selection in mating
to gradually evolve the ton horse of modern com-
merce, and this too without undue sacrifice of that
vigor, soundness and quality which for generations
had been characteristic of the lighter types.

Bailleau of Brunelles, near Nogent, according to
the government records, appeared about 1836 with
a draft horse, name not given. This stallion is de-
scribed as "gris pommele, crins blanches" — a dap-
pled gray with white mane and four white markings,
and with "flesh" or pink spots "between the nos-
trils." He was a good horse, first approved in
1836. It is recorded that he served as late as 1845.

In 1837 we find record of the approved horse
Grand Pierre, owned by M. Geru of Echaffour, Orne.

192 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

This stallion was described as light gray, foaled in
the year above mentioned, and approved by tlie gov-
ernment inspection of Nov. 23, 1846. There is rec-
ord at the haras of his having served during tlie
seasons of 1847 and 1848. He seems to have been
displaced in 1849. Another stallion of this same
period, also owned by M. Geru, was called Bijou;
he was a dappled gray of draft type, foaled in 1839
and approved in 1846. A third stallion of M. Geru
was Jupiter, described as ''white gray, dappled on
thighs"; he was foaled in 1840, approved in 1846,
began to serve under official sanction in 1847, and
on Feb. 1, 1851 was sold and taken out of the Depart-
ment of Orne. Government records also tell us of
a dappled iron-gray stallion Sultan, the property of
M. Bailleau of Brunelles, that was approved and in
service from 1847 to 1850.

In 1844 we find the names of the two Percheron
stallions Benvenuto and Democrate, both gray, in
service at Nogent from the government stud at Le
Pin. In 1847 there is record of 5 stallions serving
in the Nogent district under a government subsidy,
including a six-year-old dapple-gray owned by Count
de Chamoy of Charbonnieres, a five-year-old iron-
gray and a six-year-old gray, both owned by M.
Ducoeurjoly, a five-year-old gray owned by M. Chou-
anard of Champeau, and a five-year-old gray which
was the property of M. Bailleau of Brunelles.

In 1849 a commission for the examination of stal-
lions outside of the agricultural comice of Nogent
was composed as follows: M. De Tarragon, presi-

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 193

dent, M. Brissonet of Courville, M. De Poiitoi, M.
Etienne de Tausonville, M. Benoit, and M. Joseph
Chouanard of La Touclie. The statement was made
by a contemporary writer that at this date 'Hhe
predominant color of the Percheron breed is gray."

During this same year the local committee for the
improvement of the Percheron breed awarded the
following prizes : First, with 700 francs, to the stal-
lion Collin, dapple-gray, owned by M. Ducoeurjoly;
second, with 600 francs, awarded to the light-gray
Brilliant, belonging to M. Viron, Chateaudun; third,
with 600 francs, to Vigoureux, a light-gray horse
belonging to M. Coeuret of Yevres. In 1850 the
same awarding committee gave prizes to the follow-
ing stallions : Papillon, a five-year-old gray belong-
ing to M. Sureau of St. Germain; L'Ami, a three-
year-old dapple-gray belonging to M. Chevallier of
Dangeau; and LaFleur, a six-year-old gray belong-
ing to M. Coueret of Yevres.

M. Cheradame. — During an extended period begin-
ning with 1845 there was no greater stallioner and
breeder in the Perche than M. Cheradame of Ecouche
(Ome). For more than 40 years he labored unceas-
ingly and successfully to promote Percheron pres-
tige and progress. According to M. Desire Ducoeur-
joly, to whom we are indebted for valuable informa-
tion touching old-time breeding operations in the
Perche, M. Cheradame bred chiefly the light-type
Percherons — great trotters in their day. This inter-
esting statement we have been able to confirm by ex-
amination of the government records. He also main-

194 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

tained a few blooded horses and demi-sangs. His
greatest work, however, was with his favorite Per-
cherons. Notwithstanding the celebrity of these as
fast travelers, it is important to note that while some
of his approved stallions are described as ''trait
leger" (light draft), many others were distinctly
designated as of ' ' draft ' ' type.

It is particularly fortunate that we have been
able to gather some authenticated facts concerning
Cheradame 's work. While his name and fame have
long been the subject of comment among later
French breeders, there has been until now nothing
available as to the actual material with which he
worked, aside from one mere incidental reference by
M. Du Hays, who in eulogizing Jean-le-Blanc, of
which more anon, says: "He was a Percheron, a
real Percheron, like the famous Toulouse of M.
Cheradame, for example."

This successful breeder of the olden days first
appears in the government archives as owner of
Destampes, a dappled gray, described as "de car-
osse" — coach horse, probably of the post or dili-
gence stamp. This stallion was foaled in 1839 and
was approved for service during the seasons of
1845, 1846 and 1847.

Toulouse, "The Magnificent." — As will presently
appear, the founders of the Percheron Stud Book of
France, following the lead of M. Du Hays, singled
out for special mention alone among all the great
stallions of the district that gave rise to the modern
Percheron a horse called Jean-le-Blanc, claimed to

LA ROUSTlfeRE — RESIDENCE OF MAURICE CHOUANARD, AND IN POSSES-
SION OF THE CHOUANARD FAMILY FOR UPWARDS OF TWO CEN-
TURIES. THE FAMOUS STALLION KNOWN AS OLD COCO WAS BRED
ON THIS FARM.

L'ABCHE: — ^FARM AND RESIDENCE OF ERXKST TEKRIOT, JR., NEAR
LA FERTJi) BERNARD.

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 195

be a direct descendant of the erstwhile "Arab" Gal-
lipoly. As has just been stated, in placing Jean-le-
Blanc upon this pedestal Du Hays took cognizance
of the existence of another "true" Percheron, "le
fameux Toulouse de M. Cheradame, par example,"
Except for this laconic reference nothing, so far as
we have been able to ascertain, h-as been published
concerning this horse. No attempt was made to
register him in the initial volume of the Stud Book
of France, for the very good reason, we suppose,
that no facts concerning him, not even legends, as in
the case of Jean-le-Blanc, were at hand. And yet
at that very time the truth was lying all untouched
in the archives of the French Government. The
facts now to be presented, therefore, will prove of
absorbing interest to all students of Percheron his-
tory.

Toulouse is first mentioned (No. 162 in the Haras
register at Le Pin) in an entry dated Nov. 30, 1847,
at which time he was officially approved. This
entry states that he was foaled in 1839, so that it is
reasonably certain that he had already seen service
before being pensioned or subsidized by the govern-
ment. He is described as "de trait" (draft), color
"gris Wane" (light gray), with "flesh spots at the
end of the nose." He began his service as a govern-
ment-approved stallion in the spring of 1848. He
served during this season 60 mares, siring 42 liv-
ing foals and receiving a bonus of 200 francs. In

1849 he served 58 mares with 36 foals resulting. In

1850 he had 40 mares that produced 30 foals, and in

1851 he served 44 mares.

196 A HISTORY- OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

In the space reserved for "observations" in this
original entry no particulars as to the breeding of
Toulouse are given, but in 1853 we find him men-
tioned as a son of Sandy, whose breeding is not
given, out of "an unknown Percheron mare." His
height is here given as a little over 16 hands.
Farther along we find that in 1859 — although he
was then, it will be observed, 20 years old — he was
still receiving his subsidy. Not only that, but it is
particularly to be impressed at this point that
whereas the custom of entering "remarks" con-
cerning these approved stallions had been for some
years discontinued we find this extraordinary spe-
cial tribute to this veteran of two decades:

"April 2, 1859 — Toulouse est arrive a la decrepi-
tude. C'etait un magnifique etalon de trait. Bien
difficile a remplacer. Je demande qu'il ne soit plus
approve en 1860."

That is to say: "Toulouse is getting worn out.
He was a magnificent draft stallion. Very difficult
to replace him. I recommend that he should not be
approved for 1860."

Toulouse, "the magnificent," was now going the
way of all flesh as no longer useful in the stud at
the ripe old age of twenty years. Although appar-
ently the greatest horse of his era in the Perche, so
far as authentic records go, his very existence was
scarcely a tradition as late as 1883, the date of the
founding of the stud book! Truly, once again let
us reiterate, French breeders were at all times more
concerned in making history than in writing it.

, Desire'DucoGur/o/i/ ] JL [ Ambert Feu i I lard

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 197

Immediately nnderneatli the splendid isolated
testimonial upon the government record is this addi-
tional entry: "1860 — he has not gone yet; approved
for 1860."

In spite of the inspector's reluctant recommenda-
tion of the year before the great stallion is given
another year at stud! With this the record ends.
To have been singled out for this almost extrava-
gant commendation at a time when ' ' remarks ' ' were
no longer the rule in the records is of course proof
positive of the altogether exceptional character of
this horse. He was 9 years old when first pensioned,
and was used 13 years as an approved sire. It is
probable, therefore, that this stallion served in his
time as many as a thousand mares. Light-gray at
an early age, old Toulouse in his later years would
have been white as snow. Let us be glad of this
opportunity to do tardy justice to a horse that was
so honored officially in his own day and generation.
It is to be regretted that we cannot do as much for
Jean-le-Blanc. Indeed were it not for the apparent
discrepancy in their ages, one might even suggest
the possibility that in Toulouse we have the real
Jean-le-Blanc. But as to this one may only specu-
late. It is indeed to be regretted that owing to the
tardy establishment of registration facilities we
cannot at this date supply the links in the chain
that would undoubtedly connect up many a present
day Percheron horse with Toulouse, "the magnifi-
cent."

Chocolat. — Another great horse OAvned by M.

198 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Cheradame at a later date was called Chocolat. It
appears from the records that he was "de trait"
(of the draft type), gray, and stood about 16
hands 1% inches high. He was foaled in 1864, was
approved at 6 years old, and like Toulouse was
kept in service until his twentieth year, in 1884.
This long period of approval in the stud is convinc-
ing evidence of Chocolat 's superior character and
value as a sire. His pension from 1880 to 1884 in-
clusive seems to have been 300 francs.

Another draft stallion owned by M. Cheradame,
and in use about 1860, was named Carnaval. There
is also record of a Cheradame horse called Bon Es-
poir, a gray foaled in 1855, and another named
Double, the latter described as ''trait leger" (light
drafter), a gray standing 16 hands that served as
an approved sire from 1880 to 1884 inclusive. Still
another under the same ownership was Lilas, also
a light drafter, gray and 15.3 hands in stature.
Lilas served from 1880 to 1883 inclusive.

The Ducoeurjolys. — Contemporaneous with Bail-
leau and the early work of Cheradame we find
Ducoeurjoly (Jacques Francois) of Coudreau, dis-
trict of Nogent, beginning as an owner of approved
stallions with Collin, a celebrated horse already men-
tioned. Collin was a little over 16 hands high and
was described as "an iron gray (gris de fer pom-
mele) draft horse with two white feet, born in
1842 and approved Nov. 23, 1846." This horse
served as an approved stallion for 4 years from
1847 to 1850 inclusive. Another horse, unnamed,

s -t-

LA PEXLOIS — BREEDING FARM OF A. TACHEAU, NEAR LA FERTEl BERNARD.

FARM OF JX. JOS. AVEUNE. SOBCKAU.

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 199

belonging to M. Ducoeurjoly, foaled in 1841 and
approved Nov. 23, 1846, served 2 years.

The Ducoeurjolys always have been highly es-
teemed as good breeders and keen judges of animal
form. However, they have never gone into the busi-
ness so extensively as their aptitudes and knowl-
edge of Percheron breeding would warrant, simply
because they always have adhered to their vocation
as ^'cultivators" — farmers as well as breeders.
Speculative dealing in colts has never attracted
them. They have preferred to breed some of the
very best, till their land and sell simply their own
surplus animals. This is one of the few farms in
the Perche where a good-sized flock of sheep has
been profitably kept. We find several of the
Ducoeurjoly horses mentioned as approved stallions
in the early days and the celebrated old prize-win-
ning mare Pauline (279) was their property. She
was foaled in 1869 and won 12 prizes at the leading
shows at different periods. The present Desire
Ducoeurjoly has attained high reputation both with
mares and stallions.

Pelletier. — Another stall ioner of importance in the
ante-stud book days was Theodore Pelletier, prob-
ably related to the other Pelletier mentioned in our
earlier chapters. He lived at St. Julien-sur-Sarthe,
Ome. This locality is a great mare country at the
present date.

Credited to Pelletier we find Colin, ''son of Colin
and out of an unnamed Percheron mare." The sire
Colin was probably the Collin or Colin of Ducoeur-

200 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

joly. This horse was described as a ''draft stallion
of very good model; a good breeder, an impressive
sire that begets excellent post horses; many of his
male colts have been exported." He served from
1859 to 1862 — 4 years. The first 2 years his pen-
sion was 300 francs, and the 2 latter years it was
400 francs. Pelletier owned another horse named
Vulcain abont the same period. He also had Nogent,
a 16.1-liand gray that served during 1863 and 1864.

After the death of M. Theodore Pelletier we find
a "light draft stallion, gray, 16 hands," entered as
the property of "Widow Pelletier," St. Julien-sur-
Sartlie. This horse began serving in 1880.

Moisand. — About this time also we hear of Moi-
sand, "Director of the Societe Hippique Percher-
onne," Chateaudun, Eure-et-Loire. From his town
and district, a great grain-growing region, formerly
came many Percheron horses, but since the inaugura-
tion of the French stud book foals born in the dis-
trict are not eligible for entry. Judging from the
pensions awarded to M. Moisand he owned many
good stallions. Mina, a black-gray, nearly 17 hands
high, foaled in 1858, served from 1862 to 1868; his
pension, beginning at 500 francs, was raised to 650
francs. Moisand also had Coco, 16 hands high, a
black-gray that served from 1862 to 1864. Another
stallion of Moisand called Priape, served during the
same period and was also a dark-gray. Moisand
also had a horse called Pamphile, dappled gray,
that served from 1863 to 1869, and another named
Sandy, foaled 1856, that served during 1866 and

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 201

1867. Still another of his approved stallions was
named Porthos.

Jousset and Mitau. — Beginning about 1870 we
find that a certain Jousset, commune of Colimer, dis-
trict of Mortagne, had several approved horses.
M. Mitau of Essay, district of Alengon, had 2 ap-
proved stallions during the same period. Jousset
had Briliant, described as "light draft" and 16
hands high, that served from 1880 to 1883. Mitau
was still active in the business as late as 1890, at
which date he owned the approved stallion Volta.

Old Records Brought to Light. — In 1851 we find
trace of a six-year-old dapple-gray stallion named
Henri, which was in stud around Mortagne, and
others as follows: Decembis, 7 years old, in serv-
ice at lUiers; Bayard, "red-gray," 4 years old, at
Mortagne; Chappelain, light-gray, 7 years old, at
Courtalain; Mi Careme, dapple-gray, 6 years old,
at Montdoubleau; Collin, dapple-gray, 8 years old
at Nogent. At this same time there were also in
stud at Nogent the following: Bienvenu, dapple-
gray, 6 years old ; Nell, dark-gray, 6 years old ; Cour-
ville, iron-gray, 4 years old; Laigle, dapple-gray, 4
years old; Collin, dapple-gray, 4 years old; Bliers,
dapple-gray, 5 years old.

In 1852 we find the names of two more govern-
ment stallions in service in the district of Nogent;
Chartres, dapple-gray, 7 years old, and Voniche,
dapple-gray, 7 years old. In 1854 the stallions depot
of Nogent was dependent upon the stallion depot of
Blois (Loir et Cher) instead of Le Pin (Orne). On

202 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERQN HORSE

the 17tli of November, 1854, the council general of
Eure-et-Loir voted a sum of $2,000 to be given for
more shows to be held and offered premiums for
best stallions and mares. The prizes for mares
ranged from $80 up to $160, and a stallion could
attain up to $400. The stallion show was to be held
at Illiers, and the mare shows at Illiers, Courtalain
and Nogent-le-Rotrou. The stallion show was held
at Illiers on the 18th of November, 1855, and pre-
miums were awarded as follows: First to Colin,
belonging to M. Dorchene of Nogent; second to
Charbonnieres, belonging to Count of Chamoy; third
to Laigle, belonging to Duke de Montmorency;
fourth to General, belonging to Madame Chevallier
of Dangeau. Three other stallions were given prizes :
Papillon, dapple-gray, 6 years old, belonging to M.
Pangoue of Cloyes; LaBelle, dapple-gray, 9 years
old, belonging to M. Loride of Bonneval, and Colin,
white, 15 years old, belonging to M. Penelle of Cour-
talain.

In 1856 the stallion depot of Blois sent to the
Nogent station of stallions a horse named Bayard.
In 1857 there was sent from the same depot the stal-
lions Nelle and Ramon.

A mare show was held at Courtalain on the 8th
of June, 1857, in which 2,200 francs were given to
the best brood mares. The first premium with 800
francs cash was given to Cocotte, a dapple-gray 7
years old owned by M. Roger of St. Pellerin. On the
12th of July, 1857, a big mare show was held at
Nogent-le-Rotrou. It is interesting to note the names

"^

■ .-,..IIIllf?

>' -^^=jS)'r ^^^pp^ ;>*

1 1 IMII'lll— 'i Ml IMl 1 ^'

LA TLESSIS— FARM OP A. CIIAPPKLS.

LA BOURDONNlfeRE, FARM OF M. THrBATTLT.

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 203

of the farmers who then kept the best brood mares
in that district. The premiums were awarded as
follows: First to Cocotte, belonging to M. Ducoeur-
joly of Brunelles; second to Pelotte, belonging to
Nicolas Glon of Souance; third to L'Hennine, be-
longing to Durand of Souance; fourth to Margot,
belonging to Jean Glon near Nogent; fifth to Vigour-
eux, belonging to Bailleau of Illiers; sixth to Ros-
alie, belonging to Guillot, La Gaudaine; seventh to
Rustique, belonging to Bouillon of Nogent.

A worthy gentleman, the Count de Chamoy, was
keeping at this time a big stud at his farm of Char-
bonnieres near Authon, about 15 miles from Nogent.
lie did great good in his neighborhood; he kept high-
class stallions, among the most celebrated being
Charbonnieres, Eure-et-Loir and Decide. Charbon-
nieres was foaled at Charbonnieres in 1851 and was
out of Neel, by Dagobert, dam La Meuniere.

A stallion show was held at Illiers on the 16tli of
November, 1857. Of 30 stallions shown 5 were given
premiums and 8 were approved as follows: First
premium with 1,400 francs to Sandy, belonging to
M. Lahaye of Chateaudun; second to Pierrot, be-
longing to Count de Chamoy; third to Colin, belong-
ing to M. Dorchene of Nogent; fourth to Charbon-
nieres, belonging to Count de Chamoy; fifth to Bibi,
belonging to M. Lahaye. The stallions approved
were: Decide, belonging to Count de Chamoy;
Lamy, belonging to M. Maillard; Ebene, belonging
to H. de Chabot; Pierrot, belonging to Mme, Sauton;
General, belonging to Mme. Chevallier; Lamy, be-

204 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

longing to M. Baret; La Ponle, belonging to M.
Seclillot, and La Bielie, belonging to M. Gatineau
of Beaufrancois.

In 1858 the imperial depot of stallions of Le Pin,
to which the district of Nogent had now been joined,
again sent to the station of Nogent for the 1858
stud the stallions Mortagne, Pionnier and Pausanias.
On the 18th of July, 1858, a big mare show was held
at Nogent-le-Rotrou, and we find the following
awards :

First premium with 600 francs to Robine, belong-
ing to M. Ducoeurjoly of Condreceau; second pre-
mium with 500 francs to Georgette, belonging to M.
Ducoeurjoly of Brunelles; third premium with 500
francs to Belly, belonging to Count de Chamoy;
fourth premium with 400 francs to Sophie, belong-
ing to Guibert de Souance; fifth premium with 400
francs to La Grise, belonging to Glon de Etilleux;
sixth premium to Pelotte belonging to Richardeau
de Souance; seventh premium to Belotte, belonging
to Lesieur of Souance; eighth premium to Chaton,
belonging to Dordoigne of Brunelles; ninth premium
to Sophie, belonging to Count de Chamoy.

In the same year we find in the old records the
names of these celebrated stallions: Collin, belong-
ing to M. Dorchene; Agricole, belonging to M.
Enault; Sandy, belonging to M. Pelletier; Vaillant,
belong to M. Lenfant, and Voltaire, belonging to M.
Perpere.

In May, 1858, there was a show at Alengon (Orne).
In the awards we find the names of the following

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 205

stallions: Ebene, 7 years old, property of Count
de Cliamoy; Cliarbonnieres, 7 years old, property of
Count de Cliamoy; Couronne, 5 years old, property
of Louis Cliouanard of Margon ; Lafleur, 3 years old,
property of Desvaux of Courville ; Colin, 6 years old,
property of M. Dorcliene of La Gaudaine; Beau-
francois, 6 years old, property of M. Gatineau, and
Sandie, 4 years old, property of M. Lahaye of Clia-
teaudun.

In the mare class at same show were: Albertine,
4 years old, Seduisante, 6 years old, Brillante, 6
years old, and Grisette, 4 years old, all belonging
to M. Joseph Chouanard of La Touehe; Cocotte, 6
years old, and L'Amie, 7 years old, belonging to M.
Ducoeurjoly of Brunelles; and Mina, 3 years old,
owned by M. Gannier of Beaumont les Autels.

Another big show was held at Alengon in 1865.
M. Cheradame of Ecouche had an extra 30-month-
old gray colt named Lacour by Bon Espoir. He
had also Picador, a splendid gray, and Carnaval.
M. Guillemin of Coudray, near Nogent, won first
prize in the brood mare class. Second prize was
awarded to M. Vaux of St. Quentin de Blavon
(Orne). M. Miteau of Aunay les Bois was third.
M. Guillemin 's mare also won the colors at the Uni-
versal Exhibition of Paris (1867).

In 1865 we find in old records the names of many
of the breeders living at that time. In the district
of Mortagne were Messrs. Guimond, Caget, Bignon,
Provot, Pelletier, Chantepie, Desclos, Vallee, Olivier,
Dujarrier, Vade, Vaux, Perpere and Fromentin. In

206 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

the district of Belleme were Messrs. Jamois, Cha-
pelle, Segouin and Morin. In the district of Le
Theil were Messrs. Bajon, Therin and Count de St.
Pol. In the district of Regmalard were Messrs. Far-
douet, Debray, Charpentier and Aveline. M. Simon
had his stud station at I St. ,Lambert near Trun
(Orne), and had owned the celebrated stallions
Dagobert and Farmer.

In 1865 also we find the following names of
breeders in the Nogent district: Messrs. Adolphe
Chouanard of La Touclie, Le Marie, Louis Chou-
anard of Champeau, Gasselin, Dorchene, Glon,
Neveu, Ducoeurjoly, Dordoigne, Vade, Guillemin,
Gaulard, Count de Bezenvah, Gannier.

To finish with the old records let us mention a
show which was held at Chartres from the 1st to
the 9tli of May, 1869. In the three-year-old class
we find the names of the following stallions: In-
trouvable, belonging to M. Lallouet; Beaufrancois,
belonging to M. Gatineau; Cheri, belonging to M.
Fardouet; Mylord, belonging to M. Moisant; Mon-
arque, belonging to M. Caget; Eoland, belonging to
M. Moisant; Cheri, belonging to M. Caget; Coco,
belonging to M. Vinault; Chouanard, belonging to
M. Desclos; Coquet, belonging to M. Maillard; Paul,
belonging to M. Fardouet; Jean Bart, belonging to
M. Perpere; Vulcain, belonging to M. Pelletier, and
Lacour, belonging to M. Cheradame.

Fardouet and Caget. — While these records could
be multiplied, it scarcely seems necessary to pro-
long details of this character indefinitely. The point

LB BOIS JOLY, FARM OF THE IvATE ^{. FARDOT'ET, FIKST FRESIDENT OF
THE PEKCHEKOX SOCIETY OF FRANCE.

lA GRAND OHAJVIPBOND, FABM OP L. MOUMN.

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 207

to be established is that prior to the founding of the
stud book the same persistent government-super-
vised work in the interest of preserving Percheron
integrity, as related in preceding chapters, was con-
tinuous, even though no published pedigree record
was maintained. At this point, therefore, we shall
only record further the fact that two of Chera-
dame's greatest contemporaries and successors in
developing Percheron character were MM. Fardouet
and Caget, both of whom left a legacy of inestimable
value to France and America as a result of their
labors. Here again we are able to supply govern-
ment data until now not appearing in published
records.

Michel Fardouet. — M. Fardouet 's farm of La Beu-
vriere was situated in the commune of Verrieres in
the department of Onie. His first approved stallion
was Madere, foaled in 1862. This horse served as a
pensioned stallion, and had notable place in the Per-
cheron annals of his time for several reasons. In
the first place, he was a big horse standing 17 hands.
In the second place, he was black. And most im-
portant of all, he served as a subsidized stallion in
the Perche for a period of 14 years, from 1867 to
1879 inclusive. Here, therefore, is one prolific
source of size and of the color that subsequently
became for a time so popular in America.

Another good Fardouet stallion of this era was
the gray Bon Espoir, foaled in 1862. He had gov-
ernment endorsement, as did also Bayard, a stallion
that rendered good service during 1873 and 1874.

208 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

In 1879 M. Fardouet had Vermouth 2d, a big, good
gray that served during that season 98 mares. M.
Fardouet 's later breeding operations may be studied
from the French and American stud books. He be-
came the first president of the Percheron Society
of France, and it should be borne in mind, as illus-
trating the high quality of his stock, that the cele-
brated stallion Vidocq 483 (732), imported by M.
W. Dunham in 1874, was for several years at the
head of the stud at La Beuvriere. As to the type
of the Fardouet stock it may be said that the horses
were perhaps not so heavy-boned as those to be
found elsewhere, but they were usually distinguished
for their fine finish and good action.

During his long and honorable career no man had
more approved or pensioned stallions than Michel
Fardouet, who was succeeded by his son Alphonse
of Le Bois' Joly, near Nogent.

Celestian Cag"et. — Clearly one of the ranking breed-
ers of his time in the Perclie was M. Celestin Caget.
He had two properties, one at Medavy in the Mor-
tagne district of Orne and another at St. Scolasse
in the district of Alencon.

In 1870 Caget had 3 approved stallions, at least
one of which, the famous old Selim (749), bred in
Orne and foaled in 1866, was one of the best horses
of his day. The official record reads: "Selim, fine
draft horse, great depth of chest, good in shoulders,
good loins, fine action," Again in 1872 Selim is
referred to as ''a good Percheron, well built, near
the ground." This horse was in service for 8 years

M. Caget ^ ^ \^ Eugene Lemarie

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 209

as a pensioned stock-getter. In 1885 M. Cajet had
6 approved stallions, including the noted Romulus,
dappled gray, about 16 hands high, afterwards sold
to Mr. Dunham; Vautour, light gray, 16 hands high;
Cheri, dappled gray, 16 hands high; and Madere,
Voltaire and Picador, all grays. In 1887 Caget had
4 stallions pensioned — Porthos, Eveille, Cheri and
Madere.

Contemporaneously, in part, with the work of
Caget pere is that of his son, Modesto Caget. The
records show that pensioned stallions were owned
by father and son throughout a period of full 30
years. M. DeLange of Almeneches, Orne, a son-in-
law of the elder Caget, was also a stallioner of good
repute.

The Chouanards and La Touche. — The beautiful
farm belonging to the late and much-regretted
Charles Aveline, the farm of LaTouche near Nogent,
has been for nearly a century the residence of the
Chouanard family. M. Charles Aveline leased the
farm in 1894, and bought it some years later. From
the year 1820 to the year 1894 the Chouanards, at
least one branch of the family, lived there. The
family was numerous, and its members hold a prom-
inent place in Percheron history. In fact, the name
is still in evidence today, Emile Chouanard, Jules
Chouanard, Charles Chouanard and Paul Chouanard
still maintaining the reputation of their ancestors.
To M. Paul Chouanard we acknowledge our indebt-
edness for some of the interesting facts herein
chronicled.

210 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

The Cliouanard family originally came from the
west of France, from Cholet, in the department of
Maine-et-Loire. The first of the name of which we
have record were cattle dealers and nsed to sell at
the Paris cattle market, then at Poissy. This was
long before the railways, and they sent their cattle
by the road on foot to market. Their Avay was
throngh the Perche, from Cholet to Paris, and dur-
ing their numerous trips through the district they
were attracted by the surroundings, and decided to
settle there. We find trace of a Cliouanard (Joseph
Rene), born in 1767, who died in the Perche in 1815,
at Bretoncelles, about 12 miles from Xogent, where
he had a farm. He left many children, and his first
two sons were the ancestors of the Chouanards of
today. One of his sons, Louis Cliouanard, resided at
the farm of Champeau near Nogeiit, and was the
owner of some celebrated stallions. His brother,
Joseph Cliouanard, was the first Cliouanard to live
at La Touclie. He leased the farm in the year 1820,
and was known as Cliouanard de la Touche, as his
brother Louis was known as Cliouanard of Cham-
peau.

Joseph Cliouanard was a man of strong charac-
ter and good judgment. He was universally es-
teemed, and was considered one of the highest au-
thorities of his day on horse breeding. Tn fact, he
was often called to judge at shows or to act as ref-
eree. He probably was the greatest mare man of
his time in the Perche. He had a long career, quit-
ting the farm in 1863 and retiring to Nogent, where

[ llluiiricQ Clwua/i(]r(P\ JL [ Charles Choimitard .

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 211

he died in 1876. His son, Adolphe Chouanard, suc-
ceeded him at La Touche in 1863.

Adolphe Chouanard was a mare man also and
did an extensive business, especially with the Paris
trade. When the first American buyers came,
Adolphe Chouanard adapted his trade to the de-
mands of the importers and La Touche was sup-
plied with stock of all ages to suit the demand.
Adolphe Chouanard did a large business with the
first American importers. At the first show held
by the Percheron society at Nogent in May, 1884, he
won first prize with the famous mare Degourdie
(2346) and sold her for $2,300 to George E. Case
of Minnesota. This was a great mare, quite white
at 5 years old, with a wonderful body, great bone,
and a very long arched neck. In the years 1886
and 1887 Adolphe Chouanard had more than 130
Percherons of all ages on hand, so that La Touche
was one of the headquarters for the American trade,
ranking in this respect with the great farms of
August Tacheau, Sr., and of Colas of Beaulieu, other
leaders of their time.

After the panic of the early '90 's Adolphe Chou-
anard left La Touche, and in 1894 the farm changed
hands, soon afterwards becoming the property of
Charles Aveline.

The Perriots. — The records of Percheron progress
in modern days in France hold no name wholly com-
parable with that of Perriot. Although this fact is
largely due to the extraordinary achievements of
the brothers Louis, Ernest and Albert, and Louis'

212 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

son Edmond, their forbears were recognized as
among the foremost breeders of the Perche. Per-
riot pere was born in 1810, and died in 1874.

At the time when the great American demand
first set in prior to 1880 the three brothers, known
as Perriot d'Amilly, Perriot de Cheneliere and Per-
riot de Champeau, were comparatively young men,
and while all were recognized as close judges of a
good horse, Mark W. Dunham was wont to credit
the younger brother Albert with being the shrewd-
est of the three. He often put it like this: "When-
ever they went out together picking up colts it
would inevitably be found when they were divided
up that Albert had the best ones." Be this as it
may, they were a most remarkable trio, and in the
great days that followed sold more high-priced
horses for export than all of their contemporaries
combined. Unfortunately Albert died at an early
age in 1879, his decease being universally regarded
as a real calamity to the district. It was from Albert
that Mr. Dunham bought Africus (862), Bayard
(717), Margot d'Amilly (795), Duke of Perche
(740), Favora (725) and Superior (730).

The elder brother Louis was born in February,
1835, on his father's farm of Amilly, in the com-
mune of Condeau, Orne, where he remained until
as a young man he went to live with his grand-
mother, the grandfather having died. In 1859, as
a young married man, he began his long and suc-
cessful career as a breeder of horses of the best
Percheron type on the farm known as Champeaux,

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 213

where Edmond, so well known in connection with
latter-day breeding operations in the Perche, was
born. In his later years Champeaux was ceded to
the son Edmond, the father removing to the adjacent
property known as La Borde, where he at an ad-
anced age has continued to conduct farming and
breeding operations.

Louis Perriot remembers well the famous stallion
Vieux Chaslin, that figures so prominently in the
pedigrees of many of the best horses of the founda-
tion period of our modem records, and describes
him as extraordinarily good in the chest, neck and
head. He testifies that Vieux Chaslin 's progeny
was distinguished always for quality and vigor, be-
ing in great demand from all discriminating buyers.
His father bought one of his best sons, Favori 1st,
a gray, foaled in 1862, Vieux Chaslin was dropped
in 1847 and served for a long series of years with
remarkable success in the La Ferte district. He
was owned by M. Vinault, one of the leading stal-
lioners of his day in the Perche.

Favori 1st, the stallion that brought the elder
Perriot his greatest fame, was the sire of Bayard
(717), that got the celebrated stallion French Mon-
arch (824), bought by Mr. Dunham for America in
1880 at 5 years of age and subsequently sold to Mr.
Wheelock of Moline, 111. This horse should not be
confused with one of the same name, a black bred
by Tacheau and sold into Iowa about 1874. An-
other noted son of Favori 1st was Favora (725),
out of the mare Marie by the great Coco. Favora

214 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

was imported by Mr. Dunham. He was not only a
great horse individually, but a sire of uncommon
merit. He was sold at $5,000 to go to Oregon. An-
other Favora, foaled in 1868 and got by French Mon-
arch, was imported by the Dillons in 1880.

Louis Perriot was a frequent exhibitor at the
shows about the time the Percheron Stud Book of
France was established, although he never entered
into the competitions with the zest subsequently
displayed by his enterprising son Edmond. Both
were famous for their skill in fitting horses for the
showyard. At the Percheron society's show in 1887
Louis won first among two-year-old stallions with
Marmont, and in 1888 he was second in the three-
year-old class with Kleber, and second in two-year-
olds with Dompteur. At a subsequent show he was
second in three-year-olds with Bacarat. He sold
largely at one time to the Dillons, and from him
Mr. Dunham obtained the great Baptiste (737) and
Introuvable (24146). His work must be judged not
from his showyard triumphs, but rather from his
exceptionally long career as a shrewd, sound, con-
servative breeder. Endowed with a. splendid phys-
ique, great courage and determination, and un-
bounded industry he is at this writing (1916) still
conducting his own farm and breeding stud, al-
though over 80 years of age. It should be observed
that his son Edmond has been assisted and encour-
aged in his breeding operations by the judgment
and experience of the father. Louis Perriot is the
last of the old school. It will be necessary to con-

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 215

suit the stud book to get a list of the better-known
horses and mares that he bred and raised.

Ernest Perriot stands out conspicuously as the
greatest constructive Percheron breeder of modern
times. He was born on his father's farm of Amilly,
and began operations on his own account about the
year 1870 at the farm of La Chenelliere near Nogent,
where he remained until shortly before his death in
1912 at I'Omie, also near Nogent. It is the consensus
of opinion of all those who have been most familiar
with Percheron breeding for the last half century
that Ernest Perriot did more to develop the most
desirable modem type of the Percheron than any
of his contemporaries. This he did by selecting and
retaining the individuals which measured up in the
very best fashion to the standard sought. He wanted
size with quality, and like most of those who have
left the greatest impress on all of the leading im-
proved varieties of domestic animals, did not hesi-
tate to resort to the powerful influence of blood con-
centration. One has but to recall the names of a few
of the great horses bred or raised by Ernest Perriot
to realize the outstanding position he has occupied
since the inception of stud book records. The list
would begin with the celebrated Brilliant 1899
(756), and includes such celebrities as Brilliant
1271 (755), Gilbert, Bon Espoir, Fenelon, Childe-
bert, Voltaire, Briard, Marathon, lago (768), La
Ferte, Jules, Mouille, Villers, Aiglon and Brilliant
3d. Most of these famous stallions are referred to
at some length in our record of American importa-
tions.

216 A HISTORY or THE PERCHERON HORSE

Ernest Perriot was one of the founders of the
Percheron Stud Book of France, and occupied at
different times the chief offices of that society. He
was also the recipient of honorary decorations at
the hands of the French Government. From 1880
to 1892 he was confessedly the leading stallioner
of the Perche. His strains of blood were in keenest
demand, and he sold at higher prices than anyone
else was able to obtain. For a long series of years
Mr, Dunham had first option on all his best. He sold
to others, but loyally held back for Mr. Dunham's
examination all his choicest specimens. Until Oak-
lawn was done others had no chance at the tops.
Between these two great leaders of the trade dur-
ing that period there existed a close friendship,
based on mutual respect and characterized by per-
fect loyalty on both sides, and it is computed that
during his lifetime Mr. Dunham paid Ernest Per-
riot fully $350,000 for Percherons. Mr. Perriot did
not make a practice of exhibiting his horses in the
public competitions. He was a man of strong per-
sonality, a fine intellect, and an unswerving, inflex-
ible strength of character — persistent always in
pursuance of his ideals, which were attained in
striking degree.

Edmond Perriot, son of Louis, born in 1863 at the
farm of Champeaux, has been one of the great fig-
ures of the Perche in recent years. He married the
daughter of M. Rigot, one of the ruling Percheron
powers at that date, and this alliance proved the
foundation of a most successful business career. It

THE FRENCH ST<mY RESUMED 217

is said that M. Rigot owned or controlled more good
Percheron mares in Ms day than any other dozen
men in the district. Many of the best horses Mr.
Dunham had from Ernest Perriot in the earlier days
were from these Rigot mares. Edmond Perriot at-
tained the top-most round of success, and during
the Paris Exposition year, 1900, sold $100,000 worth
of horses to America for cash. His reminiscences of
the American trade will therefore be of interest in
this connection:

^'One of my earliest recollections is that of see-
ing Mark W. Dunham, the father of the present W.
S. Dunham, who comes over here to buy every year.
That was long before the stud book was known here,
when horses could be shipped to America without
pedigree. Mr. Dunham came here for 20 years,
buying from 100 to 150 head annually. He was
a keen judge and only wanted the best, for which
he was willing to pay a good price. His earliest
competitor in buying that I recollect was Mr. Dil-
lon, who was also an excellent judge of a horse, but
who was getting on in years before he came out to
the Perche and did not continue very long. The
Ellwoods took his place and for long years the buy-
ing of mares and stallions in the Perche was prac-
tically monopolized by them and Mr. Dunham. From
the very beginning prices have been relatively high
for good breeding stock, and Mr. Dunham did not
hesitate, even in the early days, to go as high as
$3,000 and even $5,000 for the horse he wanted.

''Gradually other importers came to swell the
field, and I remember when I was about 18 or 20
years old that my father and all his neighbors in
the Perche were selling all the good horses they

218 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

could raise for America. It was at this time, 1881
to 1883, that exportations to America reached to
more than 2,500 liead. The trade had then reached
such vast proportions and become of such material
importance to Percheron breeders that the Societe
Hippique Percheronne, or French Percheron Society,
was organized on June 23, 1883, by a few breeders
in Nogent and the district. Of course my father
and uncle were included in the number. It had been
projected since 1878. There was also a rival society,
le Percheron Francais, backed by the Societe des
Agriculteur de France. There were many bitter
quarrels between the two associations, but eventu-
ally they became fused into one.

"In the early '80 's Mr. Dunham ceased to make
his purchases personally, entrusting that work first
to Leonard Johnson and subsequently to James M.
Fletcher. The type selected by the Americans
at the beginning was about the same size as the
Paris omnibus horse. We used to ship about 7,000
head a year to the omnibus companies in Paris, com-
posed of males unsuitable for breeding stallions;
also many barren mares went to Paris, but the ma-
jority were shipped to Bordeaux, Montbeliard,
Havre and other large cities. The proportions of
dappled gray horses in the Perche at that time was
about 75 per cent, and the weight of a mature stal-
lion ran around 1,700 to 1,750 pounds.

''If I remember rightly it was the Ell woods, about
1881, who first evinced a desire to buy larger horses,
and they acquired the celebrated stallion Cesar, the
precursor of the elephantine Percheron, as the
French breeders say. Cesar weighed close on 2,200
pounds at 2 years old. Unfortunately he died in
crossing the ocean. Nevertheless the fiat had gone
forth for larger horses, consequent on the improved

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T.A HfilUlK -nKSIDKXCK OF LOUIS PBRRIOT.

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 219

and heavier farm implements manufactured at that
period in the United States. This gave to our
breeders the opportunity to prove to the world the
remarkable versatility of the Percheron horse, and
friends and foes alike found that we could produce
the real heavy, drafty type without sacrificing that
high quality for which our product has always been
famous. It was a crucial test in the history of our
breed, but the breeders of the Perche rose success-
fully to the occasion.

''This new demand for a larger horse was taken
up also by James B. McLaughlin, who came into
prominence in the Perche after the Ellwoods had
ceased to buy. Mr. McLaughlin was for years one
of the most active of the American importers and at
one time probably purchased as many horses as
any other one importer. Indeed, a Paris or Nogent
show without the presence of Mr. McLaughlin
would be like Hamlet without the title character.

''From 1880 to 1891 trade was very brisk with
Americans in the Perche, but in 1892 it fell off
and from 1894 to 1898 there were practically no
exportations to the United States on account of
the financial depression in that country. From the
latter date up to 1905 the average annual exporta-
tions of Percheron stallions was about 700 head,
but in 1906 the enormous number of 1,300 stallions
and 200 mares were purchased by American im-
porters. One of the prominent buyers during these
busy years along with J. B. McLaughlin was James
M. Fletcher, who followed Leonard Johnson and
bought for the firm of Dunham, Fletcher & Cole-
man. Afterwards quite a small army of American
importers and breeders came to scour the Perche
every year, and such men as W. S. Dunham, George
Crouch, J. Omer Singmaster, Bell Bros., Robert

220 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

Burgess, Clias. E. Coleman, Chas. Taylor of Taylor
& Jones, Judson Hayden, A. B. Holbert and others
have made important purchases in the Perche.

''In 1889 I commenced showing on my own ac-
count at the Paris show, and obtained 3 prizes with
4 horses, being awarded a second prize on Margon,
a three-year-old which I sold to Mr. Dillon. My
greatest triumph perhaps was at Paris at the great
exposition of 1900, where I got 4 first prizes, the
championships and the grand championship. I
have been awarded 11 championships at the provin-
cial shows in France since 1894, 6 championships
at Paris since 1905, and 15 championships at the
Percheron society's show since 1891.

"I have known some .celebrated stallions that
have done much for the breed. In 1899 I sold a
very fine stallion Phenix to J. M. Fletcher. In
1900, Suffren, winner of first in the two-year-old
class at Paris, was bought by J. B. McLaughlin,
who also acquired a splendid three-year-old Raynal,
first-prize winner at the same show. He got the
famous stallion Orangiste the same year. This
horse obtained first prize at Nantes and Nogent as
a two-year-old. That year J, M. Fletcher bought
2 fine stallions, Chambellon and Scipion, aged and
three-year-old champions respectively. Champeaux,
a stallion sold to Mr. Dillon as a five-year-old, was
a remarkable breeder, and his progeny must be all
over America. One of the finest three-year-olds I
ever saw was Fusain, first at Paris and Rouen. He
was bought by J. B. McLaugldin. Of course nearly
all our best stock traces back to Brilliant (756),
the son of Coco 2d, born in 1867 on the farm of
my uncle Ernest Perriot."

The Perriot Percherons were distinguished usu-
ally for their size, good bone, fine heads and well-

-•^x*

\T TOP EDMOND PERBIOT; AT BOTTOM, A. TACHEAU, SB.. J. O. SIXG-
MASTER AND M. TACHEAU'S YOUNGEST SON, WHO PIED IN 1902.

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 221

set necks — a heavy drafty sort standing on short
legs. Towards the end of Ernest Perriot's career
it was commonly allowed that some little lack of
size and constitution had begun to appear. There
was apparently some falling away from the old-
time outstanding excellence, and yet to this day
among the strongly-bred Perriot stallions where
the individual quality scarcely measures up to the
older standards the blood continues to breed on
with extraordinary success, producing horses of a
character illustrating once more the operation of
well known laws of heredity — reversion to ancestral
types.

The Tacheaus. — Forever famous in the annals
of the Perclie will stand the names of Auguste
Tacheau, pere et fils. After M. Vinault the senior
Tacheau was the greatest stallioner and breeder
of the La Ferte Bernard region. Like Charles Ave-
line and other contemporaries, he was ever active
in catering to the great American demand, and in
this service acquired a fortune. When Charles
Aveline was still a young man the two leaders in
the development of Percheron interests were Ta-
cheau grand-pere and the father of Louis and
Ernest Perriot. It was Tacheau pere that acquired
French Monarch (734) in 1868, and used him as a
stud horse in the La Ferte district, during which
time — 1868 to 1874 — that great horse served a large
number of mares and acquired a reputation as a
sire of highclass stock, being then sold to America
to S. S. Waterbury and A. W. Cook of Iowa. Dur-

222 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

ing his active period of service in France it has been
recorded that "during the 6 years that he served
mares for M. Tacheau he acquired in the district
as a stallion a reputation almost without equal,
his progeny always being remarkable for their
quality and their size."

M. Tacheau also bought from M. Sagot Coco 2(1,
a stallion that won many prizes, and, according to
M. Pelleray and others, was the greatest sire of his
day in all Perclie. The name of Tacheau also will
be associated w^ith the celebrated stallion Besigue,
sold to go to Dr. Hartman of Columbus, 0.; the
great horse died unfortunately on ship board on
the Atlantic Ocean.

Probably the most noted stallion America ever
obtained from the Tacheau stables was Seducteur,
imported in 1888 by W. L. Ellwood and afterwards
the property of H. G. McMillan. It was from M.
Tacheau also that Mr. Ellwood bought Baccarat, a
prizewinner in France, which sold as a three-year-old
to Eufus B. Kellogg of Green Bay, Wis., for $6,000.
In 1883 M. W. Dunham bought 20 two-year-old colts
from M. Tacheau at $20,000 for the lot. Other pre-
potent sires from Tacheau 's were Bibi and Jupiter.

Auguste Tacheau 's interest in Percherons was
transmitted to his son, thus carrying on the tradi-
tional attachment of the family to the draft horse
stock that has made the Perche famous on both
sides the Atlantic. Tacheau pere was always pop-
ular with the American buyers of his time. He
operated in a country of rich pastures, handled a

Auguste Tacheau Jr.

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 223

very large number of colts, and was a frequent and
successful exhibitor at Nogent, Paris and other lead-
ing shows, not only with stallions but with mares as
well. In 1886 he won first at Nogent in yeld mares
with Queen of Perclie, and first, second and third in
the two-year-old stallion class on Seducteur (7057),
Phenix (6983) and Fils de Voltaire (6832), also tak-
ing first for best lot of stallions. M. Tacheau was
one of the members of the executive committee of
the Societe Hippique Percheronne after its organ-
ization in 1883, He died at Cannes in March, 1906,

Auguste Tacheau, Jr,, has more than sustained
his father's reputation and it is not too much to
say that he is one of the foremost French breeders of
this day and generation,

Charles Paul Aveline. — Another tower of strength
in the Percheron trade at the time of the establish-
ment of the stud book in France was the late M. Ave-
line, whose death in January, 1916, was mourned
on both sides the Atlantic by all familiar with lat-
ter-day Percheron history. Born in 1853, the son
of a breeder and farmer of high local repute, he early
made his mark as a farmer, stallioner and breeder
at La Crochetiere, Verrieres, Orne, a district which
from time immemorial has been celebrated for rich
pastures and good horses.

The first reference made to M, Aveline in the gov-
ernment haras records is in 1883, as the owner of a
17-hand, iron-gray stallion known as Brilliant. He
was given a bonus of 300 francs by the government
authorities in that year. Another stallion named

224 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Clieri, foaled in 1880, an iron-gray standing 18 liands
high, is in the haras registry as approved for 1883,
receiving the same stipend as Brilliant. It will be
noted from this that three-year-old horses now began
to receive official recognition. M. Aveline also had
Margot, a dark-gray horse, foaled in 1878, 16.2 hands
high, that was approved and served in 1883 with a
pension similar to that accorded Cheri and Brilliant.
During the succeeding years we find the names of
the bay horse Decide, Paul, a mouse-gray (gris
souris), Monarque, a light-gray 17 hands high, Her-
cules, a black standing a little over 17 hands high,
and Bon Coeur, a black 16-hand horse foaled in 1881,
Sultan (362), Vulcain, Bon Courage, Dragon, Haut-
bois, Fronton, Chichi, Etradegant, Etudiant and
Orangiste.

In his mature years M. Aveline removed to the
fine estate of La Touche, near Nogent — his wife
being a Chouanard — and here he maintained for a
long series of years an establishment which was
visited regularly, and always with keen enjoyment,
by all American buyers. He was one of the found-
ers of the Percheron Stud Book of France, and for
15 years prior to his death was the society's pres-
ident, a fact which illustrates well his standing in
the Perche. M. Aveline visited the Trans-Mississip-
pi Exposition at St. Louis, Mo., in 1904, and was
decorated by the French government with the cross
of Commandeur of the Merite Agricole and Chevalier
of the Legion of Honor. He was a man of rare
intelligence, sound business judgment, courage, tact

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 225

and honesty, and in his recent death contemporary
Percheron breeding in France lost its leading light.
He leaves a son Louis, who for some years has been
active as successor to his father in the Percheron
trade and who during the great war has been sta-
tioned in the United States as an officer of the French
military service buying horses for the armies of
France.

Credit Due These Pioneers. — From the foregoing
it will appear that before the era of the foundation
of the stud book there were men of good judgment,
staunch admires of the Percheron breed, who united
their efforts and created departmental and local com-
mittees for the purpose of improving the breed. To
these men must be paid a special tribute of grati-
tude, whether they were in the government service,
rich landowners of the district or only small farmers
or tenants. They were not stimulated in the old
days by big prices paid by importers. Some Perche-
rons had been exported to different countries of
Europe between 1820 and 1870, notably to Italy,
Pinissia, Saxony and Russia. And speaking of this
period M. Paul Chouanard says:

"Before the Crimean war M. Joseph Chouanard,
then residing at La Touclie 1854-1855, sold during
some years a number of Percheron stallions and
mares to a Russian general named Schweider, who
used to remain for a week at La Touche at each
voyage. At the Hamburg Show (Germany) in 1863
3 Percheron stallions owned by a gentleman from
Saxony took prizes."

The American people were the first, however, to

226 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

recognize in a broad way the real merit of the breed
for draft purposes in other lands. They pushed Per-
cheron breeding on a large scale, and then it was that
great prosperity began in the Perche.

Founding of the Stud Book. — The first volume of
the "Stud Book Percheron, public par la Sociote
Hippique Percheronne, autorisee par le Gouvern-
ment" was issued at Nogent-le-Rotrou in 1883 under
the Honorary Presidency of M. le Prefet d'Eure-et-
Loir, the Honorary Vice-President of M. le Sous-
Prefet de Nogent-le-Rotrou, and the ex-officio
patronage of M. le Maire de Nogent-le-Rotrou. This
was the beginning of official registration of Perche-
ron horses in the home of the breed. The charter
membership included all the leading breeders of the
Perche, about 125 in number, one of the most emin-
ent of wliom, M. Michel Fardouet, was elected to
the active presidency of the association. Louis Per-
riot and M. Moulin were chosen vice-presidents, and
M. Boullay-Chaumard was made secretary-treasurer.
A board of directors, including 17 of the best-known
supporters of Percheron interests, was created,
prominent among those serving in such capacity
being MM. Vinault, Sagot, Miard, Launay, Auguste
Tacheau, Caget, Gautier, Desire Ducoeurjoly, Rigot,
Goupil and Aveline fils. This movement had the
active support of leading patrons of the breed in
America, including Messrs. M. W. Dunham, J. H.
Sanders, founder of the American stud book, and
others.

From the introduction to this initial volume of

LA CEOCHETIERE, FARM OF LOUIS AVELI^E.

LA BRRTONNERLE, FARM OF CHARLES CHOUANARD.

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 227

the Stud Book of France, prepared by President
Fardouet, we extract the following:

"In presenting the first volume of the Percheron
stud book to the public, the Societe Hippique Per-
cheronne is sensible of the keenest pleasure in hav-
ing accomplished a work that will be of untold value
to the future as well as the present breeders and
owners of the Percheron race. The organization
embraces in its membership nearly all of the promi-
nent breeders and stallioners of the Perche, many,
very many of whom have grown old themselves
in the commendable work, and whose ancestors for
generations have, like them, devoted their lives to
developing and fostering this matchless breed,
whose antiquity of origin stands first among those
of the equine races of civilized nations — a breed
that has been moulded to the necessities of the
different periods of its existence for hundreds of
years under the vivifying influences and climatic
effects of the Perche, as well as by the inimitable
processes of educating both males and females
from the earliest age and with the most judicious
care possible by the actual perfonnance of the
work they will be called upon to do during their
lives, thus slowly and surely developing their pliysi-
cal capabilities and instinctive aptitudes into hered-
itary and transmissible forces, which have been
exerted Avitli such potent power in the amelioration
of all races with which it has come in contact.

''In feudal ages the countiy required a class of
horses suited to an equestrian race, and the Perche
supplied them. Under the empire of a higher civili-
zation the peaceful pursuits of agriculture and
commerce demanded horses for the post, the dili-
gence, and for agricultural and draft purposes. The
Perche was called upon, and she met the demand.

228 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

The introduction of steam as a power marked a
new era; the building of railroads and steamships,
and its adoption as a power in all the useful arts,
in manufacturing, has changed all. The post and
diligence are gone; the agricultural and great com-
mercial marts remain to be supplied. Labor and
food have become more costly, and the people, by
force of necessity and the demands of economy,
call for larger, stronger, but equally active horses
to till the requirements of the time. How has the
Perche sustained herself under the pressure of this
last and most difficult demand! The answer fills
us with pride and gratification.

''The government and all the departments of
France are eager purchasers of Percheron stallions
to improve and ameliorate their native breeds.
Russia, Austria, Germany and Italy buy largely,
both by direct government purchase and by pri-
vate enterprise; even Great Britain, bound up as
she is in her own egotism, is a customer of no
small magnitude. With such magnificent acknowl-
edgments of the value and superiority of the Per-
cheron race we ought to be content; but this is
not the half. The plains of South America are be-
ing supplied with stock of our breeding; and lastly,
that beautiful country, that great republic across
the sea, whose progress is the marvel of the w^orld,
is our most enamored admirer and liberal pur-
chaser— so liberal, indeed, that grave apprenhen-
sions are being expressed as to our future ability
to supply the rapidly increasing demand upon us
for our best males and females of all ages, with-
out materially deteriorating our stock. This ques-
tion is one that needs the most earnest thought and
energetic action of all interested in the preservation
to the Perche of her pristine glory.

hA TOUCHE. RESIDENCK OF THE LATE CHARLES AVELIXE, LONG PRESI-
DEXT OF THE PERCTIERON SOCIETY OF FRA-XCE.

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 229

''To preserve and perpetuate the valuable qual-
ities of the Percheron race against invasion from
all sources is one of the missions of this society.
In order to accomplish this purpose, it becomes
necessary thoroughly to investigate all elements of
breeding that have contributed to the grand results
we now enjoy, and by carefully classifying all ani-
mals with their pedigrees, that we may see what
strains of blood, which families and what orders
of union have been prolific of the greatest benefits
in the past, thus establishing invaluable precedents
from which more intelligently to shape our future
course, and with greater degrees of certainty arrive
at the desired ends. These investigations have
shown us that the improvements of the past neces-
sary to meet the changing demands, have been
accomplished by selecting animals best suited to
the new requirements, and, by a judicious system
of in-and-in breeding perpetuate the valuable qual-
ities sought for, at the same time intensifying their
hereditary powers of transmitting those qualities."

Meager Data at First Available. — In common
with all other pioneer undertakings of this char-
acter, the effort to collect for the first time reliable
information concerning the foundation stock was
attended by many difficulties. In respect to the
remote origin of the race, and indeed in respect to
the work done by the preceding generation in the
Perche, there was only of record M. Du Ha>'s'
treatise, already alluded to in preceding chapters.
Valuable and interesting as was this cleverly writ-
ten work, its author apparently had not the time
nor the patience to search the archives of the gov-
ernment touching the Percherons of pre-stud book

230 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

days, but contented liimself rather with eulogizing
the breed, and accepting, apparently without ques-
tion, such traditions as had been handed down by
writers who made no pretense of basing their
statements upon anything more reliable than mere
hearsay. True to their ancient habit of being more
interested in the work of the moment than delving
amidst dusty documents dealing with a long for-
gotten past, these stud book organizers builded, as
best they could, upon Du Hays and the memories
of the older inhabitants of the district at the time
they took up pedigree registration.

Obviously little success was met with in attempt-
ing to obtain actual pedigrees of the remote an-
cestors of the horses found in the Perche at the
date this basic volume was undertaken. Clearly,
in the absence of any known w^ritten records, the
practical thing to do was to make a beginning with
the stock in the hands of the leading breeders of
the district at the time, with such particulars as
were to be had concerning the ancestry in the
first and second generations. This was the course
in the main pursued and in this respect the be-
ginnings of Percheron registration on both sides
the Atlantic differed in no wise from the circum-
stances surrounding the first attempts at establish-
ing public records for all our other best-known
breeds of improved domestic animals.

The Case of Jean-le-Blanc. — The great majority
of stallions and mares entered in the first volume
were animals foaled between 1878 and the date of

M.Rigof ]V[ M.Villette-Gate \

THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 231

issue, 1883. In a few notable instances, such as
the case of the stallion recorded as Jean-le-Blanc
(739), an attempt was made to ground some of
the contemporary pedigrees in the blood of stal-
lions of good repute known to have lived in a dis-
tant past, but the record ascribed to such horses
has in some cases yet to be substantiated by authen-
tic data. Jean-le-Blanc 's existence can scarcely be
a subject of doubt, but in the matter of his alleged
descent from Gallipoly, in the light of our investi-
gations at Paris covering the period in which he
is said to have been foaled, we can only enter up
the old Scotch verdict — "not proven." There
probably was such a stallion as Jean-le-Blanc, else
the name could never have been handed down with
so much veneration, but no man lives today who
can verify any part of his history.

We have been at some pains to run down the
story of this erstwhile celebrated progenitor of
latter-day Percherons, but the most we can get in
the Perche is from a few of the oldest breeders,
who say that in their youth they remember hearing
their fathers speak of such a horse. He is said
to have been foaled in 1823 or 1824, but while the
official records of that period, which we have al-
ready presented, seem complete and circumspect
in their listing of government-owned and govern-
ment-approved horses, they contain no mention of
Jean-le-Blanc. He is said to have lived to be 25
years of age and to have left a numerous progeny.
Fortunately, however, at this late date the matter

232 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

is one of merely academic interest. Tliose who
made the entry of course acted in the ntmost good
faith. They had the tradition, and published it
for what it was worth. They had no occasion for
doubting' its accuracy at the time. They had not
the government archives before them. Criticism
upon this head must therefore stop with the state-
ment that those who were doing this pioneer work
might have gone to Paris and searched, as we have
now done, the manuscripts and records in the
possession of the French Government. It is safe
to say that had the Percheron breeders of France
and America, who cooperated in launching this
difficult enterprise in 1883, known of the mine of
information then existing in Paris concerning the
origin of the modem heavy draft type of Perche-
ron horses, developed for the first time in this
volume, they would have been quick to utilize it.
The breed had a foundation history behind it which
was not properly reflected by the earlier stud books.
In other words, the Percheron of the ante-stud
book days was a stronger-bred horse than is indi-
cated by the existing foundation records. He is
not the creation of the past 30 years. The pedi-
grees really run back at least to the era of the
first Napoleon, but the missing links cannot now
be gathered up.

CHAPTER IX.
THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE '80 'S.

All extraordinary period of expansion in Perche-
ron importing and breeding in America was inaug-
urated in 1881. It continued until about 1890, reach-
ing its climax in 1887 and 1888. The country had
recovered from the depression of the '70 's, land was
advancing fast in value, and the states west of the
Missouri River were being settled rapidly. Horse-
power was urgently needed for the development of
these prairies and horse-breeding on large western
ranches was undertaken on a commercial basis. Busi-
ness conditions were favorable. The result was a
rapid growth of draft horse breeding in America.

Only 20 men made importations in 1880, but the
number of importers increased as follows: 1881, 29;
1882, 39; 1883, 42; 1884, 42; 1885, 50. Still more
were engaged in 1886, 1887 and 1888. The number
of breeders increased more than tenfold. In 1880
only 45 breeders were producing Percherons in
America; by 1890 the number had increased to 593.
During this period of expansion 4,988 stallions and
2,566 mares were imported, and 1,920 stallions and
2,089 mares were bred in America.

Distribution by States. — Illinois was the leading
state in the breeding of Percherons at this time, with

233

234 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

a total of 203 breeders. The other prominent states,
with the number of breeders in order, were : Iowa 66,
Ohio 55, New York 31, Minnesota 30, Michigan 28,
Pennsylvania 23, Wisconsin 23, Indiana 21, Kansas
20, Missouri 18, and Nebraska 12. Breeding had
been begun in 20 other states but was limited in
extent.

This epoch was made notable by the coming of
some new men whose means and ambitions enabled
them to take high rank in Percheron operations.
Foremost among these was W. L. Ellwood, DeKalb,
111., who proved the strongest competitor wliich M.
W. Dunham encountered in his lifetime. Mark Goad
of Nebraska, Hon. T. W. Palmer of Michigan, John
W. Akin of New York, Fred Pabst and E. B. Kellogg
of Wisconsin, Leonard Johnson, George E. Case and
the Minnesota Percheron Horse Co., all of Minne-
sota, also acquired prominence during this period.

Oaklawn Breeding Operations. — Mark W. Dun-
ham 's breeding operations reached their climax dur-
ing this period, as he reared 182 stallions and 173
mares of his own production, almost as many as his
four leading contemporaries combined. His rank,
however, depends less on mere numbers than on the
character of colts produced. The influence of the
Oaklawn Farm operations of this period has been
so far-reaching that it must receive detailed con-
sideration.

It was Mr. Dunham's idea from the outset to de-
velop as rapidly as possible the breeding of Perche-
rons in America, and he imported mares freely: in

THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE '80 's 235

1881 36, in 1882 43, and in 1883 108. His total im-
portations of mares from 1881 to 1890 amounted to
319 head. An examination of tlie Oaklawn Farm in-
ventory shows that he had on hand on Jan. 1, 1887,
150 mares; on July 1, 1887, 148 mares and 37 more
which were out on lease; on Jan. 1, 1888, 156 mares
and 39 more out on lease; on July 1, 1888, 133 mares
and 66 more out on lease; on Jan. 1, 1890, 179 mares
and 13 out on lease. More details could be given,
but enough has been cited to show the large number
of mares kept in the Oaklawn stud. In individual-
ity and breeding these mares were of the highest
character, as they were imported by Mr. Dunham for
his own use; he sought and secured the choicest
mares obtainable in France, buying freely from all
of the leading breeders and mare owners of the
Perche. Breeders still living who were intimately
acquainted with the mares assembled at Oaklawn in
this period are agreed that no stud in America, and
probably none in the world, ever numbered in its
ranks so many mares of the best Percheron type
and breeding. The 738 Percherons bred at Oaklawn
between 1872 and 1900 were produced by 287 dif-
ferent dams. This fact, considered with the numbers
owned at different dates, is evidence that the rate
of increase was slow.

The Brilliant Blood.— In 1881 Mr. Dunham im-
ported Brilliant 1271 (755) and in the same year
Leonard Johnson, who was acting as a buyer in
France for Mr. Dunham, imported his sire. Brilliant
1899 (756). Brilliant 1899 was used but one year on

236 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

purebred mares; he then was sold into a community
where he was bred only to grade mares until his
death. Brilliant 1271 was placed at the head of the
Oaklawn stud in 1882 and became the most famous
sire ever used in America. However, his greatest
descendants are the result of line-breeding his sons
and grandsons on daughters and granddaughters of
Brilliant 1899, so that the two together must be
given the credit for the dominance of Brilliant blood
in the Percheron breed.

The leading showring winners of the '80 's and
early '90 's Avere dominated by the Brilliant blood,
but the most remarkable feature is the prepotency
of the leading horses of this strain. Out of the 56
animals that won first prizes in the stallion and mare
classes at the shows held by the Societe Hippique
Percheronne de France during the years from 1901
to 1908 all but 9 traced directly in the sire's line
to Brilliant 1271 or Brilliant 1899, or both, the chief
lines of descent being through Brilliant 3d 11116
(2919), Villers 13169 (8081) and Marathon 11410
(10386).

In addition to this record, which includes only first-
prize animals at the most important show in France,
the record of the International Live Stock Exposi-
tion at Chicago offers cumulative evidence of the
prepotency and value of Brilliant blood. Of the 11
different stallions that have won grand champion-
ship honors in the 14 shows that have been held, all
but 2 trace directly in the sire's line to this strain,
and the champions that have since become famous

THE GREAT EXPANSION OP^ THE '80 's 237

as sires are line-bred in Brilliant blood to a consid-
erable degree. Such overwhelming evidence of the
high merit of the descendants of Brilliant 1899 and
Brilliant 1271 in the showring and the stud warrants
detailed consideration of these horses and of the
methods used in combining their blood.

The Story of Old Brilliant.— Foaled in 1867, Bril-
liant 1899 was extensively used in the stud of Ernest
Perriot, Sr., until 1881. His greatest son, Brilliant
1271, was foaled in 1877. Old Brilliant begot other
good sires, but his greatest honors come through his
daughters. Four mares sired by Brilliant 1899 were
the dams of Seducteur 8850 (7057), Tripoli 11110
(20034), Marathon 11410 (10386) and Brilliant 3d
11116 — four of the greatest show horses and sires of
the breed. Imported to America in 1881 by Leonard
Johnson the old horse was taken directly to East
Castle Rock, Minn. Here he remained part of a
year and sired 3 purebred colts. He was sold in
1882 to P. C. Fockler, Independence, la. The horse
was 15 years old when Mr. Fockler bought him
for $2,000, but his vigor and vitality were such that
he lived to be nearly 30 years old, proving to be a
sure sire until near the time of his death. During
the last few months of his life he became partially
paralyzed in his hindquarters and it was necessary
to call in the neighbors to help him to his feet, after
which he could walk around. Rather than see the
game old sire suffer Mr. Fockler had him killed.

During his service in the stud at Independence
Brilliant 1899 was bred only to grade mares. In-

238 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

fonnation obtained by the Percherou Society of
America in 1915 from Mrs. P. C. Fockler and Messrs.
C. R. Kirkner, E. F. French, Becker, Myers, Leming
and Stevenson, all of whom knew the horse and
owned colts by him, indicates conclusively that the
Percheron breed has suffered a great loss through
failure to put this grand old sire at the head of a
stud of purebred mares in this country.

All of the parties interviewed remembered the
horse well and knew him as Old Brilliant. They
knew nothing of the history-making character of
his blood on the Percheron breed, but they were
unanimous in considering him the greatest horse ever
brought to their community. Colts sired by him
were sold at remarkable prices, considering the de-
pression which prevailed in values in the early '90 's.
John Myers, a brother-in-law of Mr. Fockler, testi-
fied that he sold a three-year-old grade filly by Bril-
liant 1899 for $300 when an ordinary work horse
could be bought for $60. Mr. Becker stated that he
sold a three-year-old filly for $250 when values wore
correspondingly low. C. R. Kirkner knew of a Colo-
rado man who came to Independence and bought
40 fillies sired by Brilliant; in fact, this man bought
every filly he could find by the old sire, regardless
of price. Mr. Myers spoke of an Idaho ranchman
who came in and bought carloads of his colts, and
added, ''It did not make any difference what kind
of a mare was bred to Old Brilliant, the offspring
was always a typical Brilliant colt." John Steven-
son, an aged horseman who patronized the old sire

THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE '80 's 239

extensively said: "Almost everyone was disappoint-
ed in the Brilliant colts when foaled, as they were
too small. They never quit growing, however, and
they always retained that smoothness of form which
made them real beauties." Mr. Ferrell, in comment-
ing on the estimate in which the horse and his de-
scendants were held in the community, remarked
that it was quite a common thing to hear people
remark at farm auctions whenever an extra good
draft horse was put up for sale, " I '11 bet that horse
has some of Old Brilliant's blood in him."

This testimony is enough to show that the horse
was a remarkable sire, both in France and in Amer-
ica, and it is a calamity that so great a sire was not
found by a breeder of Percherons who could have
put him at the head of a purebred stud. The tes-
timony of men who knew him at Independence was
that he weighed a ton "in pretty good condition,"
and such supplementary information as has been ob-
tained indicates that he was about 16.3 to 17 hands
in height and weighed about 1,900 pounds when in
breeding flesh. He was a deep-chested, wide-breast-
ed horse of unusual style, symmetry, finish and
quality, and with a head whose contour and char-
acter would delight any Percheron breeder living.
By great good fortune a photograph of the old horse,
taken when he was well over 20, has been obtained
and is reproduced herewith.

Brilliant 1271. — Generally considered as the great-
est sire ever used in improving the Percheron breed
in this coimtry and held by the majority to be the

240 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

greatest sire the breed has ever known, this Brilliant
1271 owes no small portion of his success to the fact
that he was for 15 years at the head of the Oaklawn
stud with access to probably the greatest group of
draft mares ever assembled by one breeder. He was
imported in 1881 as a four-year-old, but sired his
four greatest sons before he left France. Fenelon
2682 (38) and Voltaire 3540 (443) were foaled in
1880, and Gilbert 5154 (461) and Briard 5317 (1630)
in 1882, before he left France. It is well to note in
passing that the arguments of those who contend
that young stallions do not beget as excellent prog-
eny as mature horses find here a record in direct
conflict with their theory. Fenelon and Voltaire, two
remarkable show horses and sires, were begotten
when Brilliant was but a two-year-old. Seducteur
8850 and Brilliant 3d 11116 were sired by Fenelon
when he was but a three-year-old. There are no
other horses with as great show and stud records as
these in all of Brilliant's progenj^

Brilliant 1271 came to Oaklawn without any spe-
cial flourish of trumpets, but was so good in all-
around Percheron type and character that Mr. Dun-
ham immediately put him into sen'ice with Success
452 and Vidocq 483 (732), then stud sires of proved
worth.

In this connection it is of interest to give the first
detailed description recorded of Brilliant 1271; it
appears in the Oaklawn catalog of 1882 as follows:

''Black; foaled 1877; imported 1881; weight 1,850;
16 hands high. Long and very round body; extra-

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THE GREAT EXPANSION OP THE '80 's 241

ordinary length of quarters, which are broad and
level; very sloping shoulders of unusual depth; neck
rather short; medium throttle; fine ear; wide be-
tween the eyes; slightly Roman nose; very broad
breast; short legs and bone of uncommon width; good
feet; immense stifle power. A horse with a combina-
tion of excellencies throughout."

Later descriptions give his weight as a little over
a ton, but the testimony of men who knew him well
is that he was in show shape at such weight and
that he tipped the scales when in stud condition at
about 1,900 pounds. A better idea of the horse can
be obtained by a study of his picture, reproduced
herewith. One thing is desei^v^ing of special em-
phasis: Brilliant 1271 was a most impressive horse
in his general bearing, and masculine character was
emphasized in every line. He was a dominant, vig-
orous, supermasculine stallion and no one could
possible mistake his power. His colts from the first
were of outstanding character, and Leonard John-
son, who was at that time purchaser for Mr. Dun-
ham in France, was quick to appreciate their value.
As a result 30 of his get were imported to Oaklawn
Farm in 1882. Brilliant 1271 had already been put
into stud service at Oaklawn, but these colts sired
in France and those which began to come at Oak-
lawn Farm in 1883 quickly convinced Mr, Dunham
that he had secured a sire of incalculable value. He
immediately extended his use in the stud and from
that time until his death he was made the premier
stallion of the Oaklawn stud.

Prepotency of Brilliant Blood. — The popularity of

242 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

the Brilliant blood and its dominance in the '80 's,
'90 's and to the present day in the Percheron breed
cannot be held to have been accidental. Percherons
were measured then as now by their excellence in
conformation, underpinning, quality, style and
action. That the vast majority of the prize-winners
in all leading shows, abroad and in America, were
strongly bred in this blood, is proof that such horses
had the highest individual excellence. Besides, it
was found that they bred on with a high degree of
certainty. It was this that soon led men to value
the Brilliant blood very highly, and it is because of
the two essentials of sheer individual merit and
great prepotency that Brilliant dominates the Per-
cheron breed as much as Baron's Pride does the
Clydesdale, or Champion of England the Shorthorn.
The most remarkable show horses of the '80 's,
which have since demonstrated the tremendous
carrying power that spells prepotency, were Bril-
liant 3d 11116, Seducteur 8850 and Marathon 11410.
All three were sired by sons of Brilliant 1271 out of
daughters of Brilliant 1899. The blending of the
blood of Brilliant 1899 and his son. Brilliant 1271,
both splendid individuals, resulted in these three
which were all greater as individuals than either
Brilliant, and extraordinarily prepotent. Tripoli
11110 (20034), almost as great, was bred in exactly
the same way, but was by still another son of Bril-
liant 1271 and out of another daughter of Brilliant
1899. Villers 13169 (8081), a fifth grandson of Bril-
liant 1271 through still another son, Briard 5317, is

THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE '80 's 243

the only one of this remarkable galaxy of grandsons
through which the blood of the two Brilliants has
largely dominated the breed that is not out of a
daughter of Brilliant 1899. He is closely allied in
breeding, however, as his dam, Eobine (5697), was
a sister to the dam of Brilliant 1899.

Three other noted prize-winners of the same period
— Producteur 4280 (68), winner of first prizes both
abroad and in America, La Ferte 5144 (452), a show
horse of extraordinary merit, and Clieri 5079 (2423),
a noted winner on both sides of the ocean — have not
been nearly so noted as sires and seldom appear now
in the blood of winning horses. None was line-bred
to any such degree as the five previously named,
and only one. La Ferte, was of Brilliant blood, he
being out of a daughter of Brilliant 1899.

The conclusion which must be draAvn is that the
accumulation of the characters which made both
Brilliant 1899 and Brilliant 1271 valuable as indi-
viduals and as sires, by the expedient of combining
their blood through line-breeding made their de-
scendants extraordinarily valuable, not only because
of unusual excellence as draft horses, but because
of the power to transmit that excellence which we
call prepotency. Ernest Perriot, Sr., has the honor
of having brought about the breeding of all five of
these line-bred sires of great note, and there is no
question but that he has exerted a greater influence
on the Percheron breed since 1880 than any other
breeder in France or America.

Developments at Oaklawn. — With three of the

244 A HISTORY OF THE PEKCHERON HORSE

greatest sires of the time and a goodly band of mares
in his possession Mr. Dunham had optimistic dreams
of breeding and raising annually a splendid group of
colts. The troubles which forever beset breeders of
draft horses who try to do things in a wholesale
way soon made their appearance, however. Mr.
Dunham raised 31 colts foaled in 1883, but the fol-
lowing spring when he had approximately 150 mares,
a large proportion of them of breeding age, he raised
but 13 colts. Abortion tells the story. In 1885 he
reared 32 colts from 150 eligible mares, and in 1886
got but 20. Probably the mares were in too high
condition. Anyhow they did not as a rule con-
ceive for the first two or three years after importa-
tion and the foals produced by those that did
breed were inclined to be so lacking in vitality that
the mortality was extremely high. He also learned
that abortion spread rapidly among mares kept
in large bands; that navel ill was an ever-present
source of trouble; and that idle mares after becom-
ing acclimated were inclined to become so fat on
rich bluegrass pasture that too high a proportion
proved to be irregular breeders. Profiting, however,
by these early experiences the present Oaklawn man-
agement is meeting with better success along this
line. However, at the time of which we write
Mr. Dunham, Sr., reluctantly came to the decision
that Percheron breeding would have to be done by
carrying the mares in smaller groups and on a basis
where their work on the fann would serve the
double purpose of keeping them in better breeding

THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE '80 's 245

condition and reducing the cost of their keep. By
1887 he had sold many mares to men whom he had
interested in Percheron breeding, and he also under-
took the experiment of putting some out on lease.

Results Despite Difficulties. — Despite these re-
verses, which eliminated all hope of profit from his
Percheron breeding operations, Mr. Dunham perse-
vered and made some headway from 1887 on. In
1887 he raised 57 colts, in 1888 69, in 1889 51 and in
1890 44. A disastrous experiment in feeding silage
in 1890 cost him several mares and a large number
of colts, leading to the conclusion that silage was
dangerous, as the presence of a little mold, harm-
less to cattle, was sure death to unborn foals and
very dangerous to the mares. In none of these years
did he succeed in rearing more than one colt for
every three mares; in 1890 he had 192 mares, most
of them of breeding age, yet raised only 44 colts.

Xot many of the colts bred at Oaklawn were ex-
hibited, and consequently it has been difficult to
obtain accurate information regarding them. Many of
the best colts were sold as yearlings, and Mr. Dunham
had unusual facilities for the selection of other show
horses because of his heavy annual importations of
the best obtainable in the Perclie. The most satis-
factory information regarding the estimate placed
on the American-bred horses raised at Oaklawn is
furnished by the prices paid for them. It must be
remembered that purchasers going there had the
opportunity of making selections from a large num-
ber of high-class imported horses or from the colts

246 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

bred at Oaklawn ; the fact that so many bought colts
bred and raised there, at good prices, is evidence of
the high character of the progeny.

Through the courtesy of W. S. Dunham we have
been given access to the records which include all
of the original Oaklawn Farm entries in regard to
sales. Many animals were sold in pairs or in groups
containing three or more, and it has been necessary
to eliminate these on account of inability to deter-
mine the value of each. All horses sold individually
for cash (no trades involved) have been listed, so
far as important sires are concerned, and the cold
figures give conclusive proof of the esteem in which
American breeders held the colts bred and reared
at Oaklawn. Prices and sires, given in order of their
use, are as follows:

Vidocq 483: 2 stallions sold for $1,770, an average
of $885; 8 mares sold for $6,170, an average of $771;
10 head sold for $7,940, an average of $794.

Brilliant 1271: 64 stallions sold for $60,275, an
average of $941; 44 mares sold for $31,975, an aver-
age of $726; 108 head sold for $92,250, an average
of $854.

Brilliant 3d 11116: 2 stallions sold for $2,100, an
average of $1,050; 2 mares sold for $1,150, an aver-
age of $575; 4 head sold for $3,250, an average of
$812.

Aiglon 13145: 14 stallions sold for $15,100, an
average of $1,078; 9 mares sold for $3,850, an aver-
age of $427; 23 head sold for $18,950, an average
of $824.

THE GREAT EXPANSION OP THE '80 's 247

Introuvable 16875: 19 stallions sold for $18,000,
an average of $947 ; 7 mares sold for $2,700, an aver-
age of $385; 26 head sold for $20,700, an average
of $796.

Villers 13169 : 9 stallions sold for $9,400, an aver-
age of $1,044; 5 mares sold for $1,925, an average of
$385; 14 head sold for $11,325, an average of $808.

Remembering that a large proportion of these ani-
mals were sold during the '90 's, when values were
greatly depressed, and that by far the greater pro-
portion were sold as one-, two- and three-year-olds
it will be realized at once that Mr. Dunham's Amer-
ican-bred colts were highly valued by breeders. Of
the 64 stallions by Brilliant 4 were sold as weanlings,
23 as yearlings, 18 as two-year-olds, 8 as three-year-
olds, and only 11 as four-year-olds or over. Of the
44 mares listed 5 went as weanlings, 16 as yearlings,
15 as two-year-olds, 1 as a three-year-old and 7 at
greater ages.

Great Maxes of Oaklawn Stud. — It is difficult to
particularize as to the mares used in the Oaklawn
stud at this time. Among those of unusual excel-
lence we may name Janecia 2768 (1368). Her colt
foaled in 1886, Brannock 5688, was sold for $1,200
as a two-year-old, and her next colt, Belidor 9520,
foaled in 1888, brought $2,500 as a yearling. Both
were by Brilliant 1271. She was a fairly regular
breeder, producing 7 colts in 10 years, all but one
of which were stallions. Individual prices on the
others could not be ascertained, but her colts wer^
all of extra good character. Constance 1478 (1425'>

248 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

imported in 1881, was another extra good mare that
did well for Mr. Dunham. One of her colts, Wolford
2274, foaled in 1883, was sold as a three-year-old
for $1,700; another, Bancroft 3367, foaled in 1884,
was sold as a four-year-old for $2,000. She too was
a regular producer, raising 9 foals in 12 years, 5
of which were fillies; all her foals except the last
one were by Brilliant 1271 and all were of more than
average value. One of Constance's daughters, Bi-
vonia 2213, was in a group of 15 mares sold in 1885
to E. A. Hitchcock & W. B. Collier of St. Louis for
$14,400. Linda 2751 (1521), imported in 1883, was
another profitable mare. Her first colt, Bassanio
4339, sired by Brilliant 1271 and foaled in 1885, Avas
sold as a two-year-old for $1,400. She continued to
breed with regularity till 1898, producing 10 colts
in 14 years, all above the average. Six were stal-
lions and 4 were mares. Faustine 1314 (1431) was
another excellent show mare and her colts though
few were good. She was about 16 hands high,
weighed 1,700 pounds, and although a failure at
first because she did not raise a colt from 1881 to
1884, she later produced exceptionally good ones:
Barcino 4341, foaled 1885, was sold as a yearling for
$1,000, and her next, Brastin 5689, foaied in 1886,
brought $1,200 as a two-year-old. Both were by
Brilliant 1271. She raised but 6 colts in 16 years,
however, and so cannot be considered a profitable
matron.

Peerless 744, a medium-sized, symmetrical brood
mare, raised 3 colts for Mr. Dunham and was then

THE GREAT EXPANSION OP THE '80 's 249

sold to Ballacliey Bros., Brantford, Ontario, and
raised 8 in 10 years. Rachel 1461 (1460) was the
dam of Bartholdi 3666, sired by Brilliant 1271 and
sold as a two-year-old for $1,500; she was a regular
producer of good ones, raising 5 by Brilliant 1271.
Delora 2756 (1530) was the dam of 8 good ones, the
last of which, Ali 20012, was placed at the head of
Grant Caldwell's stud at Dana, 111., where he sired
Ali 2d 30783, champion American-bred stallion at the
International Live Stock Exposition in 1903. Bril-
lantine 5675 (6948) was a great mare individually
and raised good colts, but not many of them. Zither
2283 (Lisette 36) was another valuable brood mare.
Not the least was Absala 5651 (6718), the dam of
Linda 12986, foaled in 1889. Linda was the dam
of 9 colts, foaled in 11 years, 1892 to 1902 inclusive,
yet won championship honors at the International
in 1901. One of Linda's colts. Allegro 20046, sold
as a three-year-old in 1899, when values were sub-
merged almost to the point of extinction, for $1,150,
and she left many others as good. Comment on other
mares might be added, but as we shall come back
to Oaklawn mares from time to time in considering
other studs.

Oaklawn Influence. — Mr. Dunham's aggressive
work as a breeder, exhibitor and advertiser of Per-
cherons did more to hasten the development of Per-
cheron breeding than any other factor of this period.
He exhibited at the Chicago shows, sent a strong
exhibit to the New Orleans Exposition in 1885, and
was one of the organizers of the first show held by

250 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

the Perclieron Society of America in 1886.* His
horses were well toward the top in all shows, his
advertising was pushed in every legitimate manner,
and his farm and personality appealed to men of
wealth w^ho were interested in farming. From the
very nature of his operations it is hard to distin-
guish between his work as an importer and as a
breeder. Sales frequently carried animals of his
own breeding as well as imported horses.

Vidocq 483 was champion at the Chicago show
in 1881; Brilliant 1271 was first as aged stalUon and
champion at the New Orleans Exposition in 1885,
w^here he was champion over all breeds; Producteur
4280 (68) (aged heavy-weight class), Gilbert 5154
(461) (four-year-old heavy-weight class), Tuduc
5156 (474) (three-year-old light-weight class), and
Conde 5163 (two-year-old), Avere all first-prize win-
ners in the great Percheron Society show in 1886
at Chicago; Ercilla 2211 (1429) (five-year-old heavy
class), Bellora 2237 (1415) (four-year-old heavy
class), Giara 2755 (1531) (four-year-old light class),
Rose 4344 (4899) (three-year-old heavy class), and
Belle 4352 (4852) (two-year-old) were all first-prize

*At the Percheron Society show at Chicago in ISSS the five-,
four- and three-year-old stallion classes were divided into heavy-
and lisht-weight groups as follows: five-year-olds, 1,800 pounds
or over, and under 1,S00 pounds; four-year-olds, 1,750 pounds or
over, and under 1,730 pounds; three-year-olds 1,700 pounds or
over, and under 1,700 pounds. Mares of same ages were also
divided as follows: five-year-olds, 1,730 pounds or over, and
under 1,750 pounds; four-year-olds, 1,700 pounds or over, and
under 1,700 pounds; three-year-olds, 1,000 pounds or over, and
under 1,000 pounds. The result was to double the number of
prizes given, and to classify the animals more exactly into the
large- and medium-sized types. For convenience we refer to
these merely as the lieavy- and light-weight classes.

THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE '80 's 251

mares in their respective classes at the same show.
Brilliant 1271 was awarded first in the class for
the sweepstakes stallion with five of his get at this
show.

In 1887 at the horse show held in connection with
the Fat Stock Show at Chicago Oaklawn won first
on Pacha 6977 (4358), a three-year-old, first on Gas-
tronome 7058 (8952), a two-year-old, and first on
Julia 5676 (7015), a two-year-old mare, besides
numerous prizes below first. Brilliant 1271 was
again first in class for stallion and four of his get.
In 1888 at the same show Oaklawn won first in aged
stallion class on La Ferte 5144, subsequently made
senior champion over all breeds, first in the three-
year-old class on Dompteur 9201 (9886), and lesser
prizes in various classes. In 1889 Fenelon 2682, then
a seasoned sire 9 years of age, won first in the aged
class, and Oaklawn also won first in the yearling
class, with seconds in the three- and two-year-old
stallion classes. Oaklawn also won firsts in the two
mare classes on Vanity 2275, bred at Oaklawn, and
Bertha 5340 (7008), the latter winning first in the
class for mare with colt at side. In 1890 Oaklawn
did not exhibit at the American Horse Show, but
two grandsons of Brilliant 1271, Seducteur 8850
and Tripoli 11110, won the first places in the aged
and three-year-old stallion classes, and another
grandson, Baccarat, 11326, was second in the three-
year-old class. Each was shown by a different ex-
hibitor. Albatros 13062, a son of Seducteur 8850,
was the first-prize two-year-old and Kirsch 2d 11837,

252 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

by Kirsch 7196 by Confident 3647 by Brilliant 1271,
was first in the yearling class, so that the firsts in the
yearling and two-year-old classes were both won by
great-grandsons of Brilliant 1271. Every first was
won by a grandson or great-grandson of Brilliant
1271, a record which was duly advertised by Mr.
Dunham, as Brilliant 1271 was then in active service
at the head of Oaklawn stud.

Oaklawn Sales of '80 's. — Mr. Dunham's sales ex-
tended over a wide area, and he was very influential
in developing breeding interests in other states. He
had invested nearly a quarter of a million dollars
in Percheron mares by 1890, and while the returns
were not at all commensurate he had confidence in
the ultimate development of Percheron breeding in
America. While his chief attention was centered
on sales of stallions, he did all he could to encourage
breeders in founding studs of Percherons in this
country. To illustrate how widely the mares were
distributed it may be noted that the 287 mares out
of which Mr. Dunham bred colts between 1870 and
1900, except those retained or which died, were sold
to 88 different buyers. Prominent purchasers of
mares in this epoch were: Speedwell Farms, Lyn-
don, Vt., whose operations are still continued; E. A.
Hitchcock & W. B. Cole, St. Louis, Mo., whose studs
were soon dispersed; G. W. Wilcoxen, Canton, 111.,
whose good Percherons have been of inestimable
value in developing draft horse interests in Fulton
Co., 111.; H, A. Babcock, Neenah, Wis., who made
his money in market horse operations and bought

THE GREAT EXPANSION OP THE '80 's 253

his Perclierons with seasoned judgment; Willard &
Fuller, Mapleton, Minn.; The Minnesota Percheron
Horse Co., Cazenovia, Minn.; T. & J. Harper, Paw
Paw, 111.; W. J. Jordan & Son, Newbern, Va.; Par-
sons & Baldwin, Watervliet, Mich.; W. H. Penny,
Stronghurst, 111., and many others.

Oaklawn sold more history-making sires than any
other establishment during this period. Among
those which have exerted a far-reaching influence
on the breed in this country were the following:

Confident 3647 (397), sold to R. Nagle & Sons,
Grand Ridge, 111., as a four-year-old for $3,500.

Fenelon 2682 (38), sold to R. Kellogg, Green Bay,
Wis., as a four-year-old for $3,500. He was subse-
quently sold to E. A. Hitchcock of St. Louis for
$6,000, and later headed the stud of Thomas W. Pal-
mer, then President of the American Percheron
Breeders' Association.

Gilbert 5154 (461), sold to Leonard Johnson as a
four-year-old for $3,200.

Briard 5317 (1630), sold to Leonard Johnson as a
four-year-old for $5,000. (All of these were imported
sons of Brilliant 1271).

Producteur 4280 (68), sold to Brickman & Baker,
Rednerville, Ontario.

Other sires sold at this time that were of great
value were:

Bavardo 7236, sold to J. H. Smith, Milo, la., in
1888 as a yearling for $1,200 and used chiefly on
grade mares; Bendago 11807, sold to G. S. Hanna,
Bloomington, 111., in 1890 as a yearling for $1,200,

254 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

heading this stud for a time and leaving 36 pure-
bred colts; Belidor 9520, sold to F. H. Redfield, Ba-
tavia, N. Y., in 1889 as a yearling for $2,500 and
being used on some purebred mares, though not
many; Breme 7229, sold to the Little Missouri Horse
Co. in February, 1888, when about 10 months old,
for $700, leaving some purebred colts, but being used
chiefly on grade mares. The last four were bred at
Oaklawn, and were sired by Brilliant 1271. There
were numerous others of almost, if not quite, equal
rank.

Mr. Dunham's Influence. — One of the leading fea-
tures of Mr. Dunham's work at this time was its
effect on others. He demonstrated conclusively that
Percherons paid. He proved that Percherons could
be bred in America, and sold at early ages and high
prices. He tested out to his own satisfaction and
for the benefit of others the impracticability of un-
dertaking to keep Percheron mares in large bands,
idle, for the sole purpose of rearing colts. He came
to the conclusion that Percheron breeding must be
carried out on farms where the mares could do work
enough to pay their way and where their prolificacy
would be increased by reason of healthier breeding
condition induced by moderate work. He advertised
early and late, more freely and with better results
than any horseman of his own or earlier times, and
he popularized Percherons on the soundest of all
platforms — "their utility value on the farm, and
their ability to raise the value of common horses
from one-fourth to one-third by the first cross, and

THE GREAT EXPANSION OP THE '80 's 255

to continue raising the market value by each subse-
quent cross."

Ellwood Green. — It is doubtful whether the history
of any breed furnishes a parallel to the spectacular
career of W. L. Ellwood in Percherons. Backed by
his father, I. L. Ellwood, a wealthy manufacturer
of barbed wire, W. L. Ellwood began his operations
in 1881 by importing a few Percherons. A few more
were brought over in 1882, 1883, 1884 and 1885, but
in 1886 he began in earnest by importing 164 stal-
lions and 100 mares. His heavy importations con-
tinued during the next four years. He never hesi-
tated at price in his efforts to obtain the best horses
the Perche possessed. The fiiTu, consisting of W. L.
Ellwood and his father, who gave little attention to
the horse business, acquired about 4,000 acres of
land near DeKalb, 111. This was divided into six
large, well-equipped farms, which were first oper-
ated with grade Percheron mares. These were later
replaced by purebreds. Excellent sale barns and
offices were built in DeKalb, and a thoroughgoing
business organization was developed to handle the
farm operations, and the breeding, importation and
sale of Percherons.

Mr. Ellwood decided at an early date that Perche-
rons were the most desirable for American condi-
tions. In one of his early catalogs he said: "I am
sincere in my belief that it has been fully demon-
strated that for individual merit, and powers of
transmitting same to his progeny, the Percheron
shows a purity of breeding that is unapproachable,

256 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

justifying my use of the quotation tliat ' to compare
him with other draft breeds is like comparing water
with other elements, or gold with other metals.' "

With this idea uppermost in his mind, Mr. Ellwood
bought the best horses he could find, and he had the
advantage of the assistance of Thomas Sloan, an ex-
perienced and discriminating judge. Practically un-
limited means made it possible for him to outbid
the other buyers who were then competing with him
in the Perche, and even Mr. Dunham was hard
pressed to hold his own in the showring during the
Ellwood days. All told, the Ellwoods imported about
800 Percherons, and bred during the first 10 years
65 stallions and 67 mares, or a total of 132 head by
1890. This brought them into second place in the
Percheron operations of this epoch, both as import-
ers and as breeders.

Sires Used by Mr. Ellwood. — Some of the greatest
show horses of the breed were imported and ex-
hibited by Mr. Ellwood, who was quick to realize
the advantage of this form of advertising. In 1886
at the first great show held by the American Per-
cheron Horse Breeders' Association he won second
in the aged stallion heavy-weight class on Clieri
5079 (2423), champion at the government show at
Chartres, France, in 1885; second on Phebi 5048
(329) in the four-year-old heavy-weight class; first
on King of Perche 4975 (6738) in the four-year-old
light-weight class; first on Extrador 4979 (6890) in
the three-year-old heavy-weight class; second on
Paolo 5025 (4914) in the two-year-old class. He also

THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE '80 's 257

won second on Queen of Perche 5056 (6740) in the
aged mare class for heavy-weigiits, this mare having
won championship at the Percheron Society of
France show at Nogent in June of that year. These
winnings and others were enough to make Ellwood
Green widely advertised, for cases are few and far
between where new exhibitors break into the top
ranks at the very outset to so great an extent.

Cheri and Seducteur. — Cheri was the first noted
horse used at Ellwood Green, and it was most unfor-
tunate that high condition inhibited his career in the
stud. He sired but 17 stallions and 22 mares during
his service in 1885, 1886, 1887 and 1888. He died
in 1888. King of Perche 4975 (6738) was still more
unfortunate; he also died in 1888 with but 9 stallions
and 4 mares to his credit. The loss of these horses,
probably largely due to too high condition main-
tained for too long a period, was a distinct injury to
Percheron interests in America. Cheri was a most
remarkable horse. Foaled in 1881 and imported in
1885, he was about 17 hands in height, weighed over
a ton, and was a compact, well-proportioned stallion
with good style, finish and action. He was gray in
color, heavy-boned, but with excellent quality, and
such colts as he did get were good ones. He too
was line-bred, being sired by a grandson of Coco 2d
(714) out of a daughter of Coco 2d, and had his
career in the stud been longer continued much bene-
fit to the breed would have accrued. King of Perche
was a marvelously finished show horse, but lacked
in size.

258 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

Urbain 6805 (5680), foaled in 1883 and imported
in 1887, was also used at the head of the stud, and
sired 11 stallions and 13 mares. He was a rugged,
big horse, very good throughout. He won first at
the national show at Rennes, France, in 1887 and
third in the aged stallion class at the American
Horse Show, Chicago, in 1890. Rigilo 4980 (2103)
was another very good horse, foaled in 1883 and
imported in 1886, that proved to be a very good
breeder. He was first at the Illinois State Fair in
1889 in the class for stallion and five of his get.

Seducteur 8850 was probably the greatest stock
horse ever used at Ellwood Green. He was first in
the two-year-old class at the show of the Societe
Hippique Percheronne in 1886, and was second at
the same show in 1888, being beaten only by his half-
brother Brilliant 3d 11116. In 1890 Seducteur won
first at the American Horse Show at Chicago, and
one of his colts. Albatross 13062 (30051), won first
in the two-year-old class. Seducteur also won in
the class for stallion and three of his get. The ex-
cessively high condition in which he was kept from
1886 to 1890 later affected his breeding powers, and
he was a poor getter throughout his life. His colts,
however, were so extraordinarily good that he was
valued very highly and was subsequently at the head
of two other purebred studs. No sire used in the
west in the past 25 years stands higher than Seduc-
teur in the estimation of American breeders. In-
dividually he was large, standing about 17 hands
high and weighing considerably over 2,100 pounds

-v-^^gi^yT^^yw wyj - ^- -

SEDUCTEUB 8850 (7087) FIRST-PRIZE TWO-YEAR- OLD. PEROHERON SOOIETT
OF FRANCE SHOW IN 188&: FIRST- PRIZE AGED STALLION AND WINNER
OF GET-OF-SIRE PRIZE AT C5HICAG0 IN 1890.

THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE '80 's 259

in show condition. He was of the strong, sturdy
type with extra heavy bone, and was a very massive,
deep-middled, strong-backed horse, with extra good
loin and a long, level croup. He stood well on his
underpinning and was an up-headed, stylish horse,
lacking a trifle in finish about the head and neck,
but very masculine. He was used by Mr. Ellwood till
about 1893, when he was sold to William Goodwin &
Son of Benson, Minn. Here he was used chiefly on
grade mares. The Goodwins in turn sold him to
parties near Malvern, la., about 1896 or '97, and
here again he was used chiefly on grade mares,
though he did sire three purebred colts during the
two or three years he stood there. He was subse-
quently found and purchased by H. G. McMillan of
Lakewood Farm, Eock Eapids, la., and his later
history will be considered in connection with that
stud.

Mares in Stud. — Mr. Ellwood 's operations in Per-
cherons ceased about 1898, and it is impossible to
obtain exact inventory figures on the number of
mares owned at different periods. An analysis of
the catalogs issued gives the number of mares owned
at different times, and the records in the offices of
the Percheron society show the number of colts
raised: In 1887 he had 144 mares and recorded 16
stallion colts and 10 filly foals as bred by himself; in
1888 he had 126 mares and recorded 9 colts and 12
fillies; in 1889 he had 129 mares and recorded 18
colts and 16 fillies; in 1890 he had 94 mares and
recorded 13 colts and 10 fillies. It will be noted that

260 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

the percentage of foals to mares owned was approxi-
mately 25 per cent. It must be remembered of course
that in 1887 and 1888 many of the mares were too
young to foal. In 1890 most of the mares were old
enough to raise colts, but even then the percentage
was very small. Part of the trouble was in the
mares, for while Mr. Ellwood as a whole had a high-
class lot of mares in size and in draft type, a good
many of them lacked feminine character, being very
massive with more draft type than brood mare pat-
tern. Another trouble was in the stallions. Seduc-
teur, relied upon in 1889 and later, was not sure.
The acclimation troubles which often beset im-
ported animals undoubtedly hindered many of the
imported mares from raising colts for the first few
years after importation. Queen of Perche 5056
(6740), Mr. Ellwood 's greatest mare, a winner in
France and America, raised but 4 foals in 12 years —
3 fillies and 1 stallion. Part of her trouble was prob-
ably due to fitting for the sho wring; she raised a
colt imported in dam and one the next year, then
quit for a time.

Influence on Other Studs. — Sales were made to
many of the leading breeders, and some studs were
founded directly on purchases made at Elwood
Green. T. L. & J. L. De Lancey, Northfield, Minn.,
made their start in Percheron breeding by purchas-
ing a carload of mares in 1885. The Minnesota Per-
cheron Horse Co., Cazenovia, Minn., also made heavy
purchases from the Ellwoods. T. W. Palmer, De-
troit, Mich., R. B. Kellogg of Wisconsin, The River-

; cJ.LDeLanccL/ Yf^:LDeL

,anGej/

THE GREAT EXPANSION OP THE '80 's 261

side Eanch of North Dakota, the Risser Horse Co.,
Oiiarga, 111., the Colverdale Stock Farm and H. P.
Malone, New Vienna, 0., 0. L. Thisler, Chapman,
Kans., Walter Green, Mapleton, N. D., Thomas Cross,
Bangor, Mich., C. E. Davis, Davis Junction, 111., C. E.
Sutton, Russel, Kans., Cross Bros., Durand, 111., R.
Nagle & Sons, Grand Ridge, 111., D. H. & J. W. Snyder,
Georgetown, Tex., and W. Sprole, Traer, la., were
among the many who bought mares of the Ellwoods,
and in some instances stallions as well. An analysis
of the produce records of the imported mares sold
shows that they were not as a whole very regular
breeders, even in the hands of subsequent owners,
and their influence on the breed has been much less
than it should have been.

Noted Sires Sold. — Seducteur was the greatest sire
sold. Superieur 5752 (2188), a very good horse and
good breeder, went to head the De Lancey stud.
Niger 4986 (2951) and Picador 3d 5078 (4815)
were good horses sold in 1887 and 1888 to head the
Minnesota Percheron Horse Company stud at Caze-
novia, and the company bought a carload of the best
mares Ellwood had about this time. Mark M. Coad,
Fremont, Neb., who also had ranches in Wyoming,
bought three sires about 1887, one of which, Turc
6539 ( 10052 ) , proved to be a very prepotent stallion,
probably one of the best, if not the best, ever used
west of the Missouri River. There were numerous
others that had less opportunity, but that have done
much good in local spheres.

Summary of Ellwood Operations. — Great credit

262 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

must be given to the Ellwoods for the benefits accru-
ing from their work in this epoch of expansion. They
were wealthy, very influential in Illinois and else-
where, and exerted a tremendous influence in swing-
ing popular favor more strongly toward Percherons.
They had the means and the disposition to obtain
the best horses that could be bought, and transferred
to American shores a large percentage of the prize-
winners of the French shows between 1885 and 1890.
They advertised in the showring, covering not only
Illinois, but all nearby states, and were liberal users
of newspaper advertising. They also resorted to col-
ored posters of attractive character which were wide-
ly distributed. In addition to all these factors they
sold their horses on a fair margin of profit and were
at all times willing to take reasonable paper. They
also had confidence in the ultimate development of
Percheron breeding in America, and manifested this
by liberal importations of mares for their own use
and sale. The result was greatly to encourage the
small breeder. Everything considered, the firm de-
serves a very high rank in the Percheron history of
this period and the work has been of incalculable
benefit to Percheron interests in America.

Daniel Dunham's Work. — Daniel Dunham of
Wayne, 111., stands third in rank among the breeders
of this epoch, as he raised 50 stallions and 41 mares
of his own breeding. His stud was founded on im-
ported stock, some purchased from Oaklawn and
some imported by himself. The majority of the
mares were imported in 1880, but many others were

THE GREAT EXPANSION OP THE '80 's 263

bred by Mr. Dunham and reserved for his own use.
He had 43 mares in 1889, only 28 of which were old
enough to produce colts, and a comparison of the
records made by his mares shows that he had more
regular-producing brood mares in proportion to total
number owned than either Oaklawn or Ellwood
Green farms. Probably this was due in part to the
fact that he kept his best breeding females, and in
part to their being maintained under farm condi-
tions, where some work was required.

Marquis 868 (774), a son of Superior 454 (730)
out of a daughter of Coco 2d, was the leading sire
used at this time. He was a gray of good type and
left some very good colts. Prosper 2501 (1155), a
gray imported in 1883 by Oaklawn Farai, was the
next sire of consequence. He was sired by Vaillant
(404) out of a daughter of Prosper (893). He was
a large, massive, heavy-boned horse of very rugged
type and crossed well on the daughters of Marquis
868 (774). Don Brilliant 2029 (2482), a black son
of Brilliant 1899 out of a daughter of Favori 1st
(711), was used a little later. He stood 16 hands
high, weighed about 1,900 pounds and was imported
by Daniel Dunham in 1882, with others, and sold to
J. W. Morgan & Co., Tower Hill, 111. The colts he
sired were of such excellent character and so uniform
that Mr. Dunham bought him back in 1890 at a long
price. He left the choicest colts of any sire used,
but had a select band of mares to work on.

Mares were sold by Daniel Dunham to William
Holegate, Wyoming, 111., C. P. Dewey, Toulon, 111.,

264 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

J. H. Cowlisliaw, Blakeville, la., W. P. Buswell,
Neponset, 111., F. M. Bulir, Knittle, la., Tim Payne,
Dunbar, Neb., D. E. Branliam, Litchfield, Minn., and
numerous others. Those sold near Toulon, 111., and
Wyoming, 111., were most numerous and have favor-
ably influenced Percheron breeding in those sections.
Stallions were sold over a wide range of territoiy,
but few had any opportunity on purebred mares. As
a consequence they have achieved no special re-
nown, although they undoubtedly did much good in
improving the common horses of their time. Daniel
Dunham's career, which was distinctly that of a
breeder, was cut short by financial difficulties which
made it necessary to sell the Percherons in 1893 at
a great sacrifice. The dispersion of such a stud,
which had been carefully built up by a man whose
instincts were those of a creative breeder, was most
unfortunate and its sale at a time when all business
throughout the United States was depressed scat-
tered and dissipated the stock, as other breeders
were not in a position to purchase.

The Dillons. — The Dillons, operating as Ellis Dil-
lon & Company and later as Dillon Bros., took fourth
place in number of animals bred during this period,
but in point of influence they ranked close to Mark W.
Dunham and W. L. Ellwood. They were aggressive
importers, exhibitors and breeders, and but for their
adherence in part to a rival stud book organization
might have exerted more influence on Percheron af-
fairs than they did. They bred and raised 39 stal-
lions and 43 mares — Percherons — during this time

THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE '80 's 265

arid were also active breeders of other draft horses.
They exerted a greater direct influence on draft
horse operations in central Illinois than any other
breeders of this period, and many of the leading
studs in McLean, Tazewell, Livingston and La Salle
counties are founded wholly or in part on stock from
the Dillon stud.

Sires Used. — The chief sires which the Dillons used
at this time were Extrador 4525 (386), imported by
them in 1883, and Papillon 3559 (379), imported
by Mr. Dunham. Both horses were of the rugged,
massive type and bred very drafty colts. Powerful
6670 (Bayard 7519) was one of the best sires ever
imported by the Dillons, but he was sold by them
in 1882 to William Hurt, Arrowsmith, 111., and was
not used in their own stud, though they subsequently
bought and used one of his sons, Dave P. 14366, bred
by William Hurt. Favora 1542 (765), foaled in
1868 and imported in 1880 by the Dillons, was an-
other horse of great note in Percheron breeding. He
was about 17 hands high, weighed over a ton even
after 12 years old, and was an extremely well pro-
portioned, rugged, heavy-boned horse whose stock
was noted for size and draftiness. He was among
the winners at the World's Exposition at Paris in
.1878, and although a very aged horse for showring
work took first at St. Louis in 1880. He sired but
5 colts in this country, probably because he had been
used to the limit in France and then fitted to a very
high condition in his ten- and twelve-year-old form
for show. It is evident also that he had but slight

266 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

opportunity. The Dillons sold him to Rush Co.,
Ind,, where he sired two purebred colts for J. T.
McMillin, the president of the company that owned
the horse.* These colts were foaled in 1888 and
1889. R. B. Kellogg shipped some mares to be bred
to Favora in May, 1888, and secured two colts. Fa-
vora died on April 15, 1889, aged 21 years.

Dillons in the Showring. — The Dillons were good
advertisers and were appreciative of the value of
showring exhibitions. They exhibited more gener-
ally at the county and district fairs in Illinois than
any other breeders of this period, and also made
strong displays at the state fairs and Chicago horse
shows. The extremely hot pace set by Mark W.
Dunham, W. L, Ellwood, Leonard Johnson and H. A.
Briggs shut the Dillons out of the prize-lists at the
most important shows so far as stallions were con-
cerned, but their mares won high honors in the
strongest competition. Modesty G. 586 was their
most noted show mare. She was first in the aged
mare class at the Chicago show in 1887, and was
also first for mare and two of her produce. She was
not a regular breeder, and raised only 5 colts in 17

*W. H. McMillin, Rushville, Ind., writing under date of May 12,
1915, says:

"Favora 1546 was owned by a company of men at Gings, Ind.,
of which my father, J. T. McMillin, was the president. . . .
He got about 70 per cent of his mares in foal, but there were
only 2 purebred mares in the county during the time he was used
here. Favora was the greatest breeding horse ever used in Rush
county. The mares at that time were small, ranging from ponies
up, but the colts at four years weighed from 1,500 to 2,000 pounds,
and the shippers would buy every one they could get, even as
three-year-olds. I think he was brought here in the spring of
1882. He died April 15, 1889, at 21 years. He weighed over 2,200
pounds while owned in Rush county and was the best draft horse
I ever saw."

THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE '80 's 267

years. Her daughters were prize-winners, however,
and one, Lorilee G. 1532, was also a winner at the
leading shows and proved to be a better breeder
than her dam. Christiana 1586 was another splendid
mare owned by the Dillons, a show and brood mare
combined, and many of the best horses now in central
Illinois trace to her. Allegra 4454 by Extrador 4525
(386) was her greatest daughter; bred to Powerful
6670 (7519) she produced Loretta P. 10285, an extra-
ordinary brood mare. Christina P. 16608 was almost
as great, and Capsheaf 16985 was one of the very
good sires used in Illinois. Any one of these three
would have been enough to blazon a mare's name in
history, and it is not surprising that Allegra 4454
is generally considered the greatest mare Dillons
ever bred, although her record was made in the hands
of William Hurt.

Mark W. Coad. — Mr. Coad, a wealthy ranchman
with extensive interests in Nebraska, Wyoming, and
other western states, stands fifth among the leading
breeders of this period. He began in 1885 by import-
ing 59 mares and 18 stallions, thereby inaugurating
operations on an extended scale. He subsequently
made a few other purchases from other leading im-
porters and became very active in Percheron affairs
in the west. The extent of his operations is shown
by the fact that he bred between 1885 and 1890 40
stallions and 32 mares, and still more in the next
decade.

Ranch and range conditions prevailed so far as the
mares and growing colts were concerned, although

268 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

he did halter-break and grain-feed the stallions in-
tended for sale and the horses meant for the show-
ring. The proportion of colts raised to mares owned
was at this time about 25 per cent, the low increase
evidently being due to acclimation troubles and
losses among the foals.

Mr. Coad was fortunate in importing a very good
sire, Henri Le Blanc 4542 (2433), at the time he
secured his mares. This horse did much good, but
his owner obtained a much greater one in 1888 in
Turc 6539, a stallion imported by W. L. Ellwood.
This sire, a black with both hind pasterns and one
front one white, was a son of Confident 3647 (397),
he by Brilliant 1271 out of a daughter of Coco 2d.
He was a large, massive horse, standing a fraction
over 17 hands high and weighing over a ton. He was
well-proportioned, stood well on his feet and legs,
and was a clean-cut horse of excellent style and
quality. As a sire, he proved to be extremely pre-
potent and got big, rugged colts that weighed from
1,700 to 1,900 pounds in ordinaiy field condition at
three years of age. His colts were symmetrical,
stood well on their underpinning and were almost
invariably sound and clean. He remained in service
at the head of Mr. Coad 's stud for a number of years.
His colts were so extremely good that James M.
Fletcher bought two carloads of the stallions in 1897
and considered them extra good, both as individuals
and as breeders. They finished out as big, drafty
horses, most of them weighing over a ton, and sired
draft colts rugged and sound.

THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE '80 's 269

Appoline 4778 (4003) was one of Mr. Goad's best
mares. She was of showyard merit and he won sec-
ond on her and her two colts at the Columbian Ex-
position in 1893, She was not an especially regular
breeder, producing only 7 colts in 14 years, but they
were good. One, Starlight 17891, foaled in 1895 and
sired by Turc, was second in a strong class of two-
year-old stallions at the Chicago Horse Show in No-
vember, 1897. Mirza 4759 (4050) was a good brood
mare. One of her daughters. Vanity Fair 16568,
won third in the two-year-old filly class at the Co-
lumbian. Mirza was quite prolific, raising 7 colts in
13 years, and they were above the average. Vail-
lante 4787 (Loret 2453) was another mare of splen-
did individuality. She was champion in 1888 and
1889 at the Nebraska State Fair and was third at
the Columbian in the sweepstakes class. She was a
shy breeder, however, raising but 2 colts of record,
one Diana 7537, foaled in 1887, and the other. Mon-
arch 16670, foaled in 1892. Bijou 4780 (307) was
another clinking good mare in Mr. Coad's stud. She
was champion at the Nebraska State Fair in 1890,
and was also a brood mare of more than average
merit. She raised 8 colts in 10 years, 6 of them sired
by Turc 6539 (10052), and they were good ones.

Mr. Coad was keenly interested in his Percherons,
and was a ready exhibitor at leading shows, al-
though his home fair, Nebraska State, received chief
attention. He was a heavy winner there in 1887,
1888, 1889, 1890, 1891 and 1892 in both mare and
stallion classes on meritorious stock. He did much

270 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

to popularize Perclierons in his territory and while
most of the stallions he raised were sold direct to
ranchmen for the improvement of range horses, he
unquestionably did much good for draft horse and
Percheron interests. His appreciation of a good sire
led him to send some of his mares to the farm of
C. S. Dole, Crystal Lake, 111., in 1890 where they
were bred to the noted Fenelon 2682, a horse that
was even then receiving recognition as a sire from
constructive breeders. One of the colts which re-
sulted, Malmaluke 16574, out of Lucette 4774 (3031),
was later used to some extent in Mr. Goad's stud.

A. Wickstrom, Wilcox, Neb., was one of the early
purchasers of mares from Mr. Goad, obtaining some
in 1888. William Erast, Graf, Neb., was another
who obtained some foundation females from Mr.
Goad in 1886. William Hahn, Graf, Neb., also made
a slight start from this stud. Mr. Goad sold mares
to Mrs. J. E. Wilson, Minneapolis, Minn., in 1887,
some of which were shipped by her to Oaklawn and
bred to Brilliant 1271 with good results. Everything
considered, however, the chief influence of Mr,
Goad's work at this time was to popularize Perche-
rons in his country, for he did not care to sell many
of his mares and the vast majority of the stallions
went to head bands of grade mares. The good thus
accomplished is beyond calculation, for it raised the
value of common stock fully 25 per cent by the first
cross.

CHAPTER X.

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE
PERIOD.

Hon. Thomas W. Palmer of Detroit, United States
Senator from Michigan from 1883 to 1889, was an-
other of the leading breeders of this period. He was
very wealthy, having been prominently identified as
a stockholder or director in numerous banks, fac-
tories, and lake navigation companies. He had been
a leader in politics, also, and was influential in state
and national affairs. An able debater and a forceful
speaker, his public utterances were commended
widely for their clearness and the soundness of judg-
ment which they expressed. Mr. Palmer engaged in
Percheron breeding in 1883. He gradually increased
his stud until by 1890 he had bred 28 stallions and
38 mares. His foundation stock was purchased at
Oaklawn Fann, but he imported 2 stallions and 7
mares on his own account in 1883. He made another
importation of mares in 1886.

Log Cabin Farm. — Mr. Palmer had two farms, but
his Percherons were kept on the Log Cabin Farm
near Detroit — land that is now in parks and golf
links. The place comprised about 500 acres of good
land, well adapted to farming and pasturage. The

271

272 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

log cabin, one of Mr. Palmer's fancies from which
the farm took its name, still stands in Palmer Park.*

Mr. Palmer's duties in the business and political
world made it impossible for him to give much per-
sonal attention to his Percherons, and most of the
details fell to his partner, E. W. Cottrell, and to
George T. Van Norman, manager of Log Cabin Farm.

An examination of the original inventory of Log
Cabin FaiTQ, furnished through the courtesy of
George N. Brady, executor of the estate, reveals the
fact that approximately 90 mares of all ages were
owned in the spring of 1892. Mr. Palmer had from
40 to 50 mares in the stud during the latter part of
the '80 's. The imported mares were shy breeders
during the first few years and he did not raise over
10 colts per year until 1889, when there were 12. In
1890 27 were raised, and the mares bred more regu-
larly from then on.

Anchorite 1370 (863) was the first stallion used,
being Mr. Palmer's chief stud sire until he acquired

♦The following comment is from The Breeder's Gazette of
June 11. 1913:

"Senator Palmer was famed as the owner of the Log Cabin
Farm on the outskirts of Detroit, a property which had been
owned by his ancestors and whicli he purchased and improved
with lavish hand. The log cabin home on the place cost more
than $20,000. It is surrounded by a large wooded tract, and near
it is an artificial lake. Tlie interior decorations and furnishings
of the cabin are in keeping witli its pioneer aspect, and include
relics and heirlooms of early days collected for many years. It
has been made to look as much as possible like the primitive
homes of the pioneers, although it includes all modern conveni-
ences.

"Near this cabin the senator had a stock farm of 500 acres,
with a fine herd of Jerseys and a stud of Percherons. In this
rustic home the senator entertained many distinguished guests
with unique hospitality. There was no formality, and dinner was
announced with an old tin dinner horn. Senator Palmer was said
to have refused an offer of a million dollars for the property."

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OP THE PERIOD 273

Fenelon. Anchorite was a medium-sized horse
weighing around 1,750 pounds ; he was very symmet-
rical, stylish, and of unusual quality. Sired by
Romulus 873 (785), winner of first prize in the aged
stallion class at the Universal Exhibition of Paris
in 1878, Anchorite himself was a show horse and won
first in the aged class for stallions under 1,800 pounds
at the Percheron society show at Chicago in 1886.
He was also a sire of merit. One of his daughters,
Marie Antoinette 4882, out of a granddaughter of
Vidocq 483 (732), won the gold medal offered by
the Percheron Society of France at this same Chicago
show for the best mare of any age bred in America.
He sired medium-sized, symmetrical, sound stock of
great quality and style. In fact. Anchorite's get
proved just the kind of horses that were wanted in
Michigan, wdiere farmers did not take well to the
large and massive type of drafters.

Mr. Palmer exhibited quite extensively at the lead-
ing shows. Anchorite was a consistent winner for
him. Marie Antoinette, Loetitia 5198 (6495), and
Rosa Bonheur 5100, imported in dam and sired by
Bon Espoir (213), one of the best sons of Brilliant
1899, were his leading mares. Marie Antoinette was
quite a producer and bred until she was over 20 years
of age.

Mr. Palmer's influence was much greater than is
indicated by the number and character of the colts he
raised. His business ability, his sagacity, and his
political standing all gave weight to his activities in
behalf of the Percheron. He was elected first presi-

274 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

dent of the American Percheron Horse Breeders' As-
sociation, which was incorporated on Nov. 10, 1885,
succeeding the voluntary association known as the
Percheron Horse Breeders' Association of America,
organized in 1876 with Daniel Dunham as president.
Mr. Palmer served the association in the capacity of
president with great ability for more than a decade.
He was an enthusiastic supporter of the breed and
encouraged the American breeder in every possible
way.

Edgewood Farm. — Dr. Winter's operations,
already referred to, were steadily continued during
this period. While the number of horses which he
bred and raised was not large, they were of good type
and quality, although some were not of popular
colors. He had from 20 to 25 mares of all ages. He
raised only 3 colts in 1882, but the number gradually
increased until in 1890 he recorded 11 of his own
breeding. In all he produced 39 stallions and 27
mares during this decade.

Malbranche 293 was continued in the stud, but was
not much used. La Force 249, imported in 1874 by
the Princeton Horse Company, and Bernadotte 36,
foaled in 1875, the first Percheron ever bred by Dr.
Winter, were the chief sires in the stud. Valiant 473,
a good horse imported by N. C. Buswell, and Salva-
tor 4293 (701), imported in 1883 by Mark W. Dun-
ham, were also used to some extent. Messidor 3753
(685), imported in 1885 by Mr. Dunham, later was
bought by Dr. Winter and sired a few purebred colts
in his stud. In 1886 Dr. Winter sent Agnes 4727

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OP THE PERIOD 275

to Oaklawn and had her bred to Brilliant 1271. To
this mating she produced in 1887 a very good colt
recorded as Brilliant A. 9998 and extensively used at
a later date.

La Force apparently did as much good as any
horse used at this time. About 16.2 hands high, he
weighed around 1,800 pounds and was extremely
handsome, round-bodied, and smoothly turned. He
was solid black in color. Bernadotte was a compact
horse, but hardly as blocky and niassve as La Force.
He left some excellent colts, but on account of his
close relationship to most of Dr. Winter's mares he
was not available for general use.

Aimee 520 was one of the best brood mares, and
an unusually prolific one. She raised 14 colts in 17
years, beginning when she was 3 years of age. Two
of her daughters, 01 ga 21851 and Prudance 21853,
were also regular producers, one raising 7 and the
other 8 colts in 9 years, showing that the tendency to
regular reproduction is inherited in some instances
at least. Aimee made her record while in Dr. Win-
ter's ownership, and her daughters made theirs while
owned by John C Baker. Florence 2403 was another
good brood mare, long-lived and a regular breeder.
Jeanne 560 was another of the same kind; her colts
were exceptionally good, the first being Bernadotte.
Julie 568, Jeanne's second colt, was one of the doc-
tor's best brood mares, raising 11 colts in 13 years.

While Edgewood Fann exhibited to some extent
at local shows, not much showing was done and the
larger fairs do not reveal a record of winnings by

276 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

this farm. Dr. Winter was not an aggressive adver-
tiser— and confined himself strictly to farming and
breeding. He bred some very good stock, but in all
fairness it must be said that he was not an especially
good care-taker. Much of his stock would have been
better off had it seen more feed.

I. L. Hoover, of Clinton, Wis., bought a number
of Percherons from Edgewood Farm in the '80 's.
J. F. Campbell bought Charlotte 5320, and she proved
a regular producer, raising 9 colts in the 12 years
from 1889 to 1900, beginning in her three-year-old
form. Jeannette 4730 went to the stud of Alexander
Miller, De Voe, S. D. These were the chief pur-
chasers during this period.

John W. Akin. — John W. Akin, Scipio, N. Y.,
was the only prominent Percheron importer and
breeder in the Empire State. At the start he bought a
few at Oaklawn Farm. In 1883 he made an importa-
tion of 25 stallions and 14 mares. In 1884 he brought
over 28 stallions and 23 mares, and he made some
other importations in 1887 and later. Most of the
mares he retained and engaged in Percheron breed-
ing. The results at the outset were none too encour-
aging. In 1884 Mr. Akin raised 1 colt, in 1885 3,
in 1886 7, in 1887 8, in 1888 8, in 1889 16, in 1890 21.
From 1888 to 1890 he had about 40 mares of produc-
ing age. A review of their produce records reveals
few that would classify as brood mares. They were
shy breeders, especially for the first few years after
importation.

Men familiar with the stock in the Akin stud

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 277

consider it as rather too small and too lacking in
real draft character to have exerted any material
influence on the breed. Mr. Akin is to be considered
as a responsible breeder who did much to popularize
Percherons in New York in an early day by distribut-
ing horses that worked some improvement on the
light native stock of the state. So far as influence on
Percheron breeding in America is concerned, the
operations in this stud are practically valueless. A
few animals were bred during the '90 's, but the
beginning and end of this farm's influence has
already been considered, and the stud will not come
up for further discussion.

Minneeota Breeders. — Illinois contributed 8 of the
20 leading breeders of this epoch, but Minnesota
stands second with 3 among the first 20. It is safe
to say that there were more high-class Percheron
breeding establishments in Minnesota in the '80 's
than in any other state except Illinois. The breeders
who brought the state to the front were Leonard
Johnson, The Minnesota Percheron Horse Company,
and George E. Case. They stood eleventh, fifteenth,
and nineteenth respectively in number of Percherons
bred in America during the period under discussion
and the dispersion of their studs in the '90 's was
deeply regretted.

Leonard Johnson. — No finer-tempered or more
honorable breeder of Percheron horses than Leonard
Johnson ever lived, and there have been few who
were his equals in judgment. He began about 1877
or 1878 as a buyer for Mark W. Dunham in France.

278 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

He was as honest as the day is long, modest, and
courteous in his speech and manner. His personality
soon acquired for him the confidence and close
friendship of the leading breeders in France — M.
Fardouet, Pere Caget, Ernest Perriot, Sr., the
Tacheaus, and the Avelines. He was an idealist in
judgment — ever looking for the perfect horse — and
he never asked to see any but the best. His estimate
of the real stock horses, the sires, is amply shown
by the fact that he bought for Mr. Dunham many
of the great sires which made Oaklawn famous. His
first purchases were made in company with Mr. Dun-
ham ; his later operations were on his own responsi-
bility. It is no reflection on Mark W. Dunham to
say here that Leonard Johnson was a far better judge
of breeding horses than was the master of Oaklawn.
It has ever been characteristic of great leaders to
surround themselves with men who are skilled be-
yond themselves in certain lines, and in no one thing
did Mr. Dunham show keener judgment than in his
selection of trusted lieutenants, of whom Leonard
Johnson was one of the first.

Founding Maple Point Stud. — Mr. Johnson really
began in 1874 by purchasing imp. Magnus 290, a
rather massive horse for that time, weighing about
2,000 pounds. In 1875 he bought Superior 454 (730)
and Vidocq 483 (732). Vidocq was subsequently re-
sold to Mr. Dunham and was used at the head of the
Oaklawn stud for several years. He has already
been described. Superior stood about 16.2 hands
high and weighed between 1,800 and 1,900 pounds in

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 279

breeding condition. He was foaled in 1868 and im-
ported in 1874. He was white at the time of his im-
portation, and a symmetrical, stylish horse of great
quality and finish, with extraordinary action. As a
sire he was one of the best and undoubtedly ranks
as one of the greatest sons of Favori 1st (711), the
foundation sire of the Favori strain.

It w^as Mr. Johnson 's keen judgment and integrity
that led to his employment by Mr. Dunham as his
buyer in France. While thus engaged he from time
to time selected some of the horses that especially
suited his ideas, and by arrangement with Mr. Dun-
ham he shipped these to Maple Point Farm. Owing
to his limited means Mr. Johnson's first selections
were stallions, which were soon sold; but he also se-
lected a few mares, which he retained. The first
Percheron of his own breeding was foaled in 1881,
and the number gradually increased until by 1890 he
had raised 26 stallions and an equal number of
mares.

Leading Sires Used. — It is doubtful whether any
stud in America ever had such a group of really
great sires as was owned at Maple Point in the '80 's.
Unfortunately, Mr. Johnson did not have a large
band of mares, nor did he have the means to retain
his great stock horses. These stallions were sold
after he had used them for a short time and many,
like Brilliant 1899, went into communities in which
they were lost to the breed, though they did do won-
ders in improving the grade stock.

Brilliant 1899, whose history has already been

280 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

sketched, and Cheer 2017 (1404) were the two good
sires obtained by Mr. Johnson in 1881. Cheer was a
nice-turned, medium-sized horse weighing about
1,750, but a very good sire. Each of these sired 3
Percheron colts before being sold from Maple Point.
In 1883 Mr. Johnson obtained La Grange 3065 (1334)
and Baptiste 3064* (41), both clinking good horses
as individuals and as sires. La Grange was foaled
in 1880 and imported in 1883. He was a winner at
the leading shows in France and was the best horse
which Tacheau had in '83. He was sired by Brilliant
1271 out of a daughter of Coco 2d (714). A gray of
excellent conformation, style, and quality, he was a
show horse of the top kind. He left but one colt at
Maple Point before he was sold to F. J. Shoe, of Shoe,
Minn., after which he was used on grade mares.

Baptiste was a horse of much the same type as
La Grange, and a winner abroad. He was a gray
two-year-old when imported. He was sired by a son
of Vidocq 483 out of a granddaughter of Superior
454, both of which sires had been used at Maple
Point. Baptiste was a compact, massive horse,
standing about 16.3 hands high and weighing about
a ton. He was a horse of wonderful finish. He was
sold by Mr. Johnson to William Mies & Sons, of
Hampton, Minn., at an early date. He left only one
colt at Maple Point, but he sired 28 purebreds for
Mies & Sons, 5 for Thomas Irvine, and 7 for G. S.
Horton. He was used extensively on grade mares
also and has contributed materially to Percheron im-
provement in Minnesota. He won first in the four-

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 281

year-old class at the Minnesota State Fair in 1885 for
Mr. Johnson, and was lirst in the aged stallion class
in 1886 for William Mies & Sons.

Jupiter 4301 (2243), foaled in 1882 and imported
in 1885, was the next high-class sire obtained. A
dark gray, about 16.3 hands high, and weighing from
1,900 to 2,000 pounds, he was massive, drafty sort
with a great deal of symmetry and finish. He was
distinctly in-bred, as he was begot by a son of Bril-
liant 1899 out of a daughter of Brilliant 1899. He
sired 4 colts for Mr. Johnson before he was sold
to William & James Warden, of Frankfort, S. D. In
the hands of the Wardens he was used on some
Percheron mares, leaving 12 purebred colts, but his
chief service was on grade mares.

Not content with anything less than the closest
possible approach to ideal Percheron type, Mr. John-
son bought in 1886 two of the greatest sons of Bril-
liant 1271— Briard 5317 (1630) and Gilbert 5154
(461). Briard was a rugged, big horse, which stood
about 17 hands high and weighed a little over a
ton. Nicely balanced, with two good ends and a
middle, he was a heavy-boned and heavy-muscled
horse, but lacked a little in finish. He sired some ex-
cellent stock, built after his own pattern. Mr. John-
son paid M. W. Dunham $5,000 for Briard and after
a season's use sold him to Hon. R. W. Daniels, of
Buffalo, N. Y., for $4,500. He was used on the ranch
at Kelso, N. D., owned by Daniels & Winsor. He
sired only 3 colts at Maple Point, but left 11 other
purebreds in North Dakota. Colts sired by him in

282 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

France were prominent winners, and he is rated as
one of the three best sons of Brilliant 1271, individu-
ality and the prepotency of his descendants con-
sidered.

Gilbert was also sired by Brilliant 1271, and every-
thing considered was probably the greatest show
horse the old sire ever begot. He was a winner in
France and took first in the four-year-old class
for stallions over 1,750 pounds at the great Percheron
Society show at Chicago in 1886. He was first again
in 1887 at the horse show at Chicago, and second at
the same show in 1888, being beaten by La Ferte 5144
(452). Again in 1889 he was second, this time to
Fenelon 2682 (38), and in 1890 he was second at
the same show to Seducteur 8850 (7057). Gil-
bert was not shown in 1891 or 1892, but came out in
1893, when 11 years old and after 7 years of stud
service, and won third at the Columbian Exposition
in the face of strong competition. No other horse
of the breed has a showyard record excelling this,
and it is doubtful whether any can equal it.

Gilbert was about 16.2 hands high and weighed
around a ton in show condition. He was a remark-
ably well-balanced horse, symmetrical throughout,
with great style and finish and the best of underpin-
ning. He was a whirlwind in action, and remained
sound and clean to the end of his days.

As a sire it must be admitted frankly that he was
not the best of the sons of Brilliant 1271. He got
some very good animals, but his colts lacked uniform-
ity in type and in color and some were very disap-

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 283

pointing. His best descendants come from the cross
of Gilbert or his sons on daughters or granddaught-
ers of Briard ; he furnished the quality and finish to
sweeten up the Briard stock. He sired 89 colts in
America, most of which were bred by Leonard John-
son and the subsequent owner of the stallion, Alex-
ander Miller.

Leopold 7011 (6221), foaled in 1885 and imported
as a two-year-old, was another good colt, a large,
heavy-boned, rugged draft horse of good lines and
a fetching way of going. He was sired by Voltaire
3540 (443), one of the three best sons of Brilliant
1271, out of a granddaughter of Favori 1st. He came
from Ernest Perriot and sired 7 colts of record while
at Maple Point.

Tripoli 11110 (20034) was the last of the great
group of sires used by Mr. Johnson during this peri-
od. He was probably the best colt that Gilbert ever
sired, being out of a daughter of Brilliant 1899. A
black standing about 16.2 hands high and weighing
around a ton in show condition, he was a winner in
France and took first as a three-year-old at the Chi-
cago show in 1890. He was much like Gilbert in
type, but far excelled him as a sire, his colts being
uniformly good in type and color. He subsequently
headed the Upson Farm stud in North Dakota.

A review of the sires used at Maple Point shows
that Mr. Johnson's judgment was of the best. It is
doubtful whether any stud in this country ever
owned so many high-class sires in so short a time.
Certainly no establishment in America has ever

284 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

owned so many good ones in proportion to tlie total
nnmber in the stnd.

The Johnson Mares. — In liis selection of mares Mr.
Johnson was no less an idealist than in choosing his
stallions. His means were limited so that he could
not own many, but those he did have were the best
he could find. All the colts which he raised during
this period were out of about 18 or 20 matrons.
Many were show mares, and brood mares as well.

Honest Lady 2015 (2779) was one of the best. She
was first at the Minnesota State Fair in 1885 and
again took the honors in 1887 on mare and her prod-
uce. She was a regular breeder, raising 6 colts in
7 years in the Maple Point stud, and good ones at
that. Mouvette 6176 (636) was second in the two-
year-old class at the Minnesota fair. She later went
to the stud of R. B. Kellogg where she produced 2
colts, and then was sold to D. Wittenberg, Cedar-
burg, Wis., for whom she raised two more.

Sada 3060, bred by Mr. Johnson, was first in the
four-year-old class at Minnesota in 1887. She did not
raise many colts. Messagere 5129 (6762) was first in
the three-year-old class at the same state fair show.
She was an irregular breeder, but raised some good
colts. Clodie 5140 (7253) was second in the two-year-
old class at the same show and proved a brood mare
of worth. She was the most regular breeder in the
stud, except Honest Lady. Coquette 6710 (581) was
first among the aged mares in 1889. She raised only
2 colts — Atlantic 11858, sired by Seducteur, and
Bertine 11337, a gray mare, sired by Gilbert. Atlan-

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 285

tic left no purebred progeny and Bertine had only
2 colts. Elise 9675 (12262) stood first for Maple
Point at the Minnesota fair of 1889 and Gretchen
4649, bred by Rufus B. Kellogg, won second for the
Johnson stable. Gretchen was a regular producer
of good colts but Elise raised only 3.

As a whole Mr. Johnson's females were excep-
tional brood mares, producing high-class progeny,
though the percentage of colts raised was dishearten-
ing.

Showyard Record. — Mr. Johnson was an enthusi-
astic exhibitor from the outset. He was the heaviest
winner at the Minnesota State Fair at the beginning
and he continued his lead despite strong competition,
although T. L. & J. L. DeLancey bested him in the
later '80 's. He captured a fair share of the prizes
at the leading shows of that period which were an-
nually held at Chicago. It is probable that no prize
ever gave him keener pleasure than winning the gold
medal offered by the Societe Hippique de Percher-
onne in 1886 at the Percheron Society show in Chi-
cago for the best stallion bred in America. At this
show, the greatest held in the '80 's, with more than
300 Percherons in the competition, Mr. Johnson won
the coveted medal on Eclipse 3066, a colt of his own
breeding, sired by Leman 1954 (1055) out of Selia
2012. This was a gray of good type and size, after-
ward used in the stud of J. L. LaValley, McCauley-
ville, Minn., where he sired some 18 purebred colts.
Mr. Johnson showed many colts of his own breeding
and with good results.

286 A i.lSTOUV OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Leonard Johnson's was the most potent influence
of the '80 's in the development of Percheron inter-
ests in the northwestern states. His high character
and agreeable personality made him liked by all who
knew him, and his remarkable judgment of Perche-
rons made his fair winnings of the utmost value as
object lessons to less well-informed breeders and
farmers. He would not handle inferior stock, and
was always willing to pay a long price for horses
which he considered "true gold."

Minnesota Percheron Horse Company. — Controlled
by the Payne Lumber Company of the Twin Cities,
the Minnesota Percheron Horse Company became
one of the important Percheron establishments of
the state. The stud was founded in 1886 by the pur-
chase of a carload of W. L. Ellwood's best mares.
Later purchases were made from the Ellwood stud
in 1888 and '89. The firm had extensive land inter-
ests at Cazenovia and was wealthy. The best were
none too good, and its purchases were high-class as
to individuality.

Exact data as to the number of mares owned are
not obtainable, but the firm owned at least 30 mares
by 1888 and about 50 mares by 1890. Twenty-five
stallions and 21 mares of the company's breeding,
foaled from 1887 to 1890, are on record, and none of
the dams was to be classed as a regular breeder.

Niger 4986 (2951) was the chief sire. He was
imported in 1886 by Mr. Ellwood and was in the
first lot bought by the Paynes. Picador 3d 5078
(4815), imported in 1886, was also taken to Cazen-

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OP THE PERIOD 287

ovia at the same time. Niger was a black son of
Picador 2d (5606) and was much like his illustrious
grandsire, Picador 1st (7330), the foundation sire
of the strain bearing his name. A massive, drafty
horse weighing around a ton, Niger had a great deal
of quality and finish. His colts were excellent and he
was long at the head of the stud. The stud continued
throughout the next decade in spite of hard times,
but inasmuch as it was only well started by 1890
a more exhaustive consideration of its work will be
taken up in another chapter.

George E. Case. — At St. Peter, Minn., George E.
Case, a merchant, established a Percheron stud by
direct importations from France. His ranked among
the first 20 breeding establishments of America by
1890. He imported 28 mares in 1883, '84, and '85,
and some 35 stallions. Most of the mares were re-
tained for his own use and by 1890 he had raised
some 16 stallions and 19 mares of his own breeding.
At the same time he continued his importations and
was actively engaged in the sale of stallions. As a di-
rector of the American Percheron Horse Breeders*
Association he was very influential in spreading the
gospel of better blood for draft horse improvement in
the northwest.

Margot 3033 (1341) and Sandi 3803 (444) were the
first two sires used by Mr. Case, but they left very
few colts. Sandi was a good type, a thick and mas-
sive gray with a deal of quality. He was sired by
Brilliant 1271 out of a daughter of Coco 2d. Not
being imported until past four years of age, he left a

288 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

number of good colts in France, some of which were
brought over during the '80 's by the leading im-
porters of that period. Sandi was sold shortly after
importation and then had access to grades only, until
1889, when he did sire one more jjurebred colt.

Senegal 8456 (8092) was the most important sire
used in the Case stud. He w^as a gray sired by
Voltaire 3540 (443) out of a daughter of Favori 1st
and proved a horse of great merit, both individually
and as a sire. He was not imported until 1887 and
was not used long, but his colts were good.

Mr. Case won a number of prizes in 1885 at the
Minnesota State Fair, but did not exhibit very ex-
tensively afterward. He was not as keen a judge
as Leonard Johnson or T. L. & J. L. DeLancey, and
consequently was less well equipped with the mate-
rial necessaiy for strong campaigns. His Percherons
were a good useful sort, however, and being above
the average in merit did much good.

The gathering financial storm which wrecked so
many good establishments drove Mr. Case to disperse
his stud about 1892. The mares were scattered wide-
ly into the hands of small farmers. There are de-
scendants of this stock around St. Peter and St.
Cloud in Minnesota, but for the most part they were
lost to the purebred industry.

Wisconsin's Leaders. — Capt. Fred Pabst and Ru-
fus B. Kellogg were Wisconsin's representatives
among the first 20 breeders of this epoch; they occu-
pied tenth and twelfth places respectively in the
number of Percherons bred and raised in their own

: J.E.Wilson i^[cJas.D. Beckett

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 289

studs. Both were men of wealth and business ability,
well educated and widely travelled, and their influ-
ence was unquestionably large in favorably shaping
Wisconsin's sentiment toward Percherons.

Wauwatosa Farm. — The Wauwatosa stud, estab-
lished by Fred Pabst in 1885, was started with the
stallion Burg 4444 (2241) and 29 mares imported di-
rect from France. In 1886 Mr. Pabst imported 26
more mares. Other stallions w^ere imported each
year, but Burg remained at the head of the stud and
his leadership was never threatened.

Mr, Pabst in his first catalog, issued in 1890, gives
his reasons for establishing a Percheron stud as fol-
lows:

"It is a well-known fact that I did not go into the
business of raising horses as a mere money specula-
tion. I did it because I thought I could advance a
great interest in our state. It is universally admitted
that the majority of the best Clydesdales imported to
this country have for years been brought direct to
the state of Wisconsin, but many of our people pre-
ferred the Percherons, and were going into neighbor-
ing states to procure them, because they there found
better ones than could be found at home.

"I take a pride in the state in which I live and in
which all my interests lie, and I determined that I
would breed right here in our own state as good,
or better, Percherons than could be found elsewhere,
and to this purpose, I, in 1885, sent a man of expe-
rience to France with instructions to buy a herd of
mares, the best to be found in that country, irre-
spective of prices. These mares were bought at
prices that ordinary importers, who buy to sell again,
could not afford to pay. They were brood mares.

290 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

whose owners were not looking for buyers and who
could only be persuaded to part with them for long
prices. ' '

These importations gave Mr. Pabst more than 50
mares of producing age from 1886 on. He raised 17
colts in 1887, 20 in 1888, 13 in 1889, and 10 in 1890—
a total of 27 stallions and 23 mares. Some trouble
must have been encountered, as a review of Mr.
Pabst 's records shows that he had 51 mares of pro-
ducing age in 1890 and yet raised only 10 colts. In the
absence of specific data it must be concluded that
abortion entered the stud; a large number of his
most reliable brood mares missed foaling in 1889 and
1890, as is definitely shown by the records.

Burg, Vigoreux 9218 (5615), Voltaire 5316 (2221),
and Prince Jerome 4445 (480) were the chief sires in
service, although some 16 or 18 other horses were
used to a slight extent at various times. Burg was
the leading sire and remained at the head of the
stud from 1885, when it was founded, until 1890. In
that year he was sold to J. B, Johnson of Montford,
Wis.

As an individual Burg was of showyard caliber.
He was a rather blocky, massive type, wdth excep-
tionally heavy bone and a good deal of quality. He
was quite well proportioned, stylish, of all-around
draft qualities, and weighed over a ton. He won first
as a two-year-old at the annual show held by the
Societe Hippique de Percheronne in France in 1884.
He was not shown to any great extent in America,
but was first in the class for stallion and five of his

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OP THE PERIOD 291

get at the Wisconsin State Fair in 1888, and won in
the same class at the International Exposition at
Buffalo in 1889. In many respects he was much on
the type of Brilliant 1271. He was sired by Rocham-
beau (1382), a half-brother to Brilliant 1271, by Bril-
liant 1899. The colts sired by Burg were uniform in
type, chiefly blacks and grays, and were of the
massive draft pattern, although a bit more blocky
and low-set than some breeders liked.

Vigoreux, a massive black sired by Picador 2d,
by Picador 1st, was the next sire in rank. Imported
by Mr. Dunham, from whom Capt. Pabst obtained
him, he was a very good sort, of the rugged, mas-
sive pattern. Voltaire, a good gray of the Favori
stock, and Prince Jerome, tracing to the same horse
through his sire, and out of a daughter of Coco 2d,
were also good stock-getters and left some good colts
at Wauwatosa Stock Farm.

Couronne 4440 (1908) was sufficiently good as a
brood mare to cause Mr. Pabst to use 3 of her sons
to some degree in the stud. They were by Burg.
She produced 4 colts in 5 years, every one a stallion
of merit. Favorite 4436 (4296), Coquette 4433 (4295)
and Julie 4423 (4257) were other good brood mares,
producers of colts that were winners at the Wiscon-
sin State Fair and that sold at excellent prices.
None of them was noted for the number of colts
produced, however, the mares being mostly shy
breeders. Rustique 5403 (2217) was the only really
prolific mare in the lot. Relatively few mares were
sold from this farm in the period under discussion.

292 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

The distribution of these Percherons will be con-
sidered later.

Kellogg Stock Farm. — Rufus B. Kellogg, Green
Bay, Wis., was a wealthy banker and land-owner, a
man of education and character. He, like Mr. Pabst,
recognized the need of more and better breeding
stock for Wisconsin farmers. He had a real interest
in his horses and studied bloodlines and the results
of various matings with a keen and analytical mind.
His success would probably have been greater had
he been a more competent judge, though his career
was cut short by death at so early a date — Septem-
ber, 1891, — that it is unfair to draw general con-
clusions. He was taken away at just about the time
when the results of his work were becoming suffi-
ciently apparent to permit of the elimination of the
unreliable breeding stock. His farm consisted of
600 acres located near Green Bay. On part of it the
town of DePere now stands. The land in this section
is rather rolling but affords excellent pasturage.

Mr. Kellogg 's stud w^as founded in 1881 by the
purchase of Chevalier Bayard 1279 and Zoe 840
from M. W. Dunham. He subsequently made some
importations of his own. In 1882 he brought over 3
stallions and 12 mares, and in 1885 6 stallions and 9
mares. Still other importations were made at later
dates.

Mr. Kellogg 's inventories show that he owned in
1886 47 Percherons valued at $27,850, an average of
$592 each; in 1887 68 Percherons valued at $39,150,
an average of $575, and in 1890 76 Percherons valued

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 293

at $32,700, an average of $430. The lowering of the
average value was due to the fact that more young
horses were included in the later inventories and to
the depreciation of all classes of live stock. The
low spot was reached in 1893 and '94, but the de-
pression was evident in 1890.

The records in the Percheron Society of America
offices show that Mr. Kellogg had between 30 and
40 mares by 1890, and that he raised 24 stallions
and 28 mares of his own breeding between 1883 and
1890. Many of his mares were not imported until
1887, but the mares brought over in 1882 and 1884
were his chief reliance.

The Kellogg Stallions. — Chevalier Bayard was the
first sire used. He left 3 fillies, but no stallions.
Waterloo 2199 (733), foaled in 1870, was imported
in 1882 by Mr. Kellogg. He was a noted stock horse
in France and had left excellent progeny. He had
been used too heavily before Mr. Kellogg obtained
him, however, and so did little after importation,
though he begot 2 stallions and 5 mares at the Kel-
logg Farm stud.

In 1883 Mr. Kellogg bought Fenelon 2682, a horse
that history has stamped as one of the three greatest
sons of Brilliant 1271. He had been imported that
same year and because of acclimation troubles
proved a non-breeder during the season, failing to
settle a single mare. Mr. Kellogg already had been
subjected to loss because Waterloo was not a sure
breeder, and consequently he returned Fenelon to
Mr. Dunham without further trial. From the first

294 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

he had given much attention to the breeding of the
best horses in France and America and he was of
the opinion that a sire with a known record as a
getter was decidedly better than a young one. His
purchase of Waterloo had been guided by this con-
sideration. The age of the horse and the fact that
he proved after importation to be a shy breeder
troubled Mr. Kellogg. Fenelon's failure set him back
again and he was forced to look further for a sire.
Brilliant's success in Oaklawn stud caused him to
look for a horse of somewhat similar breeding, and
he finally purchased Narbonne 1334 (777) in 1885.
This horse was foaled in 1876 and had been imported
in 1881 by M. W. Dunham, who sold him to J. Barnes
& Co., Shannon, 111. Mr. Kellogg had learned that
Narbonne had sired many good things in France and
that many of the animals imported in 1882 and 1883
were by him. He also ascertained that Narbonne was
sired by Brilliant 1899 out of a daughter of Favori
1st, and he liked the colts sired at Shannon. Ac-
cordingly Narbonne was purchased as an eight-year-
old in 1884. He sired 5 stallions and 3 mares for
Mr. Kellogg. No information is obtainable as to his
final disposition, but from the fact that he sired colts
at the Kellogg Stock Farm in 1884, '85, and '86 it
must be concluded that Narbonne, like Waterloo,
had seen too much service before Mr. Kellogg se-
cured him.

Non Pareil 7248 (sans Pareil 6870) was imported
by Mr. Kellogg in 1887. He was a gray grandson
of Romulus 873 (785), the first-prize aged horse at

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 295

the Universal Exposition at Paris in 1878, and out
of a graiiddaugliter of M. Dupont's Favori. He was
used to some extent in 1887 and 1888, but did not
leave many colts. Two or three other sires that do
not appear to have been of any importance were
used about 1888 and 1889, but in 1890 Mr. Kellogg
secured the horse which practically made the repu-
tation of his stud — Baccarat 11326 (18639).

Baccarat was foaled in 1887. He won in France
in 1889 and was imported in that year by W. L.
Ellwood. He won second in the three-year-old class
at the Chicago Horse Show in 1890 for Mr. Kellogg,
who bought him at a price reported to have been
the highest ever paid for a Percheron stallion up to
that time. He proved good from the outset. He
was used in 1890 and '91 and sired 16 stallions and
8 mares of record. Mr. Kellogg 's death on Sept. 24,
1891, was exceedingly unfortunate; he was only 53
years old and was just developing his Percheron
breeding operations to a point where real progress
could be made. He raised 19 colts of his own breed-
ing in 1891 and 15 more in 1892,

Noted Mares. — Mr. Kellogg had no inclination to
act as a dealer in horses and his selections were made
for his own stud. He sought mares of size, draft
type and quality, and was insistent upon uniformity.
Among the mares he imported were some which he
had selected because of their records as brood mares
in France. Bijou 4668 (4644) was one of these. She
was the dam of Childebert 4283 (451), by Brilliant
1271, one of the very good horses imported in 1885,

296 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

as well as of other good ones. She produced only 2
colts for Mr. Kellogg, but they were winners. Ben
Boalt 4746, her first colt for Mr. Kellogg, took honors
in the leading shows in America and Fenelon 2d
7007, her second, was also of showyard character.
Glorieuse 5226 (5970) was another good mare. She
won second in the class for four-year-olds under
1,750 pounds at the Percheron Society show in 1886,
and was a consistent brood mare, raising 5 good colts
in 7 years. Mr. Kellogg also bought Lorilee G. 1532,
one of the most noted show and brood mares of the
Dillons. Mignonette 7264 (5729) was another good
mare, and a regular producer. The mare Tontine
13129 (Bijou 21677) was valued very highly by Mr.
Kellogg, although she had produced nothing prior to
his death. She subsequently became a valuable
brood mare.

Mr. Kellogg was a progressive breeder and appre-
ciated the value of showyard exhibitions from edu-
cational and advertising points of view. Most of his
winnings were made at the Minnesota and Wisconsin
state fairs, although he showed a few at Chicago.
One of his leading contemporaries says of him:

"He exhibited mares of uniform kind and his ani-
mals were generally commendable for draft tj^^e,
symmetry, quality, and soundness. Personally Mr.
Kellogg was a gentleman, thoroughly reliable in
word and act, and at all times courteous and honor-
able. He was a breeder of the highest type and ex-
erted a profound influence on Percheron affairs in
his time."

Influence on Other Studs. — At Mr, Kellogg 's death

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 297

most of his horses went to H. F. Hagemeister, of
Green Bay, who bought them from the estate about
1895 or '96. Nicholas Schmidt, Wrightstown, Wis.,
bought some from Mr. Kellogg in 1890. William H.
Shaw, Belvidere, 111., was another buyer. Newton
Rector, Circleville, 0., made purchases from Mr. Kel-
logg in 1891, and Jesse M. Stetson bought some from
the estate. Fearnaught 16302, bred by Mr. Kellogg,
sired by Baccarat out of Fashion 7263 (9179), went
to head Mr. Stetson's stable and sired some extra
good mares, though his stallion colts were not of such
a high average. This tendency on the part of sires
to get better animals of one sex than of the other
has often been noticed by breeders of all classes of
stock. Fearnaught was distinctly a sire of mares.

D. G. McKay, Chippewa Falls, Wis., was another
purchaser of horses from Mr. Kellogg in 1891, and
B. F. Clark, Eureka, Wis., also bought some in the
same year. Thomas Wishart, DePere, Wis., and
E. C. Clark, Cadott, Wis., were other buyers. Mr.
Hagemeister obtained most of the animals, however,
purchasing 68 head of stallions, mares and colts. He
also secured Baccarat and retained him until 1906,
when he was sold, still vigorous at 19 years of age.

Mr. Kellogg 's work as a Percheron breeder has
been far-reaching. He sought good animals, placing
special emphasis on underpinning and soundness.
He was one of the earliest American breeders to
appreciate the value of tried sires and dams, and
emphasized at all times the importance of accurate
and careful breeding. His integrity, courtesy and

298 A HISTOKY OF THE PERCllEKON HORSE

broad spirit in reviewing his own or his contem-
poraries' work made him one of tiie most construc-
tive breeders of his time. Percheron interests in
America suffered a very great loss in his death just
when he was on the threshold of achievement.

Reserve Forces in Illinois. — Illinois had a total of
203 breeders in the epoch under consideration and 8
out of the first 20 breeders in the United States re-
sided there. The work of the leaders has already
been discussed, but there were others of almost equal
prominence who must be considered.

E. Stetson & Sons, of Neponset, 111., with 63 head,
Degen Bros., of Ottawa, 111., with 50 head, George S.
Flanna of Bloomington, 111., with 48 head, and E
Hodgson, of Ottawa, 111., with 40 head, all recorded
as bred by the parties named, stood ninth, thirteenth,
and eighteenth respectively among the first 20 breed-
ers of this epoch.

Stetson & Sons. — Ezra Stetson, Neponset, 111., be-
came interested in Percheron s at a very early date.
He owned a good farm, had considerable means, and
was of the opinion that farming operations could be
much more efficiently accomplished if farmers had
better horses. He was a physician of high character
and integrity and his education was above the aver-
age. He recognized the futility of trying to improve
Hie common horses of the district without purebred
sires of desirable type as seed stock, and with this in
mind he made an importation of 3 Percherons in
1874. Two were stallions — Richard Coeur de Lion
406 and Duke do Mornv 152. The mare was Em-

OTHER PROMINENT FKU'RES OP THE PERIOD 299

press Eugenie 545, a very valuable brood matron.
The nucleus formed by this importation was added
to in 1882 by the purchase of 2 stallions and 6 mares
at the W. T, Walters sale. The original sale sheet
made out in Mr. Walters' own handwriting is here
Dresented:

Bought of W.]T. WALTERS & CO.

No. 68 EXCHANGE PLACE.

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// " - ^i'ii.tc '^^c-^^ '' 4' fa ^t>

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" » « „ .y^^^^-rf' 6yj'a'r

" " " /- t//.«^i<?~ 7J't7 oe,

oo

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'■£W ^*)

An importation of 4 stallions and 5 mares was
made from France in 188.3. Very few mares were

:iOO A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

purchased after this, but nearly all the females pro-
duced were kept and the stud soon grew to large
proportions.

Mares Owned and Colts Raised. — An examination
of the old stud records kept by Ezra Stetson shows
that 14 Percheron mares were bred in 1883. Eight
of these foaled, but the Percheron Society records
show that he recorded only 5 colts of his own breed-
ing, so it is evident that some of the colts died or
were altered before time for registration.

The number of colts raised gradually increased.
In 1885 5 were foaled to be recorded subsequently,
in 1886 6, in 1887 6, in 1888 10, in 1889 8, and in
1890 15. Altogether Stetson & Sons raised 33 stal-
lions and 30 mares of their own breeding between
1881 and 1890.

Dr. Stetson bred and raised 4 Percherons prior to
1880, all out of Empress Eugenie. She raised 7 foals
altogether, most of which were very good. Three of
the mares were retained in the stud and proved valu-
able producers.

The Stetson Sires. — Richard Coeur de Lion was
the first sire used and one of the best. He was a
rather large, rugged gray, a bit upstanding, but
fairly well balanced. On the whole his colts were
larger than most of those begot by later sires used
by Dr. Stetson ; the older breeders, still living, who
knew him, consider that he was probably the best
sire used in the first 20 years. He sired only 5 pure-
bred colts for Dr. Stetson but his get out of grade
mares in the country did much good. He stood in

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 301

Michigan in 1877, but afterwards returned to the
Stetson stud.

Duke de Morny 152, imported with the others in
1874, sired only 3 purebreds for the doctor, but he
also proved a valuable getter of grade stock out of
the mares in that section and his descendants are
valued to this day. Torreador 1140 (1607) was the
next sire used to any extent. He was in the Walters
purchase of 1882 and sired 12 stallions and 7 mares in
Dr. Stetson's stud. Monarch 1128 (1606), the other
stallion bought at the same time, was also used
slightly. Victor 1141 (1600), imported by Mr. Wal-
ters, was sold to S. W. Ficklin in 1882, but was pur-
chased by Dr. Stetson about 1886. He was used more
liberally than any other sire at that time. A gray,
foaled in 1874, he was a horse of great style and
quality, but upstanding and lacking in depth of rib
and size of middle. Mr. Walters gives his height as
17.1 hands, but this is probably a bit too much. He
was close to 17 hands, however, but too light in the
barrel for modern standards. The best that can be
said is that he imparted much style and quality to
the Stetson stock at the expense of some of the draft
attributes which were more needed.

Valuable Brood Mares. — Empress Eugenie was a
brood mare of more than average value. Two of her
daughters were retained and one of them, Maria
Louisa 835, proved to be a fairly good breeder. The
best-known son of Empress Eugenie was Leroi 1743,
sired by Richard Coeur de Lion. He was sold into
Ohio, near Cardington, and is rated as one of the best

302 A HISTOKY OF THE PERCHEEON HORSE

of the sires used in that section in the '80 's. Flora
1119, foaled in 1880, and Zoe 1142, imported in 1881,
were among the mares bought from Mr. Walters in
1882. Zoe raised a colt in 1882 but did not have
another of record until 1889, after which she settled
down and foaled 9. Flora did somewhat better. She
produced her first colt when three years of age and
foaled 4 in succession, missed 2 years, raised 8 in 8
successive years, missed a year, and then foaled 3
more in 3 years — a total of 15 between 1883 and 1900,
a record that has been equaled by very few mares.
The first 8 were stallions, followed by 2 fillies, 3 stal-
lions, and 2 more fillies, a total of 11 stallions and
4 fillies. Her colts on the whole were good, though
the later ones by Fearnaught excelled the earlier by
other sires.

Not much showyard work was done by the Stet-
sons, but quiet, steady advertising was resorted to
and a great many Percheron stallions were sold and
distributed over a wide range of territory. No effort
was made to sell the mares as it was desired to in-
crease the stud as rapidly as possible.

Dr. Stetson's influence was not as far-reaching as
that of some of his contemporaries, but it was never-
theless of value. He was a man of lofty character
and high ideals, and engaged in the business because
he felt the necessity of making better draft blood
available to American farmers. His words and acts
were such as to assist in putting the business on an
honorable basis.

Degen Bros. — The firm of Degen Bros., Ottawa,

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD :50;^

111., was quite active during the period under con-
sideration. The Degens were dealers, but handled
some mares and bred some good colts. They exliib-
ited many horses at the leading fairs and were quite
successful, but their stock appears to have been so
scattered as to have been almost lost to sight. They
bred 24 stallions and 19 mares during the time we
are considering. These were sired by 10 different
stallions, so it is evident that their breeding opera-
tions were incidental. The stallion L'Ami 623;)
(1649) was imported by this firm and left a. few
colts in their stud. He subsequently won first at
the Ohio State Fair in 1888 and is now considered
to have been one of the best stock horses used in
Ohio.

George S. Hanna. — George S. Ilanna, a lawyer of
Bloomington, 111., had a stud of Percherons wliicli
achieved more than a local reputation. His early
stock was imported by George W. StubblefiekL who
also imported several of the sires used in this stud.
Mr. Hanna 's operations were on farms near Bloom-
ington. He himself gave little attention to the busi-
ness, and his Percheron breeding seems to have been
carried on as an incident to farming. George W.
Stubblefield was one of his chief advisers and helped
sell some of tlie surplus produced.

The Hanna stud was established in 1882. Tlie
number of colts produced gradually increased until
in 1887 10 colts of Mr. Hanna 's own breeding were
raised. By 1890 24 stallions and a like number of
mares had been raised. No records are available as

304 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

to the number of mares owned during this time, but
they evidently totalled a fair number.

The chief sires used were Vigoreux 3177 (403), a
black, imported by Mr. Stubblefield in 1881, and
Bendago 11807, bred by M. W. Dunham. Bendago
was sired by Brilliant 1271 out of Julia 5676 (7015),
He was not used until 1891, and was in active service
for three years. King's Europe 8258, bred by S. N.
King and sired by Extrador 4525 (386) out of Jessie
6096 (1660), was another which has left a good repu-
tation in central Illinois, though used but slightly in
this stud.

Beauty 6480 was a mare of Mr. Hanna's breeding
so well thought of that he bred her to Fenelon 2682
(38) in 1889. To this service she produced Fenelo
14118, a mare which later proved a good breeder
under the ownership of F. E. Waters and Cyrus Orr.
Mattie 18116 later passed into the ownership of
Hanna & Co., Howard, Kans., and proved a good
producer. Rosalie 18843, bred by Mr. Hanna, proved
to be a good producer under the ownership of F. T.
Fowler, F. H. Schrepel and Murrie Bros. None of
the mares owned by Mr. Hanna was especially
prolific, but a number of them produced more colts
than were raised, the losses being considerable, as
they are on every farm where the owner can give
but slight attention to the work.

Mr. Hanna closed out his Percheron Interests in
1894 by sale and trade. Among the purchasers were
F. T. Fowler of Illinois, F. E. Waters of Iowa, Hanna
& Co., F. H. Schrepel and J. W. & J. C. Robison of

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OP THE PERIOD 305

Kansas, and J. H. Mosby of Missouri. Other animals
of Mr. Hanna's breeding were scattered here and
there throughout central Illinois in the hands of
farmers, and much of the stock has undoubtedly been
lost because of neglecting the registration. Much
good has accrued through the existence of this stud,
however; it aided materially in the dissemination of
good Percherons, helped greatly in improving the
common stock of the country and contributed
towards the fast gaining popularity of the breed.

E. Hodgson & Son. — Eli Hodgson, whose earlier
operations have already been reviewed, took his
son, M. C. Hodgson, into partnership in 1868, so
that the firm was in reality Hodgson & Son from
the outset. The second and last importation made
by this firm was in 1881. This consisted of 5 stal-
lions and 11 mares. Only one mare had been im-
ported in 1874, so that the purchases in 1881 really
formed the foundation of the stud. More than usual
interest attaches to the Hodgson collection because
of the fact that it is one of the few Percheron studs
in America that has been held intact and continued
by three generations in one family. Its chronology
is as follows: Eli Hodgson from 1859 to 1868; Eli
Hodgson & Son, M. C, from 1868 until Eli Hodgson's
death in 1890; M. C. Hodgson from 1890 until 1908,
when it became what it now is, M. C. Hodgson &
Sons, E. E. and E. W.

The original Hodgson farm contained 480 acres in
one tract, which has since been reduced to 320. It
was located about 3 miles from Ottawa in one of

306 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

the richest farming- sections in Illinois. General
live stock farming was followed from the outset and
the Percheron mares always had to earn their way
in harness. The firm owned more than 40 mares
in 1885, bnt only 14 or 15 of these were Percherons.
Few Percheron colts were foaled at first, but 3 were
raised in 1885, and the number gradually increased
each year, until by 1890 21 stallions and 19 mares
of their own breeding had been produced.

French Victor 6088 (6125), a gray, was the great-
est of the early sires used by the Hodgsons and
one of the best they ever owned. He was bought
as a suckling colt in France by E. Hodgson, who,
with other American buyers, considered the dam
Rapide (6124), by Brilliant 1899, one of the greatest
Percheron mares in France. French Victor was by
Pliilibert (760) and was consequently close akin in
breeding to La Ferte 5144 (452), one of the most
noted show horses and sires ever brought to this
country. They were sired by the same stallion and
both were out of daughters of Brilliant 1899. Hodg-
son exhibited French Victor at the Illinois State
Fair in 1885 and won first in the four-year-old class.
French Victor was not shown to any extent subse-
quently, but was freely used in the stud and was
just coming into general notice as a sire when his
death occurred in 1889 from colic. His daughters
were considered to be among the best ever bred by
the firm.

Bernard 10570 and Loran B. 10567, foaled in 1886
and 1887 respectively, both sired by French Victor

OTHER PROMINENT B^IGURES OP^ THE PERIOD 307

out of Margot 4563 (2826), were used to some exteut,
but the next sire of consequence was Parfait 3cl
10727 (12939). This stallion, a black, was imported
by W. L. Ellwood in 1889. He was a massive draft
liorse and got some very good colts, but did not
nick nearly so well on the daughters of French Victor
as did Confident 3647 (397), owned by Nagle & Son
at Grand Eidge, 111., near Ottawa. In the judgment
of good horsemen, including M. C. Hodgson himself,
one of the worst errors the firm ever made was in
not purchasing Confident to follow French Victor;
he was a tried sire of the same line of breeding and
his colts were distinctly better than those of any
other sire used on the daughters of French Victor.
Georgiana 10578 (6123), Lady Tacheau 10520
(6119) and Margot 4563 (2826) were some of the
best brood mares in the Hodgson stud during the
'80 's. Georgiana produced to the service of French
Victor the mare Georgiana 2d 15099, considered by
the Hodgsons to have been the greatest mare they
ever raised; she also produced other good colts.
Lady Tacheau was a regular producer of good ones,
the best being Lady Tacheau 2d 15100. Two of
Margot 's colts were considered good enough to use
in the stud. The most interesting thing about these
mares, to a breeder, is the way they have bred on.
Two of the greatest mares ever owned in the stud,
and still living, are Hattie 2d 23757 and Lisette 2d
21574. They were foaled in 1899 and 1898 and are
granddaughters of Georgiana 2d and Lady Tacheau
2d respectively; they are both by Confident; both

308 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

liave been unusual brood mares. Details concerning
their records will be given later.

Ohio Breeders. — Altliougli none of the breeders
in Ohio bred enough colts to be included among the
first 20 breeders of the United States during this
period, there were a number of small breeders wdio
bred some excellent Percherons. Jones Bros, were
the leaders, and Samuel Kendeigh, M. V. Bates,
E. J. Condit, C. DeLano and J. M. Carr also bred a
goodly number.

Jones Bros. — The firm of Jones Bros., Plain City,
O., consisted of Albert and C. M. Jones, sons of
Thomas Jones, whose early operations have already
been discussed. The active direction of aifairs rested
with C. M. Jones. He had been associated in the
business with his father since 1864, but bred and
recorded a few animals of his own from 1878 on. In
1883 Thomas Jones discontinued operations and the
horses passed to the sons. Thomas Jones bred 3,
C. M. Jones 6, and Jones Bros. 31 during this period
— a total of 40 Percherons from the one farm.

The Jones farm, on which Percherons have been
bred since 1864, in the hands of two generations, is
located at the edge of Plain City. It is not large
and there never were more than 10 mares of produc-
ing age kept at one time. The development of this
stud and its maintenance on the one farm in an
unbroken line for 42 years (1864 to 1916) is particu-
larly interesting and significant to other fanners
who desire to breed a few good Percherons in the
course of their ordinary farming operations. Much

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OP THE PERIOD 309

of the time tlie number of producing mares was less
than 10. The number of colts raised and recorded
annually varied from 1 to 7.

A good foundation for the stud had been laid
by Thomas Jones. Rose 604 and 3 of her daughters,
all by Normandy 351, had been bred to Ajax 5, and
from this foundation some excellent females were
produced. Between the time when Ajax dropped out
and the purchase of Greluchet 11333 (21165) in 1889
the firm had no stallion of consequence; the best
mares were bred to horses owned by other parties.
Napoleon 328, Valor 951, Mignon 6090 (2894), Lion
273, and L'Ami 6239 (1649) were among the sires
so used.

Lion was one of the best of these stallions. He
was owned by W. H. Case & Co. at Delaware. This
horse was a gray, about 16.2 hands high and weighed
between 1,800 and 1,900 pounds in breeding condi-
tion. He was a well-balanced horse of drafty pat-
tern, good in the underpinning and with proper
action. His best son, Martell 2491, bred by the
Joneses, was out of Norma 1779, a daughter of Ajax.
Martell was sold as a yearling in 1883 for $500. His
purchaser, J. P. Thompson, kept and used him till
1888, when he won the silver cup at the Ohio State
Fair for the best Percheron stallion bred in Ohio.
He was sold immediately afterward to a man near
Cleveland for $2,000, but sired no purebred colts
after leaving Thompson's ownership.

Mignon, commonly known as "Mingo Chief," was
another good sire used in Delaware county and pat-

310 A HISTORY OF THIi PERCHERON HORSE

ronized by Jones Bros. They raised 4 good colts
sired by him. This sire appears to have left an
unusually good lot of colts. He was a black, foaled
in 1880, and imported in 1884 by J. G. Kemp. He
was sold in 1888 to Charles McCurdy, who appar-
ently managed to acquire several of the best sires
used in Ohio at this period. Mignon was a big,
thick horse of excellent proportions and good qual-
ity. He was a grandson of Brilliant 1899 through
Bon Espoir 1270 (753), and adds more luster to
the fame of the Brilliant strain.

L'Ami was owned by parties at Cardington, 0. Mr.
Jones sent some mares to be bred to him and among
the colts obtained Austerlitz 9145. This horse was
a gray, out of the mare Clio 2496. He was a high-
class individual and stood for years in the vicinity
of Delaware, 0., where Mr. Jones sold him. He
proved an extremely valuable stud horse, a getter of
excellent geldings that were real market-toppers, and
he got a few good purebred colts as well. The mare
that is now considered the most valuable brood mare
in Delaware county, Delia 65193, was sired by
Austerlitz and her dam was by Martell 2491.

Greluchet was the first sire of note bought by the
Jones firm after the death of Ajax. He was imported
l>y Mark AV. Dunham as a yearling in 1889 and was
selected by C. M. Jones immediately after his impor-
tation as the best colt out of 19 yearling sons of Bril-
liant 3d. He was about 16.3 hands high and weighed
about 1,900 pounds in fair breeding condition. In
color he was black with a small star. Greluchet was

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 311

well-balanced, with extra good feet and legs; he had a
typical Percheron head, good neck and sloping shoul-
ders; he was deep-bodied and massive, strong in back
and loin, with a fairl}^ level cronp and heavily-
muscled hindquarters. He had quality and much
style and action. He was used in the Jones stud
from 1890 till 1898. A discussion of liis get will be
taken up later.

In the 20 years from 1880 to 1900 no mares save
those of their own breeding were used in the Jones
stud, with one exception. One mare, and only one
was bought. The mares used were all of one founda-
tion family and what outside blood was infused came
through the sires. The foundation matrons were
good and as a result some extra good brood mares
were developed in the stud. Eose 604 was the real
foundation mare. She had three daughters, Maggie
578, Belle 522 and Dido 539, foaled in 1869, 1870 and
1871 respectively. All were by Normandy 351. Belle
proved decidedly the best of the three, individually
and as a brood mare. She was a well-proportioned
mare of good quality and was noted for her fiery
temperament. Norma 1779 and Alice 1781 were her
two best daughters; both were by Ajax. She pro-
duced 10 colts of record in 14 years.

Belle, Norma, Alice, Clio 2496, Grisette 1778,
Helena 1786 and Littie 1785 were the real producers
in this stud during the '80 's, and most of the good
things bred on this stock farm have descended
through some of these dams. Norma, Alice and
Grisette were the most valuable brood mares. They

312 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

were regular producers, raising 9, 9 and 7 colts of
record respectively, besides some that were cas-
trated or that died before being recorded. Besides
this, their colts were good in type, size and quality
and sold for good prices, especially Norma 's colts.
Martell 2491 was the best colt she raised during the
time mentioned. Alice produced Clio, the dam of the
good stock horse Austerlitz, already considered.

No showing of any consequence was practiced by
the Joneses during this period, although the firm did
win second at the Ohio State Fair in 1888 on Druid
in the yearling stallion class. A few sales were made,
but they were scattered.

Samuel Kendeigh. — Samuel Kendeigh began in a
small way in 1884, and continued breeding Percher-
ons till 1900. Buckeye Mark 4666 was the only ani-
mal of note bred by him during the earlier period of
his work. This horse was out of Veranda 2747
(1571) and sired by Brilliant 1271. Buckeye Mark
developed into a very good individual and was used
for some time at the head of the stud. He was shown
at the Ohio State Fair in 1888, where he won second
in the regular class for three-year-old stallions.

Mr. Kendeigh 's operations were enlarged after
this, and there are 18 colts of record bred and raised
by him up to 1890. His foundation stock was prac-
tically all drawn from Mark W. Dunham of Oak-
lawn Farm.

M. V. Bates. — Capt. M. V. Bates, a giant in stature,
who at one time turned his size to cash account with
the Barnum shows, established a Percheron stud on

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 313

his farm near Seville, 0., a short distance from Mr.
Kendeigh's. Capt. Bates also secured his foundation
stock, a stallion and 3 mares, from M. W. Dunham.
Bates' operations began in 1884 and continued till
1900. He achieved no special success, and the horses
he had were smaller than modem-type Percherons,
but he did aid in distributing and popularizing Per-
cherons in Ohio. Twelve colts of record were raised
by 1890. His sales were chiefly local.

E. J. Condit. — Located at Condit, Delaware Co.,
0., E. J. Condit was one of the earliest of the Ohio
breeders. His operations were on a small scale.
Although he began in 1882, he had raised by 1890
only 11 colts of his own breeding. Thirty-nine colts
were bred and raised during the next decade.

Iowa's Percheron Breeders. — A. W. Cook, Charles
City, la., has the honor of having been the first man
to take an imported Percheron to Iowa. This was
the stallion Duke of Normandy (John Sheridan) 168.
The horse was bought by Cook in 1869 from Peter
Bland, Milford Center, 0., where he had been in
service one year. Cook kept him till 1874, when he
sold him in March to Jacob Erb & Co., Ames, la.,
where he died the following August. Mr. Cook also
has the honor of breeding the first Percheron of
record in Iowa. Three mares were bought by him
from B. H. Campbell of Illinois early in 1875. These
mares raised fillies foaled in 1876, and it is from
this date that Percheron breeding in Iowa starts.

Only 6 American-bred Percherons were raised in
Iowa up to 1880, but operations expanded rapidly.

314 A IIISTOUY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Before 1890 951 stallions and 123 mares were im-
ported directly to Iowa, and Iowa farmers proved
to be liberal buyers of the best horses brought over
by importers located in other states. As a conse-
quence, Percheron breeding was so increased that
132 stallions and 160 mares, bred in Iowa, were
raised by 1890, and the distribution of both mares
and stallions was more general in this state than in
any other except Illinois.

Mr. Cook's purchases were made in France and
from Degen Bros, and B. H. Campbell of Illinois.
W. W. & Al Power of Pulaski, la., who were, next
to Cook, the earliest Percheron breeders in the state,
obtained their foundation stock from the Dillons of
Normal, 111.

Iowa Breeders of the '80's. — Altogether there were
66 breeders of Percherons in Iowa during this time,
but nearly all owned only a few head. The leading
breeders in the state, so far as number of animals
bred is concerned, were Singmaster & Sons, J. H.
Barnett, John Lenhart, D. M. Baughman, D. Brown-
son & Sons, P. P. & L. li. Humbert and M. L. Ay res,
but there were men of real metal among the smaller
breeders whose stock has since come into prominence.

Maplehurst Stock Farm. — On the fertile prairies
near Keota, la., Samuel Singmaster had located in
1843. His sons, William and Charles F., grew into
the business with him and ])y 1874 the family was
])ossessed of extensive holdings of good Iowa land.
William, a bachelor, was the most keenly interested
in horses and prevailed upon his father to finance

\ C.R. Coleman ]^[ c/. O.Smmaster \

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 315

an importation in 1875. The horses were selected
by William Singmaster, but the business was
handled under the name of Singmaster & Sons. Four
Percheron stallions constituted the first importation.
No more were brought over until 1883 and 1884,
when other importations, including both mares and
stallions, were made. Percheron breeding by this
firm really started in 1885. Two colts of their own
breeding were raised in 1886, 2 more in 1887, 12 in
1888, and by 1890 14 stallions and 27 mares of their
own breeding had been produced.

Eomer 7596 (7471) and Francillon 9842 (10428)
were the most important sires used and were im-
ported in 1887 and 1888 respectively. Both were
horses of showyard caliber, and both won first hon-
ors in class at the Iowa State Fair. Due Doudaville
2d 11695 (12685), imported in 1889, was another
good horse, champion at the Iowa State Fair in 1890,
and extensively used in the stud during the next
decade.

J. H. Bamett. — J. H. Barnett, of Indianola, la.,
was one of the earliest of Iowa's Percheron breeders,
beginning in 1883. He did not own many Percher-
ons and raised only 15 of his own breeding by 1890,
but his horses were good in type, and he won a num-
ber of prizes in the open classes at the Iowa State
Fair in 1885, '86, '87, '88, '89 and '90. He contrib-
uted materially to the popularity of Percherons in
the central part of Iowa, and encouraged many other
breeders to make a start with Percherons.

Other Breeders. — D. M. Baughman, Pulaski, la.,

316 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHEKON HORSE

John Lenliart, Clarksville, la., the Humberts of
Corning, la., and M. L. Ayres, Shenandoah, la., all
made a beginning in Percheron breeding in the late
'80 's, but had no more than made a fair start by
the end of the ei^oeh we are considering.

Further Consideration of Illinois. — Lest it be
thought that Illinois is receiving undue attention, it
must again be noted that more than one-third of all
of the breeders in the United States up to 1890 were
located in that state. We have now to deal with
the operations of men who although not among the
leaders in the state were nevertheless men of influ-
ence in Percheron affairs.

Leander J. McCormick, for many years in active
charge of the McCormick reaper interests, retired
from active business about 1885. He shortly after-
ward purchased 250 acres near Lake Forest, 111., a
short distance north of Chicago. He soon added
200 acres more and set out to develop a stock-farm.
Jersey and Brown Swiss cattle were imported. . Per-
cherons were selected as the breed of horses best
suited to Mr. McCormick 's ideas of American needs,
and the stud was founded by direct importations.

Accompanied by his son, R. Hall McCormick, who
had inherited a love for good horses, L. J. McCor-
mick went to France in 1887. Eighteen animals were
selected. Martignac (10-437) was chosen as the best
two-year-old obtainable in the Perche, and was
bought from M. Tacheau at a very long price. He
Avas up'on importation renamed Reaper 8076 (Mar-
tignac 10437) and so appears in the Percheron rec-

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 317

ords in America. Fourteen head more were im-
ported in 1888. Twenty-eight of the 32 head were
mares. Twelve stallions and an equal number of
mares were bred and raised by the Messrs. Mc-
Cormick by 1890 inclusive.

Reaper was by Confident 3647 (397), one of Bril-
liant 1271 's greatest sons, and was one of the best
of his time. He stood about 17.1 hands high,
weighed more than 2,100 pounds, and was a big, mas-
sive black, with great draft character. He had a
very good head, a well-set neck and excellent under-
pinning. The mares were a fairly good lot, but not
so outstanding as the sire. No sales were made at
this time. The influence of this stud on others will
be dealt with later.

Pre-eminence of McLean Co., 111. — By 1890 Illinois
had 203 American breeders of Percherons. Forty-
four of these were in McLean, 20 in La Salle, 10 in
Dupage, 8 in Tazewell, 8 in Woodford and 8 in De-
Kalb counties. McLean county alone had more
breeders than any state except the three leaders.

The leadership of the counties in the north-central
part of Illinois in Percheron breeding, which has
continued down to the present day, warrants a con-
sideration of the underlying factors. The counties
nearer to Chicago have from early days borne the
brand of the dairy interests. Fanners within 50
miles were influenced in numerous ways to engage
in dairying. Fanns were given up largely, or
wholly, to this industry and there was no room for
horses, other than those actually required. Tlie

318 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

dairyman, accustomed to a pay check every month,
was not favorable to an investment which might
not return dividends for 3 or 4 years. For these
reasons the spread of Percheron breeding in coun-
ties near Chicago was slow.

In McLean, La Salle, Woodford and Tazewell
counties other conditions prevailed. Farms were
large and the land well adapted to heavy machinery
and draft horses. Beef cattle and hog-raising were
the main lines of live stock production. Farmers
were accustomed to making good-sized investments
and waiting a year or two for returns. They were,
on the average, wealthier than the dairy farmers
around Chicago.

Besides these general factors, the human equa-
tion had some bearing. The leading importers in
northern Illinois, Mark W. Dunham and W. L. Ell-
wood, had by unusual advertising built up a nation-
wide business. Buyers came from all states. These
importers were therefore largely independent of
local trade. In central Illinois there were a large
number of small importers, who lacked the nation-
wide advertising and showring prestige requisite to
making sales far from home. Their trade was there-
fore largely local. The result was that more fanners
were induced to make purchases than would have
been the case had the local field been less thor-
oughly worked. The advantages of using Percher-
ons became so evident that more farmers invested
and McLean, La Salle, Livingston, Tazewell, Iro-
quois, Woodford, and McDonough counties rapidly

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 319

developed the leading Percheron breeding district
of the United States.

William Hurt, whose operations as a Percheron
breeder began in 1882, probably bred more high-
class Percherons than any other breeder in McLean
county. His foundation stock was obtained from
the Dillons, and he secured in Powerful 6670 (Bay-
ard 7519) one of the best sires ever used in central
Illinois. Powerful was foaled in 1878 and imported
in 1882 by Dillon Bros. He was a gray, about 17
hands high and w^eighed more than a ton — a. mas-
sive, well-proportioned draft horse. He was a
grandson of Favori 1st (711), one of the best and
largest horses of his time. Powerful was purchased
almost immediately after importation by Hurt and
was owned by him till February, 1898, when he
was sold conditionally to A. L. Robison, Sr., who
used him till his death in 1905 at the ripe age of 27
years.

The colts sired by Powerful had size and good
underpinning. Loiret 8181, one of his sons bred by
Hurt, won first at the Illinois State Fair in 1888.
Capsheaf 16986 was another of Powerful 's sons of
showyard character, and he was valued most highly
as a sire of market horses. Levetta P. 10285 and
Christina P. 16608 were two of his daughters that
proved to be show mares and remarkable producers.
These were all bred by William Hurt, and his sound
judgment of what constituted merit in a draft horse
made him one of the most influential breeders of
his time. He exhibited freely, but chiefly at local

320 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

shows in central Illinois. The winnings of Percher-
ons bred by Mr. Hurt influenced general Percheron
operations most favorably, because the animals he
won on were the right kind — drafty, well-balanced
and far better than the average in feet and legs.
They were the durable, long-lived Percherons that
continued sound to death and their descendants have
done well wherever owned.

Mr. Hurt took his sons into business with him
after 1890. The sale of stock to other studs will
be dealt with in considering the later work of the
firm.

Ed. Hodgson of El Paso, Zimri Hodgson of Healey,
S. N. King of Bloomington, five different members
of the Stubblefield family of Bloomington, F, F.
Elder and W. M. Bright of Normal, and D. H. Van-
dolali were other prominent breeders before 1890.
Vandolah imported a great many Percherons as
weanlings and carried them for a year or two on
his farms. He is commonly accredited with having
made more money in the importing business than any
other man in the county. S. N. King bred King's
Europe 8258, foaled in 1885. This horse was a good
one, a prize-winner and a sire of merit, but his
colts, like many of those of the Extrador 4525 (386)
breeding, w^ere rather hard feeders. Mr. King also
used Bendago 11807, owned by Mr. Hanna, and Dave
P. 14366, a son of Powerful bred by Mr. Hurt, in
Ms stud. He bred some excellent horses.

A well-informed horseman has declared that Zimri
Hodgson bred better horses than any other member

[ WfUMurt j ^ '. C.W.Huvt J

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 321

of that family. He influenced Perclieron breeding
very favorably, for his horses were of real merit.

G. W. Stubblefield was the leading importer among
the men of that name in McLean county, and many
of the studs in central Illinois were founded on pur-
chases made from him. His early operations as an
importer have already been discussed. His breeding
operations were incidental, for he was primarily an
importer and dealer. Eight stallions and 10 mares
are on record as bred by him from 1881 to 1890. He
had but 5 or 6 mares, of which Queen of the West
598 proved the most valuable. Henry Abrahams 224
was one of his best sires — an extremely prepotent
horse that influenced the grade stock of McLean
county quite strongly. St. Hilaire 3911 (2965), an-
other good stock horse, left more purebred descen-
dants; he was a well-balanced, massive horse weigh-
ing about a ton, and left some very good stock.

In Tazewell. — In Tazewell Co., 111., Percheron
breeding was started by the importations made by
J. W. Richmond. These horses went to William R.
Baldwin and others about Delavan, 111. Baldwin also
bought some horses from Mr. Ellwood, among them
Jambe d 'Argent 5796 (8233), a black horse of Favori
1st (711) breeding. This horse proved to be extra
good and did much good in Tazewell county. Romeo
12725, later used at the head of Wm. Hurt & Sons'
stud, was bred by Baldwin and was by this sire.

D. H. & F. S. Allen started in 1888 and have never
been out of Percheron breeding. R. A. Brawner,
an uncle of the Aliens, was in on their first importa-

322 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

tioii, and bred a few during the following 20 years.
In La SaJle.— In La Salle Co., Ill, M. C. Hodgson
and W. E. Pricliard, the leaders, have already been
discussed. Richard Wolf began in 1882 and bred
some good Percherons, though his operations were
limited. R. Nagle & Sons, Grand Ridge, 111., in 1883
bought some of the best mares Mark W. Dunham
imported and secured Confident 3647 (397), the son
of Brilliant 1271. Mr. Nagle later bought some of
Mr. Ellwood's best mares. Confident was a show
horse in every sense of the word and a sire of the
top rank. Had the members of this finn developed
the colts and advertised the stock they Avould have
been among the leading American breeders; they
were poor feeders and bad caretakers, however, and
the colts were stunted in growth and the stock was
never in fit shape for show or sale. The real worth
of the blood manifested itself whenever animals
bred by Nagle & Sons were given a fair chance, and
every man W'ho has been interviewed who bought
stock of this breeding declared that the animals
grew out and developed into marvelously good draft
horses; but the profit went to the purchaser instead
of to the breeder, as the animals were so rough and
stunted while in the hands of the breeders that no
one could be persuaded to pay a decent price for
them. It is most unfortunate that conditions devel-
oped as they did; but R. Nagle was old and within a
few years after starting could not give the horses the
attention they deserved. The sons could not be
made to realize the need of developing the colts.

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 323

The net eoiise(]iieiice was tliat a stud founded on good
horses of good breeding exerted less than one-tenth
the influence it shonhl have had in upbuilding* draft
horse breeding, and all for the lack of proper feed
and care.

Other Minnesota Breeders. — Besides the leading
breeders in Minnesota, whose work has already been
discussed, there were a number of less prominent
men who bred and distributed much valuable stock.
The most important of these were J. E. Wilson,
James M. Dunn, William Mies & Sons, and T. L. &
J. L. DeLancey.

J. E. Wilson was the founder of Wilson Bros., well-
known clothing manufacturers of Chicago. He had
about 16,000 acres of land around Lake Wilson, Minn.
He Avas engaged in general farming and stock-rais-
ing and became interested in Percherons about 1886.
His foundation stock consisted of mares bought from
Dunham and Ell wood. Kleber 7063 (10270), a son
of the noted Geroine 3655 (436), was the most im-
])ortant early sire used. A little later Mr. Wilson
obtained some mares from Mark M. Coad, either
directly or through Mr. Ellwood. His real interest
in the breed and his appreciation of the value of
good sires are shown by the fact that he shipped
a number of mares to Oaklawn to be bred to Bril-
liant 1271 at a time when the service fee for that
sire was $200. Five colts were obtained, all foaled
in 188S.

Mr. Wilson's plans were broken by his death
earlv in the '90 's. The widow carried the stock

324 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

along for a time until prices improved, bnt disposed
of it all by 1900. Some of the animals were sold in
Montana.

William Mies & Sons began by purchasing Bap-
tiste 3064 (41) from Leonard Johnson in 1886. This
was an extraordinarily good horse, fully described
in our discussion of Leonard Johnson's work. The
Mieses had no Percheron mares at this time, but
imported some in 1887 and 1888, and bred very good
ones. The firm later became Mies Bros. Their Per-
cheron breeding ceased about 1900. The stock was
scattered, but did substantial service in a general
way.

James M. Dunn was a small breeder who began
about 1886. Most of his stock was secured from
Leonard Johnson. He bred but few animals.

T. L. & J. L. DeLancey made their start in 1874
by buying 2 grade Percheron stallions and several
mares in Kane Co., 111. These were all sired by Suc-
cess 452, Mark W. Dunham's first sire, and had the
smooth finish and symmetry which marked all his
colts. The stallions were sold at good prices. The
mares were kept and bred to Leonard Johnson 's im-
ported stallions. The stallions resulting were sold
profitably as grade Percherons, and the mares were
kept for breeding purposes. In 1878 the firm pur-
chased an imported stallion from Leonard Johnson,
and subsequently began dealing in stallions to some
extent. When Mr. Ellwood started the DeLanceys
began making some purchases from him and con-
tinued purchasing sale stock from both Ellwood and

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 325

Johnson nntil importations were made direct by the
firm in 1888. Their Percheron breeding began with
the purchase of a carload of mares from Ellwood
in 1885. Superieur 5752 (2188) was the first sire used
and the first Percheron bred by this finn was foaled
in 1887. Six colts were bred by 1890; while many
mares were purchased or imported, most of them
were soon sold. The DeLanceys exhibited freely at
the Minnesota State Fair in the '80 's with marked
success, but as their chief work came after 1890
details will be given later.

Other Breeders in Wisconsin. — While Messrs.
Pabst and Kellogg, whose w^ork has already been
dealt with, were the chief Badger State breeders,
there were others whose Percheron breeding was
important. Among these were H. A. Babcock of
Neenah, H. A. Briggs of Delavan and Elkhorn, N. W.
Morley of Baraboo, Peter Truax of Eau Claire and
J. M. White of Rolling Prairie.

H. A. Babcock was a wealthy lumberman wdth
extensive land interests near Neenah, Wis. He was
a man of more than average ability, and before
engaging in Percheron breeding had an extensive
experience in purchasing horses for use in lumber
camps. His keen observation of the essential points
of a draft horse, gained through years of purchase
and ownership of heavy draft teams engaged in such
heavy hauling, made him an unusually discriminat-
ing judge. His first Percheron purchases from M.
W. Dunham were marked by the men connected with
Oaklawn because of the excellence of the animals

326 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

bought. He began in 1880, but did not breed many
until after 1884. All told 13 stallions and 15 mares
were bred and raised by him in 1890. One of the
best early sires used by Mr. Babcock was Canadien
7033 (6653), a gray son of the noted Voltaire 3540
( 443 ) . He was a medium-sized horse, standing about
16.2 hands high and weighing about 1,900 pounds
when in good flesh. He was compact and well-pro-
portioned and a very good sire. Sansonnet was
used still earlier and sired the phenomenal show and
brood mare Linda 12986. This mare, bred by Mr.
Babcock, made most of her record in the hands of
Oaklawn Farm, and her history has already been
given. The greatest sire ever used was Villers
13169 (8081), of which more anon. Relatively few
animals were sold by Mr. Babcock before 1890.
Further discussion of his work will come later.

H. A. Briggs, who bred and raised 17 Percherons
on Prairie View Farm by 1890, began breeding
about 1886. He bought some mares from R. B.
Kellogg, and made an importation himself in 1887.
His farm consisted of 420 acres between Elkhom
and Delavan — a very good farm of dark prairie
loam. Mr. Briggs worked his mares as much as the
amount of work to be done would permit, and states
that the mares which had a moderate amount of
work gave him better results than the idle mares
did. The largest number of producing mares kept
at any one time was 25. A smaller number was
usually owned. The first and best sire used was
Louis 6337 (2430), a black with a star. He was

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OP THE PERIOD 327

about 17 hands high and weighed 2,150 pounds in
show condition. He was fairly well-proportioned
and very good in action. He won first as an aged
stallion at the Wisconsin State Fair in 1892, and
was also first in the class for get-of-sire. He won
second in the same classes at the Minnesota State
Fair the same year. His colts were large and of
rugged draft type.

N. W. Morley, Baraboo, Wis., began in 1886 by
purchasing some Percherons from M. W. Dunham.
By 1890 he had bred and raised 5 stallions and 8
mares, and his operations, while not extensive, were
with good stock. Eavenstein 1301, sired by Bril-
liant 1899 out of a half-sister to his own (Bril-
liant's) dam, was the first sire used. He left some
good colts and the best one Morley ever raised, Sadi
8233, a stallion, was sired by Eavenstein out of
Florentine 969 (875). Bon Coeur 3479 (367) was an^
other good sire used to some extent at an early date.
He was a line-bred Brilliant, sired by Brilliant 1271
out of a daughter of Brilliant 1899. His colts were
uniform and a good kind.

Other Michigan Breeders. — Mr. Palmer's work,
already reviewed, was supplemented by the work of
27 other Michigan breeders. Among the most prom-
inent were Savage & Famum of Grosse Isle, Jacob
P. Sleight of Bath, and E. Woodman of Paw Paw.

Savage & Farnum were advertising agents, en-
gaged in placing advertising in leading papers
throughout the country. They had a farm on an
island in the river below Detroit and here they

328 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

established Grosse Isle Stock Farm. Their founda-
tion stock was obtained from M. W. Dunham and
John W. Akin, and they subsequently made some
scattering purchases and still later bought a num-
ber from Thomas W. Palmer. The Percheron breed-
ing operations of this finn began in 1884. By 1890
they bred and raised 23 stallions and 19 mares. The
most noted stallion they owned at this time was
Romulus 873, imported in 1879 by Mark W. Dunham
and sold that year to H. Walker & Son of Detroit.
Romulus was a gray, foaled in 1873, and had the
distinction of having won first in the aged stallion
class at the Universal Exposition at Paris in 1878.
He was about 16.1 hands high and weighed about
1,700 pounds in breeding condition, but was an extra-
ordinary show horse in every way — beautifully bal-
anced, with superb style, finish and action. He was
an extremely prepotent sire and some of the best
horses imported in the early '80 's were by him. He
sired but ten purebred colts in America, which were
bred by Dunham (1) and Hiram Walker & Son (9),
Too much showyard fitting apparently interfered
with his usefulness, for he got no purebred colts for
Savage & Farnum.

An item of interest in connection with the opera-
tions of Savage & Farnum is the fact that among
their importations was the stallion Sebastopol 5272
(7043), later famous as the sire of Armour's Big
Jim, four times champion gelding over all breeds at
the International Live Stock Exposition. J. H. S.
Johnstone, whose persistent efforts traced Big Jim

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 329

to liis source, found that he was bred by D. C.
Graham, Cameron, 111. Sebastopol was an aged horse
when he sired the world-renowned champion, but
this performance was no fluke, as he sired many
high-class geldings that sold at good prices. It
seems unfortunate that a horse with such a record
as a gelding-getter should not have been used on
purebred mares, but so far as can be ascertained he
left but one purebred colt, the Percheron mare Sebas-
tin 17105, foaled in 1892, and she left but few colts.
The old horse was owned by B. F. Tinkham, Cam-
eron, 111., at the time he sired Big Jim.

Savage & Farnum exhibited quite freely at the
Michigan and Ohio State Fairs and with fair suc-
cess. This combined with the general advertising
done by the firm, assisted materially in popularizing
the breed in their territory.

Jacob P. Sleight, Bath, Mich., began Percheron
breeding in 1882, His first purchases were made
from M. W. Dunham, T. Hall and H. Walker & Sons.
He bred a few good colts. Abydos 960 (869), bought
from Oaklawn Farm, was his best producer.

Parsons & Baldwin, Watervliet, Mich., began in
1884, and bred 9 Percherons by 1890. They began
with the purchase of Floreda 1490 (1433) and her
daughter Flora 2964, sired by Brilliant 1271. These
were secured from M. W. Dunham. Flora was bred
to Confident, owned by Nagle «fc Sons, in 1886, and
to this service she foaled Nancy 10089, one of the
three best mares owned by the firm during this
epoch. Floreda was undoubtedly the greatest brood

330 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

mare tlie firm ever owned; all of her colts, even
from different sires, were good. Further discussion
of the work of this fiiTQ will come later.

E. Woodman, Paw Paw, Mich., did not begin until
1888 and was but fairly started at the end of this
epoch. He raised 9 of his own breeding in 1889 and
1890. His foundation stock was drawn from the
Dunhams. Most of his work falls in the next epoch
and will be taken up later.

Other Breeders in New York. — Considering later
history it seems extraordinary that New York state
stood fourth in number of breeders during this
epoch, but such is the case. Of the 31 breeders in
the state, the leader, John W. Akin, has already been
considered. A. P. Wright of Buffalo, E. H. Geiger
of Danville, Frank B. Redfield of Batavia and B. B.
Lord & Son of Sinclairville were others whose work
helped greatly to popularize the breed in the Em-
pire State and there were many others who aided
materially in the work. Reference must be made
also to B. T. Babbit, who was one of the first, if not
the first, to breed purebred Percherons in the state
of New York.

A. P. Wright began in 1884 with a few mares and
the stallion Jucher 3512 (2142), all bought from M.
W. Dunham. His horses were well bred, but his
operations were limited and tenninated before much
had been accomplished. E. H. Geiger also obtained
Ms foundation stock from Oaklawn Farm, but his
operations were too limited to be of much conse-
quence. F. B. Redfield was engaged in breeding

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 331

purebred stock of several kinds, and made his start
in Percherons about 1886, with some purchases from
Mr. Dunham. His chief sire was the American-bred
Belidor 9520, by Brilliant 1271, an extra good colt
which we have already mentioned. Redfield bred
some good colts, but did not survive the depression
of the '90 's, closing out about 1892.

B. T. Babbitt, of New York City, millionaire soap
and saleratus manufacturer, bought 7 mares and 9
stallions from Mark W. Dunham in 1874. He was
an enthusiastic horseman, but knew little about
breeding Percherons and no special good came from
his investment except in an advertising way, al-
though some of the animals did some good in regions
where they were subsequently sold.

For some reason few of the Percherons owned in
New York state during this period have continued
their impression down to the present day. Most of
the animals were scattered and passed into the hands
of men who permitted their registration to go by
default, and their blood has gradually been swal-
lowed up in the common stock of the state.

Percheron Breeding in Pennsylvania. — Pennsyl-
vania had 23 breeders by 1890, but Powell Bros, were
the only ones whose operations were at all exten-
sive. They began breeding in 1884 and by 1890 had
bred and raised 16 stallions and 18 mares. They were
importers of and dealers in many kinds of purebred
live stock, including practically all breeds of draft
horses. J. T. Vance of Washington, J. P. Scott of
Remington, and F. M. Finley of Finleyville were

332 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

others whose Percheron studs were but fairly started
by the close of this epoch, and their operations will
be dealt with later.

Shadeland, the Powell Bros.' stock-farm, made
its start in Percherons w^hen some stallions and
mares were imported in 1884. Additional mares
were brought over in following years, and a good-
sized band of brood mares was owned from that time
on. Cresus 5435 (2513) was the most important
early sire used. He was a gray of good type, a son
of Selim (749). Noireau 5463 (1675), a gray son of
Narbonne 1334 (777) by Brilliant 1899, was the next
most important sire used. He was imported at the
same time Cresus was in 1884, but was not given any
opportunity on the purebred mares until 1888 and
later. He left some good stock. The broad basis of
operations maintained by Powell Bros, made them
distributors of a great many Percherons in the east-
ern states, but their influence on Percheron affairs
was lessened by reason of the fact that they Avere
dealers in all breeds and necessarily did not give
Percherons as strong support as would otherwise
have been the case. Their work was of far-reaching
consequence, however, and many of the Percherons
now in the eastern states trace to Shadeland Stock
Farm.

The Little Missouri Horse Co., of Meadville, Pa.,
was another company whose operations were far-
reaching in popularizing Percheron sires for breed-
ing up common grade stock. The stud was barely
started at this time, however, and the story of this

CM. North "]Xr d. H.Lee

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OP THE PERIOD 333

ranch is so fascinating in interest that it will be dealt
with in full at a later period.

Progress in Indiana. — Indiana had no outstanding
leaders and the development of Percheron aifairs in
that state was slow. S. Crmnpacker and E. F. Small
of Westville and H. Hulman of Terre Haute were the
only ones who bred more than 10 Percherons each
during the time considered. Mr. Crumpacker was
engaged in importing and raised some Percherons as
early as 1880. His operations were incidental to his
work as an importer in the firm of Crumpacker &
Winters. Mr. Small obtained his foundation stock
from this fimi. Orphan Boy 1857, imported in 1882,
was his first important sire, and he later used a good
horse called Grandee 686 (743). Grandee was a black
son of the great Favori 1st, and was a good, big
horse, like most of those of this strain. He was 16
years old when he sired his first foals for Mr. Small,
but continued in service until he was 21 years of age.
Mr. Hulman did not begin until about 1886 or 1887.
He purchased liis foundation stock from M. W. Dun-
ham.

In the Sunflower State. — To the Yankee pioneer,
Henry Avery, Wakefield, Kans., goes the honor of
having bred the first Percherons in Kansas. He had
gone into the west wdien Indians were still plentiful
and had secured extensive land holdings near the
Republican River, some 12 or 15 miles northwest of
Fort Eiley and a. short distance west of where the
Kansas Agricultural College now stands. He liked
good horses, had a genuine love for drafters, and

334 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

made his start by purchasing some stock from the
Dillons in 1877. In 1880 he bought Vidou 953 from
M. W. Dunham. A year later he bought Nyanza 869,
bred at OaklaAvn, and also bought a mare. In sub-
sequent years he made numerous purchases from Mr.
Dunham. Mr. Avery's operations expanded rapidly
and he found it advantageous to sell some of the
stallions and mares he had taken to Kansas. As a
result of increasing business he prevailed upon C. K.
Coleman, who was at that time working for M. W.
Dunham, to go to Kansas and buy one of his farms
near Wakefield for the purpose of engaging with
him in breeding and dealing in Percherons. The
firm of Avery & Coleman was accordingly formed
about 1886. Mr. Avery kept some Percherons under
his own management, however, so that from 1886 on
he had two establishments, his own and that in
which he held a partnership interest. He himself
bred 14 Percherons between 1881 and 1890, and the
firm of Avery & Coleman bred 28, making a total
of 42 head — two and a half times as many as any
other person or firm in the state. Nyanza was the
most important early sire used. Voltaire 3d 4320
(2963), a good horse sired by the noted show stallion
Voltaire 3540 (443), was another used after 1885;
he left some very good colts. Waterloo 16th 9287
(14946), imported in 1888, was another extra good
one used in the Avery stud.

The activities of Henry Avery did more for Per-
cherons at this time than those of any other breeder
in Kansas, and he is entitled to much credit for the

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 335

courage which led him to buy some excellent stal-
lions and mares and for his aggressive championship
of the Percheron cause at a time when the breed was
practically unknown to Kansas farmers. Some of his
best work came later, and will be taken up in due
course.

0. L. Thisler, Chapman, Kans., began in 1884 by
purchasing some stock from W. L. Ellwood, with
whom he continued to deal for a number of years.
He was more of a dealer than a breeder, however,
and bred but 16 head up to 1890.

William A. Pierce came nearly being the first Per-
cheron breeder in Kansas; he purchased in 1880 a
stallion and mare which had been imported in 1878
by Chas. W. Pierce of Boston. The horses were
taken to his farm at Maple Hill, where he continued
the business in a modest way, without making any
particular effort to expand his operations in this
direction.

There were 16 Kansas breeders other than those
already discussed, but most of them did not start
until 1886 or 1887 and their work was only well
started at the close of this epoch.

In Missouri. — Ethan Allen Hitchcock and William
B. Collier of St. Louis, A. F. McKee of Browning and
D. Braymer of Braymer were the leaders among the
1 8 breeders located in Missouri during this epoch.

Mr. Hitchcock was a wealthy manufacturer and
business man of St. Louis. He was splendidly edu-
cated and one of the most cultured gentlemen ever
engaged in Percheron breeding. He bought his

336 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

foundation stock from Oaklawn Farm in 1883 and the
following year lie and Mr. Collier, who was closely
allied with him in business interests, bought 15 mares
from Mark W. Dunham for $14,500. They were,
needless to say, a select band. Mr. Hitchcock also
purchased Cesar 3526 (601) from Mr. Dunham to
head the stud, paying $6,000 — a price that was prob-
ably the record at the time. Cesar was of large
size and a remarkable show horse, but hardly as
good a sire as he was an individual. Monarque 5149
(2428), a son of Brilliant 1271, was secured and used
a little later; he was a good one, standing about 16.2
hands high, deep-bodied, thick and massive, and
much on the type of his illustrious sire; he was an
exceptionally valuable stud horse, both in France and
America; one of his imported sons. Baccarat 11326
(18639), subsequently made the reputation of E. B.
Kellogg 's stud. Monarque left more and better colts
than any other horse ever used in Mr. Hitchcock's
stud, but Cesar was used to a greater extent in Mr.
Collier's stud. It is extremely unfortunate that the
pedigrees of so few of the descendants of animals
bred in these studs have been preserved to the
present day. Most of the colts raised were stallions
which went out in districts where grade mares pre-
vailed. Of the mares, the only ones which have done
much good were those which were taken to Mr. Col-
lier's western ranch at Lakeport, Cal., where a con-
siderable number were bred from this stock by Mr.
Collier and by Mrs. Wm. B. Collier. Some of the
descendants of Umi 2236, one of the foundation mares

OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OP THE PERIOD 337

bought from Mr. Dunham in 1884, are now in the
stud of William Bond, Newark, Cal.

A. F. McKee was at one time bookkeeper for Mark
W. Dunham. When he left to engage in farming in
Missouri he bought some of the Oaklawn mares and
also took a few on lease. He was not especially suc-
cessful however, and his Percherons lacked develop-
ment.

D. Braymer was a stock-farmer who bought a few
Percheix)ns from Oaklawn Farm about 1883. He
bred but few animals, but was a very good judge of
horses and his selections were above the average.
He obtained as one of his sires Luther 1272 (1384),
an extraordinarily good stock horse, but unfortun-
ately chestnut in color.

Other States. — Of progress elsewhere some de-
tails might be given, but for the most part opera-
tions had only fairly begun in the other states and
territorities at the end of this epoch. They can
more fittingly be dealt with later.

CHAPTER XI.
AN EKA OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION.

Between 1891 and 1900 the United States passed
through a period of hard times that is without par-
allel in extent and duration. All industries were af-
fected, thousands made bankrupt, and hundreds of
thousands driven to bitter extremes of poverty.
Farmers and stockmen were compelled to sell their
products for less than the cost of production,

Percheron breeding suffered in common with
other industries. The gradual tightening of loans
had curtailed importations as early as 1890 and few
horses were imported after 1891. The value of work
horses was so reduced that incentive to breed bet-
ter horses was largely lost. Good work animals
could be bought for $50 to $60; purebred mares of
all draft breeds sometimes sold as low as $100 apiece,
and stallions proportionately low. Percheron breed-
ers with well-selected studs representing an average
cost of $500 per animal or more saw their invest-
ments shrink to one-half or one-third of that value.
Many breeders held on until forced to sell; others
with independent incomes grew weary of the cost
and sold out at the bottom. Some men weathered
the storm by allowing the horses to shift for them-
selves on pasture or range till the tide turned. A

338

A PERIOD OP PROFOUND DEPRESSION 339

very few witli means and courage bred persistently
on, exercising the same careful selection of sires as
in better days.

In this period the registration of the colts pro-
duced was neglected. The American Percheron
Horse Breeders' Association recorded but 479 ani-
mals in 1894, 539 in 1895 and 392 in 1896. Only
8,807 American-bred Percherons and 1,490 imported
animals were recorded in the entire decade, or about
as many as were recorded in the single fiscal year of
1914. A large proportion of those which were re-
corded were foaled or imported before 1890. More
than 1,000 American-bred animals foaled in this
period were not placed on the records until many
years later.

The depression in value of horses was due to the
general tie-up in manufactures and in general busi-
ness which began developing about 1890. This
culminated in the panic of 1893, when the loss of
confidence among money holders was so great that
it was virtually impossible to raise money on first
farm mortgages or approved bonds. Building and
manufacturing were stagnant and prices dropped to
abnormally low levels.

The most noticeable direct etfect of all this
was a widespread distribution of Percheron mares.
Wealthy owners, lacking knowledge of and confi-
dence in the business, sold out for whatever price
could be obtained. Others, forced to sell something
to raise funds on which to live, sold all or part of
their Percherons. Prices were so low that hundreds

340 A HISTORY OF THE PEKCHERON HORSE

of farmers bought good, big mares at from $300 to
$400 per pair, or less, considering the investment
a good one when the work value alone was reckoned.
Stallion owners and dealers were pressed into service
to help sell mares on long-time notes to help relieve
men whose bands of mares constituted a heavy ex-
pense for feed and care. J. L. DeLancey, J. M.
Fletcher and other well-informed horsemen who
went through the panic agree in declaring that the
best of Percheron mares were actually bought by
farmers as low as $300 each — and this for the very
best stock. Such expansion of breeding as did occur
between 1892 and 1897 was due almost wholly to
sacrifice of valuable Percherons by men who either
had to sell or who became panic-stricken. From
1897 on there was some improvement in prices and a
gradual awakening of interest. It was slight, how-
ever, as is abundantly attested by the lack of interest
in the breeding classes at the first International Live
Stock Exposition in 1900.

What the Figures Show. — In 1890 there were 593
breeders of Percherons in the United States; by 1900
the number had increased to 1,634. Illinois came
first with 547 breeders; Iowa second with 204; Ohio
third with 146; Minnesota fourth with 124; Wiscon-
sin fifth with 83; Kansas sixth with 72; Indiana
seventh with 64; Michigan eighth with 53; Nebraska
ninth with 48, and South Dakota tenth with 47. The
remaining 246 breeders were scattered through 24
states and territories, so that more than four-fifths
of all the Percheron breeders in the United States

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 341

were located in the territory of the Mississippi and
Missouri valleys. Nearly half of them were in the
states of Illinois and Iowa, which explains why these
two states now contribute 42 percent of all Perclie-
rons bred in America.

One hundred and fifty-nine mares were imported
and 114 bred in America between 1871 and 1880;
2,566 were imported and 2,089 bred in America be-
tween 1881 and 1890. Roughly speaking, there were
approximately 5,000 Percheron mares available in
1891, yet in the decade we are considering only 4,897
stallions and 4,990 mares, eventually recorded, were
foaled, and more than 1,000 of these were not re-
corded until long after the close of the decade. The
total number of recorded American-bred Percherons
produced in the 10 years was but 9,887, or an average
of less than two colts per mare in 10 years for the
Percheron mares owned by breeders in 1891. In
view of the fact that mares in farmers' hands will
noiTnally ave^^age two colts every three years it is
evident that there was enormous waste of Percheron
resources during this period. The mares averaged
but one colt each five years. What actually occurred
was refusal or neglect of farmers and breeders to
breed their mares, and the castration of purebred
stallion colts. Besides, hundreds of mares were sold
without registration, for work purposes only, and all
traces of them were subsequently lost.

Incalculable damage to constmctive breeding of
Percherons resulted from the stagnation. Carefully
selected brood mares, which had been well cared for

342 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

and mated to stallions whose individuality and
breeding were such as to warrant confidence in good
results, passed into the hands of men who were in-
competent judges either of individual horses or of
bloodlines. A large proportion of the new owners
were poor caretakers and without knowledge re-
garding the feeding and development of purebred
horses. Their ignorance damaged the breed. Good
Percheron mares were mated to stallions that were
unfit to be used. Bad breeding was followed by
worse feeding. Feed was low in price, but money
was hard to get, and the feed given to horses was
looked upon as largely lost. The result was that
most Percherons had to survive on pasture, straw,
some hay and a veiy little grain. The best live stock
in the world will be dwarfed and injured in confor-
mation under such conditions.*

That Percherons did survive and steadily increase
in popularity speaks volumes for the hardiness,
adaptability and easy-keeping qualities of the
breed. The injury done to intelligent breeding opera-
tions had some compensations: it placed Percherons
in the hands of hundreds of farmers who bought
them at low prices and became cognizant of their
many sterling qualities by actual experience under
adverse conditions.

OaJclawn Farm. — Under Mr. Dunham's capable
management Oaklawn Farm continued its leadership

*For conclusive resuUs regarding injury to conformation of
animals throug'ti starvation or semi-starvation rations, see pub-
lished reports of work done by Dr. H. J. Waters at the Missouri
and Kansas Experiment Stations.

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 348

in Perclieron affairs throughout the hard times.
Some importations were made each year up to 1893,
and while many mares were sold, the number kept
at Oaklawn was considerable. Approximately 200
mares were owned and kept at Oaklawn or were out
on lease during '91 and '92. A good many were
sold in '92 and '93, so that the mares on hand on
July 1, 1893, totaled but 115 head. On July 1, 1897,
there were 133 and on May 21, 1901, 89 head. The
number of colts bred, raised and subsequently record-
ed was as follows, by years: 1891, 30 stallions and
23 mares; 1892, 32 stallions and 29 mares; 1893, 21
stallions and 25 mares; 1894, 10 stallions and 16
mares; 1895, 13 stallions and 12 mares; 1896, 21 stal-
lions and 15 mares; 1897, 23 stallions and 19 mares;
1898, 26 stallions and 35 mares; 1899, 15 stallions
and 14 mares; 1900, 25 stallions and 7 mares — a total
of 216 stallions and 204 mares for the decade. It is
interesting to note that although in some particular
years one sex greatly outnumbered the other, the
total for the 10 years is nearly the same for each sex.

The chief sires used at Oaklawn in this period
were as follows: Brilliant 1271 (755), in 1891 and
1892 (he died early in 1893); Marathon 11410
(10386), for the season of 1890 only; Brilliant 3d
11116 (2919), in 1891 and 1892; Aiglon 13145
(8187), in the years from 1892 to 1896; Introuvable
16875 (24146) from 1893 to 1896; and Villers 13169
(8081) from April 19, 1897, to March 15, 1900.

Brilliant 3d.— Next to Brilliant 1271, Brilliant 3d
was the greatest of this group of great sires. He

344 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

was foaled in 1884 and won the highest honors at
the annual show held by the Societe Hippique Per-
cheronne de France in 1888. He was bought for
Oaklawn early in 1889 by James M, Fletcher, who
did all of Mr. Dunham's buying in France from
1887 on. At the time of his purchase, he was con-
sidered the greatest Percheron in France, individual-
ly and as a sire, and the showyard records of win-
nings during the past 20 years confirm the estimate
which Mr. Fletcher and the leading French breeders
placed on him. More prize-winners trace to Brilliant
3d than to any other horse used in France or Amer-
ica since 1886. Individually Brilliant 3d was
medium-sized, standing about 16.3 hands and weigh-
ing a little over a ton in show condition. He was
well-balanced, massive in build, with heavy bone of
the best (luality, and was excellent in action. In
all-around individual excellence he stands among
the greatest of the breed. He made three seasons in
France, 1886, '87 and '88, and probably sired a few
foals in 1889 before being imported. His colts were
noted for their unusually high-class type, and it is
believed that no sire used in the Percheron breed
ever begot so large a proportion of valuable colts
and so few inferior ones.

Plans had been made at Oaklawn to show Brilliant
3d in 1889 at the Chicago Horse Show, and Mr. Dun-
ham intended to drive home at this show the value
of Brilliant blood by showing four generations —
Brilliant 1271, Fenelon, Brilliant 3d and 19 yearling
sons of Brilliant 3d imported at the same time. An

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 345

unfortunate experiment resulted in an extremely
acute founder which nearly resulted in the death of
Brilliant 3d and he was ruined for use in the show-
yard.* He gradually recovered, although he was un-
fit for stud use for two years. Some colts were sired
by him in 1891 and 1892, 15 in all, at Oaklawn, but
he was so badly crippled that Mr. Dunham desired
to be rid of him. He was accordingly sold on Dec.
20, 1892, to Avery & Coleman, Wakefield, Kans.,
where he was used for three years and then dropped
from sight.

In spite of his foundered condition, the colts sired
by Brilliant 3d were good, both at Oaklawn and in
Kansas. All of those sired at Oaklawn were blacks
or grays, but more than half of those sired in Kansas
were off-colors — bays, browns and sorrels. The off-
colors were clearly due to the dams, however, as 10
out of the 11 off-colored colts were out of top-cross
mares, bred up and recorded by Mr. Avery from
some grade mares he bought of the Dillons in 1878.
The sorrel and bay colors were so strongly fixed in
these dams that not even Brilliant 3d's remarkable
prepotency could entirely offset it, and he has been
unjustly faulted for siring a good many colts not of
popular colors.

The colts sired by Brilliant 3d at Oaklawn were
developed and sold at high prices, those on which

*Anxiety to have Brilliant 3cl in the best possible condition
led to the use of whole milk, recommended by another breeder.
Too much was given, probably because of inexperience and tlie
greediness of the horse. The result was the most acute case of
founder ever known at Oaklawn. Heroic measures saved him, but
he was hopelessly crippled for life.

346 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

individual prices can be ascertained averaging $812
each during the time wlien extremely low prices were
the rule. The colts he begot in Kansas were not
developed, were small because stunted, and conse-
quently sold at very low prices. Despite this they
grew out and made good breeding stock, quite profit-
able to their subsequent owners. As a whole, how-
ever, the chief good done to the breed by Brilliant od
was in France, as the colts sired by him in America
were too few to make his services here especially
important. His imported descendants, however,
have exerted a profound influence on Percheron
breeding in America. He was unquestionably the
greatest sire the breed has known in the last .')0
years, when his work in both France and America
is considered, and his injury just after importation
was a great loss to Percheron breeding in this coun-
try.

Other Oaklawn Sires. — Brilliant 3d's injuries led
Mr. Dunham to use Marathon freely in 1890. Mara-
thon was foaled in 1885. He was first in the three-
year-old class at the annual show held by the Societe
Hippique Percheronne de France in 1888 and first
in the aged stallion class at that show in 1889. He
stood 17 hands high, weighed more than 2,100
pounds in show condition, and was unusual in his
muscular development and well-proportioned
througliout. He was somewhat larger and more
massive in type than Brilliant 3d, with hardly so
much finish. Both were grandsons of Brilliant 1271
— Brilliant 3d through Fenelon and Marathon

i\ FERTK 'Hi. — ri:():\r ax orn ninmnn wti at onktawx farm.

ifci ,M1dl1i?<'^ff" \^S^^W \1„,,

%>'

^^m r^m«^-^^^

■lii^.^E__Li

, ^'i^iassi? s^^H

V

1^

.i

la

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ir

POWKKFUL. 6670 (BAYABD 7519), ONE OF THE MOST NOTED SIRES EVER
USED IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THIS PICTURE TAKEN WHEN HE WAS
26 YEARS OF AGE.

A PERIOD OF PROPOUND DEPRESSION 347

through Voltaire — and both were out of daughters
of Brilliant 1899. Marathon sired colts of great uni-
formity, much after his own type. He stands seventh
among the sires in France in number of prize-win-
ning descendants at the Societe Hippique Perche-
ronne de France shows from 1901 to 1910. His colts
at Oaklawn proved to be extra good — large, heavy-
boned, well-proportioned. Before they were all
foaled, in 1891, C. P. Jones of Minneapolis, Minn.,
came to Oaklawn and secured the assistance of
James M. Fletcher in purchasing three or four car-
loads of grade draft mares in Kane and Du Page
counties. After buying the mares he went to Oak-
lawn to buy a stallion and would not be put off with
anything short of Marathon, then the best individual
in stud service. He finally bought the horse for
$3,000 cash and shipped him to Minnesota with the
grade mares. Marathon did not sire a purebred colt
after leaving Oaklawn, and his sale was undoubtedly
a serious loss to Percheron breeding interests there,
as the sale of Brilliant 3d and the death of Bril-
liant 1271 removed the only sires at all comparable
with Marathon, and his absence was keenly felt from
1893 on. In this case, as in many others where a
valuable sire is lost, the mistake was not fully real-
ized until nearly a decade had elapsed.

Introuvable 16875 (24146), champion at the Co-
lumbian Exposition in 1893, was used from 1893 to
1897. He was black without markings and a horse
of immense size, standing over 17.2 hands high and
weighing more than 2,300 pounds in show condition.

;J-i8 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

He was hardly as synutietrical as his predecessors,
and was a bit coarse; but his colts were large and
sold well, and they have bred on very satisfactorily.
Introuvable died at Oaklawn Farm on June 22,
1897.

Aiglon 13145 (8187) was nsed in the stud from
1892 to 1896 and sired more colts at Oaklawn than
any other horse used during this decade. He is gen-
erally considered the greatest son Gilbert 5154 ever
sired. His dam, Bijou (4328), was a half-sister of
La Ferte 5144. She was a very large mare, standing
about 17 hands high and weighing about 2,100
])ounds. With all her size she was a mare of unusual
finish and was one of the best mares in France dur-
ing her time. Individually Aiglon was about 16.1
hands high and weighed about 1,900 pounds. He
was of a rather bloeky type, deep-bodied, massive,
veiy heavy in muscling, and symmetrical in build.
His quality and finish were excellent, and his colts,
while not the largest, were unusually good and sold
at high prices.

La Ferte 5144, previously discussed, was used to
some extent during this time, but was out on lease
to M. 0. Brownlee, Little York, 111., in 1893. He
died in 1895.

Villers 13169 (8081) was sold to H. A. Babcock,
Neenah, Wis., and was used by him from 1890 to
1897. Mr. Dunham was so impressed with the char-
acter of his colts that he bought him back on April
19, 1897, and he was used at Oaklawn for four
seasons. He was about 17 hands in height and

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 349

weighed over 2,100 pounds in show condition. He
was an exceptional horse, fine in head with a clean-
cut neck, well set on, strong back, powerful loin,
level croup, well-set tail, heavily muscled quarters,
thighs and gaskins, deep-ribbed, round-barrelled,
extra well-set legs and good feet. He was heavy in
bone, with tendons well set back, and was extra
good in quality and action. As a sire he is out-
ranked only by Brilliant 3d and Besigue (19602) in
number of prize-winning descendants, and he un-
doubtedl}^ did more for the breed in America than
even Brilliant 3d, owing to longer and more liberal
service. He had a touch of founder at one time,
which made him a bit short in front. This was the
only thing which dissuaded A. L. Robison, Sr., Pekin,
111., from placing him at the head of the Leslie
Farm stud in 1900, and Mr. Robison recently stated
that he felt he had erred in judgment, Villers being
one of the most perfect Percheron types he had ever
seen. Villers was eventually sold to Perry & Porter-
field, Wayne, Neb., March 15, 1901, but had no chance
on purebred mares.

The most noted son of Villers was Jules (37987),
a horse that was rated as the leading sire in the
Perche between 1900 and the time of his death.

Oaklawn Mares and Colts. — Mr. Dunham persist-
ently held to his best mares, save in rare instances
when it seemed necessary to let a great brood mare
go to close the sale of a group. The most important
dams have been considered with the exception of
Bertha 5340 (7008). She was one of Oaklawn 's

350 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

i!,r('al('st (lams, a rcTiiarkable sliow mare and a j)ro-
diiccr of iiiiifonuly liig-li-class colts. She raised 9
colts of record in lo years, and James M. Fletcher
states that to the best of his recollection she pro-
dnced more dollars' worth of colts than any mare
ever used at Oaklawn. Illustre 20489 was one of
her good sons that later headed the Lakewood stud
at Rock Eapids, la.; he was sold as a two-year-ol 1
in 1899 when prices were low for $1,350.

Some other good colts bred at Oaklawn during tiiis
time and sold to head purebred studs were Aleutian
21977, foaled in 1898 and sold to the Denver Trust
tV: Warehouse Co., and Aurelian 21974, also foaled in
1898, and sold to head a stud in Minnesota.

OaMawn Sales and Leases. — Among important
sales or leases during this period were many to men
who have since become prominent Percheron breed-
ers in their respective communities. Some of the
chief ones were as follows:

W. P. Reiser, Walla Walla, Wash., on Oct. 10,
1898, bought a stallion and 2 mares.

W. F. Mixer, Painesville, 0., in 1890 and 1891,
bought a pair of mares.

0. M. Jones, Plain City, O., bought the stud sire
Moreri 16950 (40246).

John Yost <S: Son, Thorn ville, 0., in 1899, bought
6 mares and a stallion.

H. H. Lewis, Selma, Ind., in 1892 and 1893, bought
a pair of mares and a stallion; he also leased 11
mares about 1893.

Dilley Bros., Hebron, Ind., in 1890, '91 and '92,

A PERIOD OF PROPOUND DEPRESSION 351

bought a stallion and 4 mares. Thoy also had some
mares on lease.

E. J. Wigle, Kingsville, ( )iitari(), in lSi)9, l)oiight a
stallion and 3 mares.

H. G. McMillan, Eock Rapids, Ta., in 1899, bought
a stud stallion.

Willard & Fuller, Mapleton, Minn., in 1890, bought
3 stallions and 3 mares. This firm leased 2 stallions
and 10 extra good mares in 1893, and also leased
another stallion in 1894.

M. C. Brownlee, Little York, 111., about 1893, leased
the stallion T^a Ferte and 14 mares. This lease ter-
minated July 25, 1896.

A. P. Nave, Attica, Ind., leased a stallion and 11
mares in August, 1897. Tie bought a stallion and 5
mares in 1899.

W. H. Penny, Raritan, 111., bought a stallion in
each of the years 1890, '91 and '95, and 3 mares in
1891 and 1899.

W. L. Houser, Mondovi, Wis., in 1900, l)ought a
stallion and 2 mares.

G. H. & F. A. Reed, Lilylake, 111., in 1897 bought
a pair of mares, and in 1898 bought another pair
of mares and a stallion.

H. A. Babcock, Neenah, AVis., leased 8 mares early
in the '90 's.

Elijah Walker, Macon, 111., had 3 mares, and Rolley
Patterson & Bros., Hunricli, 111., and Harry Dunbar,
Galesburg, 111., were others Mdio had 4 mares each
out on lease during this time.

This does not begin to be a complete review, but

352 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

it does give a glimpse into operations during the
depressed times.

The Great Leader. — Over and above all details, the
most striking feature of Oaklawn 's work at this time
is to be found in the personality of Mark W. Dun-
ham himself. His genius for organization and his
extraordinary ability as a salesman enabled him to
maintain the great Oaklawn stud intact in spite of
tlie financial panic and the hard times.

When other men could not sell Percherons, or sold
at ridiculously low prices, Mr. Dunham inspired con-
fidence in the final outcome, encouraged many men
to hold on, and was successful in making sales at
good prices. There was not a season, even in the
worst years, when he was not well sold out by May,
so far as stallions of serviceable age were concerned.
It is true that he did not make importations for
several years and that his operations were limited;
but the stallions he raised or bought in America
were sold at prices that left him a good profit, and
he was instrumental in causing several wealthy men
to enlarge their Percheron holdings at a time when
the vast majority of breeders had given up all hope.
He had faith, enthusiasm, foresight, and a knowledge
of human nature which made him more than ever a
commanding figure in the business when others had
failed to weather the storm. His death in February,
1899, aged 53 years, was as great a loss to Percheron
interests as the death of a general of military genius
at the critical point in a great battle, for Percheron
breeding was just rounding into shape for a mar-

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 353

velous recovery from years of depression. Mark W.
Dunham's death removed the one leader in whom
all interests had confidence, the one who could have
brought order out of chaos in the breeding field and
in record association affairs. The bitter strife which
split Percheron breeders into three rival camps and
did incalculable damage between 1900 and 1911
would undoubtedly have been averted had he sur-
vived. No more honorable breeder ever lived, and
there were few indeed, in any land, who possessed his
genius for constructive work and his ability to com-
mand support from all classes of men. Time, giving
true perspective, reveals him as the great Percheron
leader of his period, and the fleeting years only in-
crease the estimate which thoughtful Percheron
breeders place on his work.

At the time of Mark W. Dunham's death his son
Wirth S. was but 21 years old, and the two daughters
were young. Mrs. Dunham had died some years be-
fore. It was Mr. Dunham's request that the business
should devolve on Wirth, but that he should take
James M. Fletcher and C. R. Coleman into partner-
ship in the selling organization, retaining control of
the farni and brood mares under the name of the
estate.

James M. Fletcher, a nephew of Mark W. Dunham,
attained a high place in Percheron affairs. He was a
horseman by birth and training, and was developed
by frequent trips to France with Leonard Johnson
and by association with Mr. Dunham's operations at
Oaklawn. He spoke Frencli fluently and from 1887

354 A HISTORY OP^ THE PERCHEKON HORSE

to the time of Mr. Dunham's death bought far more
horses in France than any other buyer. His judg-
ment of horses was conceded to be second to none
and he was a careful buyer. Oaklawn's importance
as a purchaser gave the farm the first option on the
colts held b}' the leading stallioner and breeder of
France, Ernest Perriot, Sr., and on those held by
many other leaders. Mr. Dunham had well-founded
confidence in James Fletcher's judgment and integ-
rity.

C. R. Coleman liad been with Mr. Dunlnun in the
early '80 's, had subsequently been in partnership
with Mr. Avery at Wakefield, Kans., for about a de-
cade, and had again worked for the Oaklawn organi-
zation as a salesman. He had formed a partnership
with James M. Fletcher about 1896 or 1897 and the
firm had a good many horses in '97 and '98. Mr.
Dunham realized Mr. Coleman's ability as a sales-
man, and felt that with Fletcher to handle the pur-
chasing and Coleman the selling the finn would be
on a safe foundation, despite the fact that Wirth, on
account of having been kept away at school, knew
practically nothing of the business.

Mr. Dunham's judgment proved true in this as in
other matters, and the firm of Dunham, Fletcher &
Coleman, organized in 1899, maintained the prestige
of Oaklawn until the ripening experience of the son
enabled him to succeed to sole control of the busi-
ness.

Other Illinois Breeders. — Daniel Dunham's stud
was sold in 1892 or '93. The Ellwoods sold and

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 355

traded their horses for land so rapidl.y that they
raised but few after 1893 and were virtually out of
business by 1899. The Winter & Munger stud w^as
scattered to the four-winds by private sales in 1894,
'9o and '96, winding up entirely in 1899. Geo. S.
Ilanna's stud was dispersed, largely by trades for
fann land, in 1892, '93 and '94:, and the mares were
widely scattered. Jesse M. Stetson succeeded to
most of the Percherons owned by Dr. Ezra Stetson
on his death about 1895, but Jesse M. himself died
about 4 years later and most of the stock was scat-
tered all over the United States by sales held by the
estate in 1899, 1900 and 1901.

John and Mat Huston of Blandinsville, 111., began
breeding Percherons early in the 70 's, but did not
breed many until after making heavy importations
late in the '80 's. They kept on during the depression
and raised 20 stallions and 24 mares during this
period. Their stock was unusually high-class in
character, because of the selection of extra good sires
and dams. Plein-D'Avenir 11287 (7361), Figaro
5961 (7708) and Forfait 16873 (28578) were a. trio
of exceptional sires. A large proportion of the colts
bred by the Hustons went into use on purebred
mares, which is significant of their high-class type
and character. John Huston considered Plein-
D'Avenir the greatest Percheron he ever saw, indi-
vidually and as a sire, and while his opinion may
be considered somewhat biased, it is certain that he
was an extremely massive, heavy-boned sire, weigh-
ing more than 2,200 pounds, and a getter of high-

356 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

class colts. He was crippled while young, wliicli de-
barred him from the showring, and undoubtedly
limited his use to some extent. He was a grandson
of Brilliant 1271, through Childebert 4283 (451).
Forfait was somewhat smaller and a show horse of
much finish, somewhat on the type of Gilbert. H:^
was useful in imparting more style and finish. The
stud was dispersed in November, 1901, and while
the stock did much good in the hands of new owners,
more would have been accomplished had it been held
intact by John Huston, who was a most observant,
constructive breeder.

E. Hodgson and W. E. Prichard, both of Ottawa,
111., held persistently on, and raised some extra good
mares during this time, most of which were sired by
Confident 3647 (397), at the head of the Nagle stud.
Mr. Prichard used Confident a little more freely than
Mr. Hodgson did and got more high-class brood
mares by him. The best animals owned in both
studs at the present time are daughters or grand-
daughters of Confident, and both these veteran
breeders, now in their '70 's, agree in declaring that
they should have bought the old horse early in the
'90 's. As it was, his colts raised at Nagle 's were
stunted and the breed lost much good blood it should
have received from a really great sire.*

*M. C. Hodg-son & Sons wrote the following interesting- note
in January, 1915:

"Hattie 2d 23757. foaled in 1899, by Confident, has raised 8
colts in 11 years, besides foaling- 2 which died young. We still
own 3 of these colts, which we value conservatively at $1,600, and
have sold 4 of her colts, foaled in 1905, '07, '09 and '10, for $4,400
— an average of $1,100 each. Three were sold as two-year-olds
and one as a three. We sold the first colt out of her oldest

J. C. Robison ~] ^ [~4 . L. RobisonJr.

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 357

James Brown, Dwight, 111., bred a few good colts
from 1891 to 1897, but discontinued in 1899. Wil-
liam Hurt and W. R. Baldwin were among those
who held on through the dark days, breeding a few
good ones each year and encouraging farmers in
their localities to stick to good horses and be ready
for the tide to turn.

New Blood. — Much credit must be given to the
iiicii who had the courage and foresight to found
j)urebred studs of consequence during the darkest
days. Among those in Illinois entitled to special
mention in this connection are A. L. Robison, Sr.,
of Pekin, 111., and Dan Augstin of Carlock, 111.

daughter, Hattie 3d 41634, for $900, and have four other colts left
out of Hattie 3d which we value at $2,400, conservatively figured.
.Modesty 70296, the second colt produced by Hattie 3d, was foaled
in 1909, raised colts in 1912, '13, and '14 and is due to foal again
in 1915. Lisette 2d 21574, a half-sister to Hattie 2d, also by Con-
fident, was foaled in 1S9S, and has dropped a colt every year from
1901 till 1914 except in 1913, a total of 13 colts in 14 years. Four
of the colts died young, however, so that she has actually raised
!t colts in 14 years. We have sold 6 of her colts as yearlings and
two-year-olds — none older — for $5,150 and think those remaining
are worth at least $1,000. We still have the mare, now 17 years
old and carrying her 14th colt. She is worth at least $400, con-
sidering that she is still good for several years in her breeding
career."

W. E. Prichard says of his two aged mares by Confident in
the 1914 Christmas issue of "The Breeder's Gazette":

"Beauty of Highland 18611 was foaled in 1893, and is still
living and breeding regularly at 21 years of age. I have sold of
her direct produce colts to the value of $8,G50 and have the old
mare and 7 of her produce conservatively valued at $6,500. Litta
17192 was foaled in 1892, and is still breeding at 22 years of age.
I have sold colts produced by her to the value of $5,850 and still
have the mare and several of her produce valued conservativelv
at $3,300."

Both breeders are agreed in declaring that they have done no
more than hundreds of other good horsemen can do if they select
good stock and give it proper care. It must be noted, however,
that both men are dealers as well as breeders, and sold their
horses direct to the final user, thus eliminating or absorbing the
middleman's usual profit.

358 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

A. L. Eobison, Sr., madv3 his start in 1894, upon
the urgent insistence of his father-in-law, Wilson
Eichmond. Of the latter Mr. Robison says:

"lie was a born horseman, always bred and owned
good horses and for 50 years was never without a
good stallion available for his own use and for other
breeders. I think he was the keenest judge and had
the best eye for a sire of any man I have ever known.
He was confident prices would soon swing back, and
repeatedly urged me to buy all the good Percheron
mares I could while prices were low. Some of my
first mares were bought from him, and it was largely
r.t his suggestion that I bought Powerful 6670
(Bayard 7519) in 1889, when he was 20 years old.
He always insisted that a man breeding Percherons
should, if possible, never place other than a tried
sire at the head of his stud. His sound counsel and
reliable judgment were of incalcuable value to me
in founding Leslie Farm stud. Powerful made our
stud at the outset, and I subsequentlv bought Se-
ducteur 8850 (7057) and Rabelais 52564 (43442),
both tried sires and horses with the best of breeding
behind them. The veteran has left us, but his in-
fluence is still with us."

To this definite policy — the use of tried sires only
— the remarkable progress of the Robison stud is
justly due, and it is questionable whether many other
breeders in America can point to a record so free
from mistakes in stud sires used.

Dan Augstin had been breeding good draft horses
from sometime in the '80 's, and stepped into the
Percheron ranks in 1895. He, too, was influenced
to make purchases while horses were low. John
Baughman was his first counselor, and Ferdinand

ri HI HI rti)\ MUii: a\d foal ix an Illinois pasture.

I

1

IMPORTED HORACE 7S84, AN OLIJ TI\li; WTXXER AND POPULAR SIRE IN
inCIIIGAN.

A PERIOD OF PROPOUXD DEPRESSIOX 359

Bastini;-, Yutoii, 111., and Willinin Pliu't, Arrowsmitli,
HI., wcrt' others whose excellciit stock and entlm-
siastic siipi)ort of Pcrclierons did nmch to enconrago
Jiim to make a start in dark days.

Aiii>"!^tin's foundation stock was drawn largely
fi-om Ed. Hodgson and William Hurt. He had some
of Hodgson's mares on lease for a time and also pur-
chased some. In this case, as in the one previously
cited, mistakes were avoided and good foundation
stock secured by heeding the counsel of experienced
breeders who had no ulterior motives. These cases
and hundrds of others whicli could be given empha-
size the value of experienced advisors when begin-
ners are founding studs, and the extreme importance
of starting right. Countless breeders of live stock
have rushed in "where angels fear to tread" and
have found to their sorrow that buying breeding-
animals is vastly different from purchasing sugar or
salt.

There are other im])ortant breeders in Illinois who
started during this ])eriod, but it is impossible to
consider all. The munber increased materially, espe-
ciall}^ in counties where much stock was already
available. In McLean county Percheron breeders
increased to 81; in La Salle to 39; in Tazewell to
24; in Woodford to 18; in Fulton to 21; in Iroquois
to 19; in Livingston to 28; in Bureau to 29; and in
DuPage to 19. North central Illinois had laid the
foundation which makes it today the most central-
ized and most heavily stocked Percheron breeding
district in the United States.

360 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Progress in Iowa. — The number of breeders in
Iowa increased from 66 in 1890 to 204 in 1900, more
than trebling during the hard times. Singmaster &
Sons, H. Gr. McMillan, L. H. Humbert, M. L. Ayres,
William Sprole, J. H. Barnett, L. G. Parker and
H. S. Hoyman were the leading breeders of this
period.

The Singmasters continued operations along the
same general lines as in the '80 's, but leased a good
many mares and sold some on a share basis, agree-
ing to take the first 3 colts at weaning time in full
payment for the mare. The mares kept at the home
farms ran out on pasture and received scant atten-
tion during the hard times, but breeding was kept
up and many colts raised, although records were
not kept as carefully as they should have been. The
breeding was done largely in hit or miss fashion,
without making special effort to mate certain mares
to sires best suited to them in type and bloodlines.
As a consequence the horses bred during this time
lacked uniformity in type, color and prepotency.
These faults were so apparent that they have of
their own weight forced a revision of policy. Prog-
ress has been marked in later years, but nothing of
consequence was done by the firm during the '90 's,
save in the production of a large number of Per-
cherons.

J. H. Barnett, whose work has previously been
touched on, bred 40 Percherons at Chestnut Fann
during this period. He was one of the best farmers
and stockmen of central Iowa and his personal

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 361

standing and popularity were such that he was
elected to the state senate as a Democrat, although
the district was strongly Republican. He served in
the state senate in 1888 and 1890, and his influence,
admittedly great in Iowa, was thrown strongly in
favor of Percheron horses. He counselled farmers
to hold their good mares and to buy more while
they were cheap. He practiced this himself and
bought E. A. Noble's entire stud of 26 head in 1897.
His best colts, on which he won many premiums at
the Iowa State Fair in the '80 's and '90 's, were
descended from his foundation mares bought of M.
^Y. Dunham Oct. 23, 1882. Itala 1436 was the most
profitable. She was struck by lightning when about
4 years old and blinded for life, but raised 10 colts
of record between 1884 and 1897, and proved to be
the most profitable mare he ever owned. The best
sire ever owned by Mr. Barnett was Champagne 2312
(1117), a bay grandson of Coco 2d (714), bought
from M. W. Dunham in 1883 by the Warren County
Breeders' Association, in which Mr. Barnett was a
leader. This horse continued in use well into the
'90 's and left some very good stock. Mr. Barnett 's
influence was at all times for careful, constructive
breeding, and he gave much needed support to Per-
cheron interests during depressed times.

William Sprole was one of the most substantial
farmers and cattle breeders near Traer, la. He
began Percheron-breeding in 1886 by selecting a pair
of the best mares obtainable at Oaklawn. He gave
$3,000 for the pair. One was a daughter of Brilliant

362 A HISTORY OF THE PERCH EKOX HORSE

1899. Ill the next few years he bought some of the
best mares W. L. Elhvood imported and also bought
the stallion Superior 14042, bred by Ellwood, to use
in his stud. He held on throughout the '90 's, despite
discouragements, and as might be expected from
tlie high character of his foundation purchases, bred
some exceptional colts. He was not a dealer, how-
ever, and sold most of the colts at modest prices to
a local trade. James M. Fletcher thought so well
of the colts that he bought a number of them about
1897 or 1898 and paid $1,000 for one which Mr.
Sprole had sold to a neighbor. The good done by
Mr. Sprole 's operations was far-reaching; he was a
man of strict integrity, careful in his breeding opera-
tions, and very influential in his district. The Traer
district M-as noted for extra, good draft horses dur-
ing the late '90 's and the early part of this century.
No small share in this is directly attributable to Mr.
Sprole 's work.

L. G. Parker was another Iowa breeder who bred
some good horses, near Mason City. Although the
number he raised was not large — 33 in this decade —
the animals were good and bred on well. He bought
Cagliostro 11115 (18849), one of the best sons of Bril-
liant 3d, imported with that sire, and used him to
good advantage from 1890 till about 1898. Some of
the best things subsequently owned by G. N. Haugen
and Martin Tagesen were sired by or descended from
him. The Parker stud was dispersed shortly after
1900, but the stock has done much for Percheron
breeders in northern Iowa and adjacent states.

\ (James Mauldin ]^[ ML. Avers \

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 363

L. H. Humbert was one of the leading breeders in
southern Iowa. French himself, he selected some
very good breeding stock in the Perche. He had
started before the depression, had faith in the final
outcome, and held to his good stock through the
worst years. He ranked fourth in Iowa in number
of animals bred during this decade, sold most of his
surplus locally, and did much to encourage others to
keep on.

M. L. Ayres, like Mr. Humbert, had started before
the hard times. He was a rugged farmer, with de-
cided ideas regarding the values of good horses; he
hung tenaciously to his best stock, although the
panic crippled him to a considerable extent finan-
cially. Many of the stallions produced by him dur-
ing the '90 's were castrated, and a great many of
the mares sold without registration. He kept the
best, however, and was in a sound position to go on
when times changed for the better. He handled good
horses and was one of the best feeders Iowa has
ever had engaged in the development of Percherons.
The best sire he used during this period was Said
4825 (674). Massena 26143 (40251) and Blande
29259 (36577) were valuable sires used a little later.
Blande was a son of Brilliant 3d and had been used
some time in Ernest Perriot's stud. Mr. Ayres
has undoubtedly exerted a greater influence on Per-
cheron breeding than any other man in southwestern
Iowa. He bought and developed a good many
American-bred colts and always insisted that the
colts he bought in the district near Blandinsville,

364 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

111., were heavier-boned, more rugged, draftier
horses than any he could buy elsewhere.

H. S. Hoyman, Stanwood, la., bred only 19 Per-
cherons during this decade, but helped give stability
and encouragement to Percheron interests in east
central Iowa, and started a great many others in
Percheron breeding when times changed for the
better.

A factor which cannot be overlooked in consid-
ering Percheron breeding in Iowa is the influence of
Percheron sires in communities where there were no
Percheron mares. Iowa farmers believed in draft
horses, purchased more Percherons than the farmers
in any other state except Illinois, and even in dis-
tricts where only grade mares were available were
liberal buyers and patrons of the best Percheron
sires obtainable. Some noted Percheron horses were
used in the state on grade mares only, and while the
breed as a whole suffered a loss, farmers in general
made an immediate gain by having available sires
good enough in individuality and breeding to have
been at the head of some of the best purebred studs.
The record of Brilliant 1899 was an illustration of
this, and there w^ere numerous others almost as im-
portant. The ultimate effect, however, was to
strengthen the esteem of Iowa farmers for Perche-
rons, and the breed is more widely distributed now
in that state than in any other.

Lakewood Farm. — A number of studs that sub-
sequently became widely known were founded in
Iowa during the depression. The most important

A PERIOD OF PROPOUND DEPRESSION 3G5

was that of H. G. McMillan, whose Lakewood stud
at Rock Kapids, la., has furnished more American-
bred prize-winners than any other stud in America
in the past 20 years.

Mr. McMillan had grown up with good horses, as
his father, located near Washington, la., had been
a strong supporter of draft horses for farm work
and a patron of the earliest Percheron sires taken
to that part of Iowa. H. G. McMillan himself, after
being admitted to the bar, located at Rock Rai)ids,
la., and soon won prominence in law and polities.
He was a heavy purchaser of farm land, and Lake-
wood Farm, located near Rock Rapids, compinsed
about 1,000 acres during the '80 's and '90 's.

To Lakewood P'arm Mr. McMillan took some of the
good mares of his father's breeding — mares which
had 4 and 5 top crosses by purebred Percheron sires.
The economic advantage which these heavy draft
mares had in farm operations impressed him, and
as he had faith in the ultimate outcome for horse-
breeding he bought in 1896 the entire Percheron stud
of J. H. Funk, consisting of about 30 head.

Mr. Funk had started in the '80 's, while located
near Dwight, 111. His foundation stock was drawn
from the Dillons, D. II. Vandolah, J. J. Kemp and
Copeland & Holder. He had selected some of the
best stock obtainable from these importers and
transferred his Percheron horses to a farm near
Iowa Falls, la., about 1890. Here he bred Nubian
17467, foaled in 1892, the horse at the head of the
stud when it was purchased by Lakewood Farm.

'S66 A HISTORY OP' THE PERCHERON HORSE

Mr. Funk had other business interests and could not
give personal attention to his Percherons. His men
had not been good horsemen and he had grown so
discouraged that he took Mr. McMillan to his farm
in the winter, when the horses were thin, ill-con-
ditioned and rough in the extreme, and practical-
ly forced their sale at a mere song. Despite the
bad condition of the horses, they had real merit in
blood and individuality and soon grew into high-
class horses when put under proper conditions.
Nubian developed into a very large, massive stallion,
standing over 17 hands high and weighing over
2,200 pounds when in good condition. He was fairly
well-proportioned, and heavy in bone, with flint-like
quality in cannons and joints. His colts averaged
well in size and type and were above the average in
soundness. The mares bought from Mr. Funk proved
good breeders and one, Myrtha 8133 (12601), was
one of the most valuable brood mares owned in the
early history of the Lakewood stud. She was the
dam of Nubian and of several other good ones.

The same year, and shortly after purchasing the
J. H. Funk stud, Mr. McMillan bought about 25
Percherons from Winter & Munger, Princeton, 111.
This stud was one of the good ones in Illinois, and
has been fully discussed in earlier chapters. In this
bunch Lakewood Farm acquired some very valuable
brood mares and some good young stock. The Win-
ter & Munger horses, like Funk's, had been allowed
to fall into very bad condition, and they were bought
cheaply, but as in the case of the others, the good

S.I.Kelser

G.W.Phillips

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 367

breeding soon showed itself when feed and care were
properly given.

On Dec. 5, 1899, Illustre 20489, bred at Oaklawn,
was bought to supplement Nubian in the Lakewood
stud. He was by Introuvable 16875 and out of
Bertha 5340, and was very good individually, but
did not prove as effective as had been hoped.
Through advertising Illustre, however, Mr. McMillan
discovered Seducteur 8850 (7057) and bought him
in the spring of 1900. The old horse had been in
the hands of Jacob Waltemeyer, Melbourne, la., for
several years and had sired some extra good colts,
but had not been very sure. He was taken to Lake-
wood Farm and made seasons there in 1900 and 1901,
but was sold in the spring of 1902 to A. L. Robison,
8r., to head the Leslie Farm stud at Pekin, 111.

In the fall of 1900, a deal was made for the mares
and young stock owned by the Upson Farming Co.,
Cumings, N. D. The horses owned by this firm had
been bred from some of the best stock obtained from
Leonard Johnson. In this lot were Norma 9672
(13394) (the mare that subsequently produced
lolanthe 40925, twice an International champion),
Gondole 6696 (10862), a great brood mare, and a
number of other females.

This rounded out the foundation purchases made
for the Lakewood stud in this decade. Three com-
plete studs, in which breeding operations had been
carried on for from 12 to 22 years and in which the
best breeding mares had been retained, were bought
outright. This took some exceptional breeding ani-

368 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

mals to Lakewood Farm, both as to individuality and
bloodlines. From this foundation winners were bred
and developed.

Developments in Ohio. — Despite all discourage-
ments, and in part because of them, the number of
breeders in Ohio increased from 55 in 1890 to 146
in 1900, almost trebling during the depression. Al-
though third in number of breeders, the state stood
fifth in the number of recorded Percherons produced
during the decade, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and
Wisconsin outranking Ohio in the order named in
number produced. Jones Bros., whose actual work
was directed by C. M. Jones, retained the leadership
held since 1864 and bred 53 Percherons during the
time considered. Several men who had been prom-
inent during the '80 's dropped from front-rank posi-
tions, either dispersing their studs, or materially cur-
tailing their operations, and a number of new men,
most of whom made their start before 1890, took
their places. Bell Bros., H. A. Rohrs, Garfield &
Rudolph C. Green, John Yost & Son and G. C. Steiner
were the most prominent new breeders. E. J. Condit
and S. Kendeigh were the only old breeders to hold
rank with Jones Bros, among the leaders.

Pleasant Valley Farm. — Small in numbers as Jones
Bros.' Pleasant Valley stud was, never comprising
more than 10 mares of producing age, it held the
lead in the state in numbers and in class of horses
produced. The stock, as previously shown, was all
descended from one foundation mare of the right
kind and the sires were good. Greluchet 11333

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 369

(21165), already considered, remained in use till
1898, when lie was sold to John Yost & Son, Thorn-
ville, 0. He was a very prepotent sire and his colts
possessed real draft qualities. Yost had bred mares
to him for some time before purchasing, and his
colts w^ere so good that C. M. Jones later sent a
number of mares to be bred to him.

The most valuable sire used in Ohio during this
period, however, was Moreri 16950 (40246). He was
the first-prize yearling at the Columbian Exposition
in 1893 and w^as bought that fall by C. M. Jones. He
was used in 1894, '95 and '96 at Pleasant Valley, and
then was sold to a company at Marion, 0., in which
Wesley King was a leader. Here he remained in
service until his death. Moreri was black wdth a
star, stood about 17 hands high and in show condi-
tion weighed over 2,200 pounds, or about a ton in
breeding condition. He had an excellent head, a
clean-cut, well-poised neck, deep chest, and strong
back and loin. His well-proportioned croup was a
trifle high, and he showed heavily muscled hind-
quarters. He was a very massive, bold-appearing,
stylish horse, with a perfect set of feet and legs and
the best of quality. His colts were characterized by
good Percheron type, and were sound and clean.
His daughters stand second to none in the estimation
of Ohio breeders, and there is no question but that
lie did the breed more good than any other horse
used in Ohio during his time. Moreri 's greatest son
was Mark 20288, out of the mare Norma 1779, a
daughter of Ajax 5. Mark was a massive, power-

870 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

fully built gray, standing over 17 hands liigli, with
the style and action typical of his sire. He was
used for several years by Mr. Jones, and while but
few purebred mares were available, he sired more
market-topping geldings than any sire ever used in
that vicinity. Four of the crack gray geldings that
drew leather in the gray show teams of Packingtown
were by Mark, and while none achieved champion-
ship honors, they gave a good account of them-
selves. One of these geldings was out of a daughter
of Ajax 5, and one out of a daughter of Greluchet,
so that Mark's pathway was made easier by the work
of his predecessors.

Ruth 20284, later the dam of a ton horse of great
character used for several years at the head of C. F.
Camp 's stud, was another of Moreri 's daughters, and
Estella 21479, later a showring winner for John Yost
& Son, was still another. Besides these, however,
there were dozens of his daughters, both purebred
and grade, that did splendid service in raising the
draft horse standard in central Ohio.

It was not an easy matter for a small breeder to
pull through the hard times. 0. M. Jones in com-
menting on this says:

"I was often discouraged and almost ready to
quit, but I always had faith that the tide would turn.
Mark W. Dunham was to me, as to others, a steady
support. He counselled me, even in the darkest days,
to hold on to all my good mares and buy more if I
could. I would not have sold Moreri had times been
better, but $2,600 for him in 1896 meant more to me

A PERIOD OP PROFOUND DEPRESSION 371

than $10,000 would now and 1 let him go in order
to hold all my good brood mares. The tide did turn
at last, and my Percherons have paid well, as they
will pay any other man who sticks to the best."

Other Ohio Breeders. — Mention has already been
made of E. J. Condit, of Delaware Co., 0. He too
hung on through the depression and raised from 3
to 5 colts per year, a total of 39 in the decade. His
Percherons possessed the requisite weight, were of a
good type, and were utilized by various successful
breeders. Some subsequent owners, who frankly
admit they have made good profit in Percherons
d.'scended from the Condit stud, state that the horses
were not on the whole as sound and clean as they
should have been. Despite this, considerable good
was accomplished by this stud.

Bell Bros., Wooster, 0., had been importing and
breeding Shires up to 1890. They engaged in the
Percheron business in 1893 and have been in it ever
since.

H. A. Rohrs of Xapoleon, 0., made his start in
1886 by importing a mare and a stallion. He had
previously visited Oaklawn Farm, but could not
agree on prices, so imported direct. The stallion
Sapeur 6327 (4484) was of medium size, but well-
])roportioned and proved exceptionally prepotent as
a sire. The mare, Charlotte 12321 (18182), was much
of the same type, and proved a valuable producer.
Tn 1889 Mr. Rohrs imported Monarque 12315
(12402), a son of La Ferte 5144 (452), and some
mares, so that he was well established at the time

372 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

of the depression. He lield out, and had the nerve
to ship some of his mares away to be bred to Fenelon
2682 (38) in 1893. The colts produced justified his
judgment. He later shipped mares to Theudis 25015
(40871) and Carnot 66666 (66666) with satisfactory
results. Such work stamps Mr. Rolirs as a construc-
tive breeder. His operations were small, he did not
show or advertise largely, and most of his horses
were sold for use on grade mares, but his contribu-
tion to Percheron breeding in Ohio was material in
its stabilizing effects during the panic and is worthy
of emulation by other small breeders.

Ohio's breeders, other than those mentioned, were
for the most part farmers who owned but a few
Percheron mares. They were too frequently handi-
capped by not having access to a high-class sire, and
few had the courage to ship their mares away during
the period of low prices. The real advancement
made during this time was therefore slight.

In Minnesota. — Minnesota dropped to fourth place
in number of breeders by 1900, but held her former
place, third, in number of Percherons bred and
raised. The number of breeders increased from 30
in 1890 to 124 in 1900. This was a greater propor-
tional gain in numbers than was made in either
Illinois or Iowa. A total of 691 Percherons are of
record as bred in Minnesota during this period.

The Minnesota Percheron Horse Co., L. C. Hodg-
son, J. Koester and T. L. & J. L. De Lancey were
the leaders who survived the hard times. Leonard
Johnson and George E. Case, whose studs were

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 373

among the best in the '80 's, were forced to sell, and
their stock was widely scattered. Many of the good
animals from these studs went to men who knew
nothing about Percherons and were virtually lost to
the breed. Some of Leonard Johnson's best horses,
however, went to the Upson Farming Co., and later
did considerable good for the breed. The William
Mies stud passed into the hands of his sons, under
the name of William Mies & Sons, about 1894, and
they continued the business for a short time, but
closed out before prices recovered. Willard & Fuller
was a strong firm and had the only prominent Per-
cheron stud established in Minnesota during the
depression.

The Minnesota Percheron Horse Co. had by far the
most important stud in the state during this period.
One hundred and five Percherons are of record as
raised by this firm during the time considered and
the stud ranked first in Minnesota and eleventh in
the United States at this time. Niger 4986 (2951),
already described, continued at the head of the stud
up to and including the season of 1895. His colts,
like those of his illustrious grandsire Picador 1st
(7330), were large, stylish and good in the under-
pinning. They were sound and clean for the most
part, and demonstrated the value of the Picador
blood, noted for these characteristics. Fier-a-Bras
15746 (13555) was put into service in 1894 and
proved valuable, especially on the daughters of
Niger. Fier-a-Bras was a black son of Briard 5317
(1630), and was a large, massive stallion of good pro-

374 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

portions. He was first in aged class at the Colum-
bian Exposition in 1893 for Oaklawn Farm, from
which he was purchased. He continued in service
throughout this period and eventually succeeded
Niger as the head of the stud. The use of these good
sires, with others almost as good, but less important,
gave the Minnesota Percheron Horse Co. some very
good Percherons, and it is much to be regretted that
the stud was dispersed about the beginning of
the century. The Paynes, who controlled this great
stud, had other business interests which finally led
them to close out their Percherons, but the Percheron
breeders of the northwest owe them a substantial
debt for their steadiness and constructive work dur-
ing a most discouraging period.

L. C. Hodgson was another who began in the '80 's
and held on throughout all the lean years. He was
originally from Ottawa, 111., a cousin of the Dillons,
and bought his foundation stock of 3 mares from
Adolphus Dillon in 1884. He removed to Minnesota
in 1886, taking his Percherons and adding more from
time to time. The business subsequently passed to
the sons, now Hodgson Bros., of St. Cloud, Minn.,
so that this stud has been carried on through two
generations. Sonora 1636 and Marie Keet 1608, two
of Mr. Hodgson's foundation mares, were probably
the most profitable he ever owned. Both were reg-
ular producers of good stock. Marie Keet produced
Norman Chief 12516, foaled in 1884, to the service
of French Victor 6088 (6125), then at the head of E.
Hodarson's stud at Ottawa. Norman Chief was a

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 375

high-class horse, both individually and as a sire. He
won first in the aged stallion class at the Minnesota
State Fair and was made champion over some im-
ported horses that had won blue ribbons in many a
hard-fought showring. His only defeat came when he
encountered Gilbert and 3 of his get in the class for
get-of-sire. Norman Chief was a black, standing
about 17 hands high and weighing 1,950 pounds in
good condition. He was a well-balanced, active
horse, and proved very prepotent as a sire. He was
sold about 1894 for $2,000 to South Dakota. The
price speaks volumes for his merit, when his age
and the low price of horses is considered. Victor 2d
12780, sired by Norman Chief out of Sonora 1636,
was another good sire used, and Richelieu 21567.
bred hj M. C. Hodgson and used a little later, left a
notable imj^ress on the horses of Rock county.
While Mr. Hodgson did not breed many Percherons,
they were above the average in merit and the stud
has been a valuable one in the northwest.

J. & D. Koester, Northfield Minn., was another of
the smaller tirms which held on to Percherons
through dark days. They did not breed many, but
their success in the showring attests the fact that
they had some good ones. The Koester s made sub-
stantial winnings at the Minnesota State Fair in
1896, '97 and '98, defeating such exhibitors as the De
Lanceys and Willard & Fuller in some classes. The
influence of this stud was valuable because of the
good quality of the horses owned.

Belleview Farm. — T. L. & J. L. De Lancev. whose

376 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

earlier operations have been discussed, kept on
through the depression and were persistent exhib-
itors at their state fair during the '90 's. They did
not breed many Percherons, but unlike most men
who were active dealers, did give careful attention
to constructive breeding. They held their best mares
and selected their stud stallions with care. Their re-
sult was colts that made good in the showring and
the stud.

The most valuable brood mare was probably Char-
mante 10931 (20451). She was imported in 1889 by
the De Lanceys, and raised 9 colts in the 11 years
1891 to 1901 inclusive. Seven of these were produced
in consecutive years. Her colts were uniformly
good, though she was bred to 4 different stallions.
All 5 of her stallion colts went to head purebred
studs and 3 of them left numerous purebred colts.
Klondike 21633 was sold to H. N. Lightley in 1899
and remained at the head of that stud for about 10
years; Titus 2d 21634 was sold to H. A. Briggs in
1898, who sold him to head the purebred stud of
W. H. Miller at Alpena, S. D. Spuller 2d 23607
sired some purebred colts in the Uehling & Golder
stud at Oakland, Neb. All these sons of Char-
mante were show horses and all weighed more
than a ton. Charmante herself was a show mare,
having won second at the Societe Hippique Per-
cheronne de France show in 1889, and was repeat-
edly a winner at leading shows in America, even
when laboring under the disadvantage of nursing
foals. She was champion mare at the Minnesota

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 377

State Fair in 1890 and was again made champion in
1898 after raising 7 colts in the intervening time.
Her daughters were good also, and one, Charlotte
21635, won second as a two-year-old at the state fair.
Charlotte went to the Jean DuLuth Co., and did
much toward building up that stud. Milena 21636,
another daughter of Charmante, was also a show-
yard winner and was sold by the De Lanceys to
Charles B. Crandall, Randolph, Minn., in 1898.
Milena was really owned for a time by Crandall Bros.
They bred her to Spuller 17123 (20848) and to this
service she foaled in 1900 the stallion Titian 25925,
used for a number of years at the head of the
Crandall & Danforth stud at Randolph, Minn.

The chief sires used by the De Lanceys during this
time were Pluton 10921 (15.387), Sophocle 13575
(20845), Titus 17122 (36778) and Lyceen 21630
(42509). Lyceen is considered to have done them
the most good, and his stock, sired in France and
America, has been on the average of superior type
and quality. Lyceen was sold to G. W. Patterson
and later went to Jean DuLuth Farm. Lyceen was
bought by the DeLanceys from Ernest Perriot, Sr.,
and was of Brilliant breeding. Titus was one of the
best sires used and was a big, rugged, heavy-boned
horse, weighing more than 2,200 pounds. He did not
remain long in the Belleview Farm stud however;
James M. Fletcher bought him about 1896 or '97
and sold him to Wyatt Stanley, Stronghurst, 111.
Here he sired some very good colts, including a num-
ber of purebreds.

378 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Although the number of horses bred by the De
Lanceys was small, their influence in Minnesota was
considerable; they were active in the showring and
good advertisers, even in the hard times. Their
horses were of superior merit, especially good in
the underpinning. Sales were made from this stud
to Geo. W. Patterson, Crandall & Danforth, H. N.
Lightley, and the Jean Du Luth stud, as well as to
numerous smaller breeders, so that a considerable
proportion of Minnesota studs of the present day
are founded wholly or in part on purchases made at
Belleview Farm.

WiUard & Fuller. — As has already been stated,
the number of breeders in Minnesota increased more
than four fold between 1890 and 1900. Most of the
new men did not start till about 1897 or 1898 and
many did not purchase until later. The only new
Minnesota stud of any consequence established dur-
ing the depression was that of Willard & Fuller at
Mapleton. This stud was really started in 1890,
when the old show horse and sire Dagobert 5151
(2431) was purchased, together with a few mares.
Two more stallions were bought in 1893, and 10
mares were leased the same year. All foundation
animals were obtained from Mark W. Dunham.
Dagobert was the best sire ever used, but Noir Coco
13163 (20768) also got some drafty colts. Willard
& Fuller placed great emphasis on size and massive-
ness and their horses were all of this stamp.

Mr. R. E. Fuller, a member of the old firm, is now
located at Redwood Falls Minn., and still breeds

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 379

Perelierons, but on a less extensive scale. He reports
that Coquette 4366 (5310) was the most valuable
mare Willard & Fuller ever owned, as she was very
typical, weighing over a ton, and her descendants,
even to the fifth generation, have all developed, or
give promise of developing, into ton horses or better
of the right type. Some of the best mares ever
owned at Oaklawn were held by this firm on lease
and some of them were later purchased. As a whole
this fiiTQ contributed materially to the development
of Percheron interests in the northwest. Willard &
Fuller bred big, rugged drafters of good type and
soundness, and through the distribution of such
stock made it possible for farmers to improve the
general average of their horses.

In Wisconsin. — Wisconsin made substantial gains
during the hard times, the number of Percheron
breeders increasing from 23 in 1890 to 83 in 1900.
In number of colts raised and recorded the state
stood fourth, with 602 Perelierons for this period.
The chief breeders were substantially the same as in
the '80 's. Fred Pabst, H. A. Briggs, H. A. Babcock,
Gr. N". Mihills and Peter Truax all held on to their
good stock despite discouragements. E. B. Kellogg 's
death broke the well-laid plans for his stud, and
while the business was carried on for some years by
the estate, constructive w^ork could not be looked
for. Some of the animals were sold to E. Stetson
and others, but H. F. Hagemeister obtained most
of the Perelierons and the great sire Baccarat about
1896 or '97, so that the stud was continued without

380 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

material changes. All these breeders had faith in
the ultimate outcome and possessed the means to
carry their studs through the hard times. Consid-
erable advertising and showing was done, even in
the worst years, especially by Briggs and Pabst. The
horse-breeding interests of Wisconsin were material-
ly conserved by the stability and confidence of her
leading breeders. Progress in building up a better
average class of horses in the state was greatly facil-
itated by the distribution of good stock horses, which
persisted, though at low prices, throughout this
entire period from all her Percheron studs. As a
consequence Wisconsin farmers were in a sound posi-
tion when prices did turn for the better and had a
keen appreciation of the value of Percheron sires.
So marked was this, that in 1914 more than 74 per-
cent of all the purebred draft stallions in the state
were Percheron s — eloquent testimony to the sound
foundation laid by the early breeders of the state.
In Kansas. — Kansas advanced from 20 breeders in
1890 to 72 breeders in 1900, and stood sixth in num-
ber of Percherons raised and recorded during this
period, with a total of 383 head. Henry Avery and
his partnership firm of Avery & Coleman and 0. L.
Thisler were again the leaders. M. D. Covell, J.
Fuhrman, Thomas McGee, C. Spohr and S. C. Bart-
lett were others whose studs were founded in the
'80 's and who had the confidence and courage to
hold to their Percherons through hard times. Hanna
& Co., with stock from the long-established stud of
George Hanna in Illinois, began making Kansas Per-

: A.RNave j^ 'DTAmsfin

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 381

cheron history in 1895. Wyatt Stanley, one of the
best Percheron breeders from Stronghurst, 111., was
another addition about the same time. Both these
studs had good stock and were controlled by men of
experience, so that the state was a material gainer
by their operations.

The great handicap to draft horse breeding in
Kansas during this period was lack of feed. Dry
years predominated. Pastures, never too abundant,
were burned brown, and were in far too many in-
stances overstocked. Crops were short, grain cheap,
and money hard to raise. What grain was produced
had to be sold to enable the farmer to live, and the
horses were forced to rely almost wholly on the none
too abundant pasturage. As a result the Percherons
produced during this period were almost all lacking
in size, as must inevitably be the case under such
conditions. Lack of interest in horse-breeding in the
state and in states still farther west, which were the
natural outlets for the Kansas Percheron breeders,
made it difficult to sell good horses and prices were
exceedingly low. Even the veteran Henry Avery
told J. C. Eobison, who went to him in 1897 to buy
the first Percheron mares for Whitewater Falls
Stock Farm, that he could take one or all of the
Percheron mares he owned at $100 a head. In this
bunch were mares of splendid individuality and
breeding, though all were lacking in size. Among
the mares were half a dozen or more daughters of
Brilliant 3d, now recognized as the leading sire of
the breed; and yet they were for sale at $100 apiece.

382 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Mr. Eobison bought one, and one only, and has often
since deeply regretted his own lack of foresiglit.

M. D. Covell was in reality the oldest Percheron
breeder in Kansas; he made his first importation of
Percherons in 1871, while located in Ohio. His first
Kansas-bred Percherons were not foaled nntil 1884,
and from that time on the stud was very influential
in southern Kansas. C. L. Covell took control when
M. D. dropped out in 1893, and the stud was carried
on by him until after the close of the century. The
horses in this stud were good, and they formed the
foundation, wholly or in part, of many of the good
studs now in Kansas.

J. W. & J. C. Eobison were the most prominent
new breeders who established Percheron studs in
Kansas during the years of depression. J. W., the
father, moved from Illinois to Kansas in 1874, and
took good grade Percheron mares with him. His
first sire, Norval 1369 (794), was bought of G. L.
Cushman in 1883, and he used Percheron sires con-
tinually from that time on. His grade mares by
successive crosses were bred up to splendid type and
size, and many of them were subsequently recorded
as French Draft under the top-cross rules. J. W.
Robison was a horseman reared in the heart of the
Percheron district in Illinois, and he foresaw the
inevitable recovery in horse values at a time when
prices were lowest. Percheron mares were accord-
ingly bought in 1897, '98 and '99, and from that time
on until they were numerous enough to justify re-
liance upon mares of his own breeding. The son,

A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 383

J. C, was taken in at the outset and has continued
the business since the death of the father.

There were numerous other breeders in the Sun-
flower State who began about the same time and
who have bred good stock. Many quit just a little
too soon to reap the harvest of their labors, but their
work has benefitted the breed in the hands of later
breeders. A notable instance is that of S. W. Mc-
Millan, Topeka, Kans., who had a few very select
mares bought from the Ellwobd stud. He lost heart
and sold 6 of them to J. W. & J. C. Robison in 1900
for a small sum. In tliis group was the mare Fine
13085 (26998), considered to have been the best
brood mare ever owned at Whitewater Falls, and her
foal Zaza. Zaza was afterwards first at the St. Louis
exposition in 1904 and sold to E. B. White for $1,000,
who considers her the greatest brood mare he has
ever owned; in 1914 Mr. White had sold nearly
$10,000 worth of her descendants and had all but 2
of her female descendants left. Yet this mare Zaza,
now one of tlie greatest living brood mares, was bred
by an obscure Kansas breeder who knew and loved
good Percherons, but who lost courage when victory
was within his grasp.

There were many other instances of like character
in Kansas, and in other states. Such cases were
unusually frequent in the Sunflower State, however,
for the reason that good horses of good breeding
had been taken there and widely distributed, but so
decreased in size by unfavorable environment that
their real value was lost to sight for a time. The

^04 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

breeders of the state have eome back, however, in a
remarkable manner, and the work done by the men
who hekl on during trying times has aided beyond
calculation in raising the general average merit of
horses bred in the state.

CHAPTER XII.
THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY.

The extreme depression in business which had
prevailed during' the '90 's had shown considerable
amelioration prior to 1901. Business conditions in
general showed much improvement during the first
few years of the twentieth century.

The period from 1901 to 1910 inclusive was
fraught with momentous changes for Percheron in-
terests. The commercial demand for horses of all
kinds, particularly draft horses, steadily grew.
With the exception of the year 1908, when some de-
pression in values occurred as the aftermath of the
panic in the fall of 1907, prices advanced year by
year until 1910. Values were at pre-panic levels in
1909 and made further advance in 1910.

The purchase of horses for export contributed to
some extent to the rise in prices, particularly in
1901, 1902 and 1903. The British were heavy buyers
on account of the Boer War, and after the war had
closed made extensive purchases of horses and mules
in the United States to restock the farms of South
Africa. The exports amounted to 82,250 head in
1901, valued at $8,873,845, and in 1902 103,020 head,
valued at $10,048,046 were taken. The purchase of
these horses on foreign account had an effect upon

385

386 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

horse-breeding in the United States that was mucti
more far-reaching than the figures would seem to
indicate. The wide publicity attending the inspec-
tions focused attention on the fact that there was
a shortage of horses abroad and that the United
States was the best place in which to make pur-
chases. Confidence in horse-breeding was gradually
regained, and the steadily increasing demand for
commercial horses and the increased prices which
users of draft horses were willing to pay served to
strengthen it. Wyoming bronchos that had sold for
$5 or $10 a head during the '90 's brought $55 in
1902 for shipment to South Africa.

The opening decade of the new century saw an
advance in prices paid for farm products of all
kinds. Farmers began to bestir themselves to an
appreciation of the increased yields resulting from
more thorough tillage of their lands. Improvements
in agricultural machinery made it possible for one
man to do more work on the farm; to operate his
improved machines additional horsepower was re-
quired. Tlie increase in the number of draft horses
used in farm work and the increase in the weight
and strength of these horses, were among the more
marked developments of this period. The Interna-
tional Live Stock Exposition, founded in 1900, had
fairly struck its stride by 1902; its unequaled dis-
plays of draft horses of all breeds, both in the pure-
bred and market classes, aroused interest and in-
spired the leading farmers and horsemen of the
United States to redoubled efforts in improving the

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 387

common stock. The waves set in motion by the In-
ternational extended to the state fairs, which broad-
ened their classifications and increased greatly their
exhibits of horses.

All of these factors combined to focus public at-
tention upon horse breeding, particularly upon the
sort of breeding stock which would increase the size
and weight of the common class of horses. The
draft breeds all reaped increasing benefit, the Per-
cheron, already the most widely distributed, best
known and most popular draft horse in the United
States, to the largest degree.

The Actual Increase. — In 1900 there were 1,634
breeders of Percherons in the United States ; by 1910
the number had increased to 5,338. Between 1890
and 1900 only 8,807 American-bred Percherons and
1,490 imported Percherons were recorded. Between
1901 and 1910 inclusive 31,900 Ainerican-bred and
10,048 imported Percherons were recorded. In
round numbers there were approximately 9,000 Per-
cheron mares available for breeding in 1901. These
mares, their filly foals and such females as were im-
ported during the decade were responsible for the
31,900 American-bred animals recorded during this
period — only about 3 American-bred colts during the
10 years for each Percheron mare. As this is below
the normal production it shows that many mares
were not bred and that many of the colts w^liich
were foaled were never recorded. Many were the
men, particularly the smaller breeders, who had so
lost faith in horse breeding by reason of the long-

388 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

continued depression of the '90 's that they were
timid even when prices began to rise and they did
not immediately grasp the opportunities which lay
before them.

The actual experience of one well-known Percher-
on breeder is a case in point. He attended a sale
of well-bred Percherons in 1900. The stud was one
of the oldest in the United States, the management
had been good, and the mares sold were excellent.
Yet this breeder, fearing the outcome, bought only
a few. For those he did buy he paid from $95 to
$175 each, and within 5 years mares of the same
breeding and quality brought 5 times that price.
Large as was the increase in the number of Per-
cherons between 1901 and 1910, it was by no means
so great as it would have been had breeders had a
clear conception of the extent and far-reaching
character of the commercial demand for draft
horses.

Pedigree Publication Suspended. — The decade
beginning with the panic of 1893 was characterized,
as has already been indicated, by a depression in
the Percheron importing and breeding industry so
profound and so widespread in its operation that
the association which, up to that period had control
of pedigree registration in the United States, w^as
unable to maintain itself. Meetings were poorly
attended. Funds ran low. The salary of the Sec-
retary, Mr. S. D. Thompson, was in arrears, and
finally through a forced sale of the assets of the
bankrupt organization he acquired legal title to the

Geo.W.Stubblef/eld

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 389

books and records. Mr. Thompson maintained an
office where pedigrees of imported and home-bred
horses could be filed and certificates issued, but be-
tween 1898 and 1905 no stud book was actually
printed.

New Association Formed. — Interest in the produc-
tion of Percherons, which had during the dull years
of the middle and later '90 's receded almost to the
vanishing point, in the meantime began to revive,
and on Dec. 23, 1902, at a meeting held in Chicago
a new organization was formed for the purpose of
establishing upon a substantial footing and under
the direct control of owners of Percheron horses, an
association which should become responsible for the
further registration of pedigrees, and to promote
the general interest of the breed. Mr. H. A. Briggs
of Elkhorn, Wis., presided, and Mr. George W.
Stubblefield of Bloomington, 111., was chosen Secre-
tary. The following were named as Directors for a
term of one year each: Messrs. H. Gr. McMillan,
then of Cedar Rapids, la.; W. S. Dunham, Wayne,
111.; J. L. DeLancey, Northfield, Minn.; C. R. Taylor,
Williamsville, 111.; A. P. Nave, Attica, Ind.; C. 0.
Keiser, Keota, la., and H. A. Briggs. The Directors
met and elected H. G. McMillan President, H. A.
Briggs Vice-President, J. L, DeLancey Treasurer and
Geo. W. Stubblefield Secretary. At a meeting held
at the Great Northern Hotel, Chicago, on Aug. 8,
1903, the number of Directors was increased from
seven to eleven, and Messrs. H. F. Hagemeister,
H. W. Avery, G. W. Patterson and C. M. Jones were

390 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

duly chosen to fill the new directorships thus
created.

Old Records Acquired. — At a meeting of this or-
ganization held in Chicago, Dec. 6, 1904, President
McMillan said in the course of his address :

"We are now in possession of all of the original
books and records heretofore controlled by Mr.
Thompson. We are the only association having such
records. We have all records and original data in
the United States pertaining to the pedigrees of
Percheron horses, including the original applica-
tions, affidavits and correspondence connected there-
w^ith. We are the only society in a position to issue
accurate and complete pedigrees and that can pub-
lish a stud book that is full and authentic in all
respects. We now own all the records. The certifi-
cates of. pedigrees issued by us will be carefully
verified and can be relied upon as truthfully stating
the pedigree of the horse to which it relates. We
propose to issue stud books within the coming year
that will be a reliable and. trustworthy record of
pedigrees issued up to date. Breeders and buyers
of Percheron horses eveiywhere can then verify their
pedigrees and know when they are being imposed
upon.

"That the work of our association is appreciated,
there can be no doubt. A year ago we had less than
one hundred members; today we have 315. By our
next annual meeting I firmly believe we will have
over 500 stockholders. It should not be forgotten
that our membership represents live members who
are actually engaged in importing and breeding
Percheron horses and who have pedigrees to record.
With our present large list of active breeders and
importers and being in possession of all the original

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 391

records and data pertaining to Perclieron liorses
our future growth and success is assured and I
prophesy that it w^ill not be long before we will be
in possession of the field without serious opposition
or rivalry. ' '

A new era of prosperity and pogress began with
the organization of this powerful association. With
the exception of some little opposition growing out
of the refusal of certain interests, headed by the
Messrs. McLaughlin, to co-operate in the work un-
dertaken by the new association, there was a general
feeling of relief that the further conduct of Perche-
ron registration in America had now been settled in
responsible hands. The McLaughlin faction organ-
ized the Percheron Eegistry Association in 1904, and
issued five volumes of what was called the Percheron
Register, in which some 4,800 pedigrees were re-
corded, but the inclination of breeders and importers
generally had been to discourage division of energy
and effort, and by 1911 the general association, now
known as the Percheron Society of America, so
dominated the field that the Messrs. McLaughlin, in
the interest of hannony, gave up their enterprise and
became affiliated with what was now really a national
organization, approved by the United States De-
partment of Agriculture, and commanding the re-
spect and support of an overwhelming majority of
all interested in Percheron progress in the United
States.

Influence of Dealers and Importers. — The dealers
and importers exerted a paramount influence in de-

392 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

veloping the interest in Perclierons during tliis per-
iod. The existing stock in the United States was
badly scattered, much of it unrecorded and a great
deal of it in the hands of men who were giving their
Perclierons no particular attention. Leading dealers
gathered this stock together and distributed it
through private sales and public auctions into the
hands of a large number of new admirers of the
breed; they also sold Percheron mares to many small
breeders who lacked the means and acquaintance-
ship necessary to seek out and assemble them. In
many instances dealers bought fillies or young mares,
bred them to their own stallions and sold them as
bred mares, thereby receiving credit for breeding a
vastly larger number of animals than they would
otherwise have had.

Importers reaped an unprecedented harvest. G-ood
imported stallions were syndicated all over the
United States and Canada on the company plan at
prices ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 each. These
prices were abnormal, but importers justified them
on the ground of the heavy expense involved in
placing horses by this method and on the additional
plea that most of the horses were sold on long-time
payments. This plan of selling horses did result
in distributing thousands of high-class stallions
throughout the United States. The larger portion
of these went into communities where they were
bred exclusively to grade mares, so that the Per-
cheron breed lost the services of many of the best
breeding stallions brought over during this time.

CALYPSO 251117 (44r.77). FIRST TRIZK THREE-YEAR-OLD STALLION AND
KESERVK CHAMl'ION AT THE INTERNATIONAL LIVE STOCK EXPOSITION
IN 1900. SIRED MORE INTERNATIONAL PRIZEWINNERS THAN ANY
OTHER SIRE USED IN AMEBICA BETWEEN 1901 AND 1912.

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 393

This loss was compensated in large degree by the
general improvement wrought upon the grade
horses of the country. The progeny of these sires
proved so much more valuable in farm work and
sold for so much higher prices that farmers were
awakened to the worth of Percheron sires. This in-
creased the demand for Percheron stallions, whether
bred in America or imported from France, and led
many other men to establish small studs of Percheron
mares. The work of the importers, therefore, re-
sulted in a widespread and marked improvement in
the character and value of the common horses bred in
the United States, and also caused a general expan-
sion in Percheron breeding on this side of the water.

The large exhibits of Percherons made at the
leading fairs by importers and dealers also proved
a potent factor in educating fanners in Percheron
type and aided materially in popularizing the breed.

The Development by States. — Illinois, as was to
be expected, showed the greatest increase in the
number of breeders during this period, there being
1,476 by 1910. Iowa was second with 860, Ohio third
with 471, Kansas fourth with 319, Indiana fifth with
284, Minnesota sixth with 279, Wisconsin seventh
with 269, Nebraska eighth with 229, South Dakota
iiinth with 171, aiid North Dakota tenth with 160
breeders.

Illinois, Iowa and Ohio, the pioneer states in Per-
cheron breeding, had more than half of the Percher-
ons in the United States by 1910. Percheron breed-
ing naturally increased most rapidly where the

394 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

horses were already in most general use and where
their value was best known. It is significant, how-
ever, of the widespread interest in Percherons to
note that the breeders were scattered over 41 states
and Canada by 1910.

In Illinois. — Oaklawn maintained its position as
the leading Percheron breeding establishment in Illi-
nois during this period. Selling horses proved so
much more profitable than breeding them that a
large number of the Oaklawn mares were sold and
the breeding operations were materially curtailed.
Nevertheless, 162 Percherons bred at Oaklawn were
recorded during this period. Every effort was made
to keep the best sires available in service. Theudis
25015 (40871), one of the best-known sires in France,
was imported in 1900 and placed at the head of the
stud. He had been for some time the stud sire of
M. Tacheau, the younger, at whose establishment
he had divided honors with his sire Besigue (19602).
Theudis' get had won high honors in France and
many of the best stallions imported in the late '90 's
and the early years of the new century were sired
by him. His get won first and third at the Inter-
national Live Stock Exposition in 1901, beating the
get of Jules (37987), another of the well-known
contemporary sires of the breed. Theudis was an
eight-year-old when imported. He was one of the
largest of the sons of Besigue, a stallion of great
substance, standing about 17 hands high, and weigh-
ing approximately 2,200 pounds in show condition;
he was very deep-bodied, massive and well propor-

BESIG-XJB (19602), ONE OF THE GREAT SIRES USED IN FRANCE BETWEEN
1S&3 AND HIS DEATH IN 1904; VERY PREPOTENT. PICTURE TAKEN
WHEN HE WAS 14 YEARS OLD. HK DIED ON WATER EN ROUTE TO
AMERICA IN 1904.

MABB SUZANNE (81567)— WINNER AT lEADING FBENC5H SHOWS.

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 395

tioned, with excellent quality, symmetry, style and
action. Three of Theudis' sons. Calypso, Rabelais
and Casino, subsequently headed the Lakewood,
Leslie Farm, and the Whitewater Falls Farm studs,
and practically made the reputations of those breed-
ing establishments. Unfortunately Theudis had
seen very heavy service in France and was not a
sure getter after being imported. He made but two
seasons at Oaklawn and died Oct. 1, 1902, at 10
years of age. His failure to round into breeding
form after importation was undoubtedly a distinct
loss to the breed, as his colts were high-class in
character and had more size than most of the grand-
sons of Besigue.

Invincible 22715 (38109), a black stallion of un-
usual size and scale, was also used at Oaklawn for
a time. He was bred from the M. Lefeuvre stock
and weighed in breeding condition 2,200 pounds.
He left a number of colts of excellent type at Oak-
lawn.

Picador 27370 (48373), a winner of second prize
in the aged class at the International Live Stock
Exposition in 1901 and 1902, was also used to some
extent. He was black, of the Picador strain and was
an extremely deep-bodied, massive, powerfully
muscled sire. He was so wide and thick as to give
the impression of being lowset; he stood almost 17
hands high, however, and weighed 2,250 pounds in
show condition. With all his size. Picador possessed
symmetry and style, but was somewhat deficient in
straightness of action. Among his progeny at Oak-

396 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

lawn was the mare Britomart 40427, which subse-
quently won the championship at the International
Live Stock Exposition in 1905.

Picador was succeeded by Pink 24765 (47513), a
grandson of Besigue. Pink was the most noted show
horse that ever headed the Oaklawn stud; indeed
he probably was the most noted Percheron to grace
our showrings during the decade. He won first place
as a three-year-old at the Iowa and Minnesota State
Fairs and at the International Live Stock Exposi-
tion in 1903, and was the grand champion at Minne-
sota and the International. He was first as an aged
stallion and chamiDion at the International in 1904,
and stood second in the aged classes at the Inter-
national in 1905 and 1906 despite heavy seasons in
the stud. He remained at the head of the Oaklawn
stud and in active service from the spring of 1904
until 1911, when he was sold to R. W. Bradshaw of
Canada. Individually Pink was considered by many
good judges to be well-nigh perfect as a Percheron
type. He stood 17 hands high and weighed 2,100
pounds in fair condition. He was very deep-bodied,
strong-backed, well ribbed down in the hind flank,
and a model in the set of his legs from front, side
and rear. His symmetry was faulted by a slight
droop in the croup, but this was not marked, and
in general proportions, style and finish he was one
of the most remarkable horses of the period. His
quality was extraordinary, as his cannons and joints
were clean-cut, his skin fine and the bones of his
head as clearly outlined as in any Thoroughbred.

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 397

Pink's colts, as a rule, were very uniform, early
maturing and exceptionally good sellers. Mr. Dun-
ham states that none of his stallion colts had to
be kept past 2 yeai^s of age and that very few of
them sold for less than $1,000. They matured into
large, massive horses. Many of the mares sired
by Pink weighed more than 2,000 pounds in breed-
ing condition. One of his sons. Pink Borodino
57905, out of the champion Britomart, a daughter
of Picador, w^ent to head the 11. I. Messinger stud,
where he rendered excellent account of himself. A
daughter of Pink, the mare Pink Mirabella 57902,
out of the champion mare Mouvette 30012 (43850),
was second in the open classes and champion Ameri-
can-bred mare at the 1913 International. Another
daughter, Pink Brillante 57897, foaled 1908, raised
foals from 1911 to 1915 inclusive. Her 1916 foal,
past 2 months old, was accidentally killed. The
mare, though thin, won the championship at the
Iowa State Fair and was later champion Percheron
female at the 1916 International. Many of the sons
of Pink have been used on purebred mares with
excellent results, and the value of his blood is now
adequately recognized.

It is difficult to particularize as to the females in
any breeding stud, but some of the brood mares
owned at Oaklawn during this period are worthy of
special mention: Jeanne D'Arc 17894 (37422) w^as
champion at the International in 1900. Linda 12986
was champion in 1901. Mouvette was champion in
1903. Britomart, the daughter of Picador, bred at

398 A HISTORY OF TPIE PERCHERON HORSE

Oaklawii, was cliaiiipion in 190.5. All of these mares
were valuable breeding matrons, as were numerous
others not selected for showyard fame.

Oaklawn Farm gave special prominence to ex-
hibits of Percherons at the leading state fairs and
at the International, being one of the most consistent
and heaviest winners of prizes at the Internationals
of 1901, 1902, 1903 and 1904 and bringing out the
champion stallion for 4 successive years. A large
number of the prizes and the reserve championship
in stallions were won in 1905 and 1906, while the
mare championships fell to this stud in 1901, 1903
and 1905. Showing was discontinued in 1907, 190S
and 1909, but the Oaklawn entries were back in the
ring in 1910. The large and well fitted exhibits of
Percherons from Oaklawn Farm spurred others to
greater exertions and stimulated draft horse im-
provement generally. Extensive publicity in the
agricultural journals supplemented the showyard
advertising.

John 0. Baker was one of the large Illinois breed-
ers of this period. Hercules 19985 was his chief stud
stallion. He was a gray, foaled in 1904, and was
out of a daughter of Brilliant 1271. He was a very
large, massive type; possibly he lacked a bit in sym-
metry and finish, but his colts were large, drafty
and good sellers. So good was Hercules that he
went to the stud of S. S. Russell & Sons when 14
years of age. He was also used by Stetson Bros,,
Neponset, 111. Mr. Baker bred a large number of
Percherons, but buyers complained that he was not

rVTIME 87219 (S3153), RBSERX-E CHAlfPION, CHICAGO IXTEBXATIONAL, 1910.

PINK 24765 (47513), CHAMPION STALLION. CHICAGO INTERNATIOXAL. 1903-04.

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 399

a good caretaker and that his colts were not so well
developed as they should have been. This, coupled
with the fact that Mr. Baker did not exhibit at the
fairs to any extent, undoubtedly lessened the in-
fluence of his stud.

Dan Augstin bred a total of 150 Percherons during
this period and raised most of them himself. They
were by a number of different sires. Mr. Augstin
was located in a community where there were many
stallions above the average in merit, and he mated
his brood mares with many different horses besides
those owned by himself in an attempt to obtain the
best results.

Kellermann 10715 (20594) was one of the sires used
to advantage on Mr. Augstin 's mares, and his son
Absolom 27014 was also of decided value. Keller-
man was a black, imported in 1889 by W. L. Ell-
wood and purchased shortly after by L. F. Stubble-
field. He was of Favori and Coco breeding, a horse
of great scale and substance, a bit on the rugged
type, weighing about 2,200 pounds in good condi-
tion. He sired 53 purebred colts in the McLean
county district. A large number of purebred colts
left by Kellermann were bred in the stud of Mr.
Augstin, although Wm. Hurt & Sons, L. F. Stubble-
field, several other members of the Stubblefield fam-
ily, S. Noble King, and H. M. Rollins had colts by
him — Hurt and King even more than Augstin.

Absolom by Kellermann was also used by Dan
Augstin and some of the best mares which he re-
tained were sired by this horse. Coquette 50404,

400 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

the most noted show mare ever bred in the Augstin
stud, was one of Absolom's daughters; her colts
were always of showyard character. One of them,
Roseland 87467, was second in the open class at the
Illinois State Fair in 1914 and the champion mare
bred by exhibitor.

Kimberly 25726 (44616), imported by Dunham,
Fletcher & Coleman in 1901, was for some time at
the head of the Stubblefield stud. He was freely
used by Mr. Augstin, and to good advantage. He
represented a most unusual and desirable combina-
tion of bloodlines, as he was a son of Besigue and
had for dam Biche 44501, a daughter of King of
Perche 4975 (6738). King of Perche will be remem-
bered as one of the most famous horses in the Ell-
wood stud in the '80 's, and Besigue was the ranking
sire in France between 1893 and his death in 1904.
Kimberly was a large, powerfully-built, rugged
horse, standing over 17 hands high. He weighed
2,560 pounds at one time when in show condition and
in breeding flesh scaled 2,200 pounds. He left 35
purebred colts, a number of which were in Mr. Aug-
stin's stud.

Roland 42911, bred by C. W. Hurt but purchased
in dam by Mr. Augstin, was the most valuable sire
used after 1906. The horses produced in the Augstin
stud were of the thick, massive, drafty kinds, in-
clined to be a little lowset, and of the ''Dutchman's
type," but a rugged sort and valuable for breeding
purposes. The care and management which Dan
Augstin gave his horses was decidedly above the

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 401

average and the colts had an opportunity for full
development.

L. F. Stubbletield, McLean, 111., did not breed
nearly so many horses as many of his contempo-
raries, bnt his work was constructive in a high de-
gree. The sires Kellerman and Kimberly headed
this stud for a time and left a number of excellent
colts. Some of the best mares retained in this stud
were by those sires, and the Kellerman blood has
been particularly valuable in the production of Per-
cherons of showyard caliber.

Forfait Jr. 40974 was placed at the head of the
Stubbletield stud in the spring of 1908 and was used
to good advantage. He was not of the largest type,
but stood 16% hands high, and weighed a ton in
show" condition. He w^as very deep-bodied, well-
ribbed, and powerfully-built throughout, with an
imusually good set of legs, excellent feet, and rare
quality. He was fortunate in having an unusual
lot of mares in his harem, daughters of Kellermann
and Kimberly, and his colts were uniform in style
and of superior character. A number of them have
won honors in the leading showrings. The mare
Elsie 94834 was one of the good daughters of For-
fait Jr. She was out of a daughter of Kellermann
and was good enough to win fourth in the open
class for two-year-old mares at the Illinois State
Fair in 1914.

The three sires, Kellermann, Kimberly, and For-
fait Jr., were responsible for the improvement in
Mr. Stubbletield 's Percherons during the decade

402 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

and marked progress was evidenced at each suc-
cessive cross. The quiet, persistent accomplish-
ments of this stud had a telling effect upon breeders
conversant with L. F. Stubblefield 's work, and the
influence of this collection has undoubtedly been far
greater than that of many contemporary establish-
ments of greater numbers.

H. I. Messenger, Lockport, 111., bred 109 Perche-
rons foaled during this decade, nearly all of which
were raised by himself. Morse 22714 (40383), one
of the good sons of Besigue was used with success
and added materially to the size of the Messenger
stock. Extrador Jr. 12569 and Bochefort 29886
(45787) were used to some extent, and the stallion
Charlemagne 41259 (Hang 52519) also did good serv-
ice in this stud.

Pink Borodino 57905, a son of Pink out of the
champion mare Britomart, was bought by Mr. Mes-
senger from Oaklawn as a foal, and from the time
he became old enough was at the head of the stud.
His colts possessed size, 'good conformation and
soundness. In earlier years Mr. Messenger did not
feed his colts liberally enough to permit of the best
possible development, but they have gone on well in
the hands of new owners and have rendered excel-
lent service. Mr. Messenger did relatively little ex-
hibiting at fairs and no advertising until after
1910, so that the stud really exerted less influence
than the merits of the animals justified.

The Leslie Farm stud founded by A. L. Eobison
& Sons, Pekin, 111., during the period of depressed

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 403

values in the '90 's, was another breeding establish-
ment that exerted material influence upon Percheron
development during this period. Powerful 6670
(Bayard 7519), purchased in 1897, was continued
in service until his death. He was a tried sire with
a wide reputation when he went to head the Leslie
Farm stud, and his colts were large, well-propor-
tioned and good breeders. AVlien the Powerful fil-
lies became old enough to breed Mr. Robison cast
about to obtain another sire and finally decided
tJiat Seducteur 8850 (7057) was the horse he wanted.
Seducteur had made a great showyard record while
in the hands of AV. L. Ellwood, and after 8 years'
service, chiefly on grade mares, had passed into the
hands of H. G. McMillan at Lakewood Farm. Mr.
Robison went to Iowa in the spring of 1902 deter-
mined to buy the horse, although he was then 18
years old and known to be an uncertain breeder.
After laboring all day in an attempt to obtain a
price on Seducteur Mr. Robison finally succeeded in
inducing the owner of the Lakewood stud to place
a figure on him. The price was purposely placed
so high that it was thought to be prohibitive. Noth-
ing daunted Mr. Robison bought the horse and
shipped him to Leslie Farm, where he remained in
service until his death in 1905. While he sired but
few colts, those he did beget were of superior char-
acter, possessing great size, symmetry and rugged-
ness.

On the death of both Powerful and Seducteur
within a few months of each other in 1905 search

404 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHEROX HORSE

had to be made for a new sire. The Robison policy
of obtaining tried sires liad proved so successful
that it was continued, Eveiy horse-buyer of note
in Illinois was communicated with and attempts were
made to locate stallions that already had proved
of more than average merit in improving horses
in the communities where they had been standing.
After long search and the following of many blind
trails Rabelais 52564 (43442), foaled in 1897 and
imported in 1899, was located. He Avas a son of
Theudis, of Oaklawn fame, and out of Biche (28196),
a daughter of Seducteur, Mr. Robison and his son
Archie rode for 3 days looking at the grade colts
which this horse had sired; he had not been used
on any purebred mares. At the conclusion of this
careful investigation it was concluded that if Rabe-
lais would prove as prepotent on purebred mares
as he had already proved on grade mares, he w^as
exactly what the Leslie Farm stud Avanted, and
as he was of exceptional breeding and closely akin
in bloodlines to the horses already in the stud he
was purchased and placed in service at Leslie Farm
in 1906. Results were all that had been hoped.
Rabelais' colts were uniform in type, possessed
ample size, and were of the deep-bodied, well-ribbed,
massive kind, heavy in bone and of very drafty
type. He remained at the head of the stud until
his death in 1914.

The use of these 3 tried sires resulted in steady
improvement at Leslie Farm. Very few studs made
more consistent progress in improving the weight,

thp: new century dawns auspiciously 405

size, stylo, symmetry and quality of the Perclierons
produced. The care and management of the young
animals was far above the average, with the result
that a large proportion of the colts bred and raised
at Leslie Farm were sold as weanlings and yearlings
at prices far in advance of the usual figure. Little
was done in exhibiting at leading shows during this
period, but the influence of the breeding operations
carried on at Leslie Farm was widespread. Special
attention was given to the encouragement of small
breeders in the immediate vicinity. The result w^as
the development of a large number of small breed-
ing establishments founded on purchases made at
Leslie Farm and the general improvement of all
liorses within the Tazew^ell district.

Numerous other breeders have contributed mate-
rially to the upbuilding of Percheron interests in
Tazew^ell county, but men best acquainted with the
rise of Percheron breeding in that territory are free
to concede that Leslie Farm has led in the develop-
ment of the Tazewell country as a Percheron center
until it now stands second in the United States in
that regard.

M. C. Hodgson and W. E. Pritchard, both of
Ottaw^a, 111., whose operations have been reviewed
at length in preceding chapters, continued their
Percheron-breeding operations during this period
and made material progress. No sires of special
prominence were in service in the Hodgson stud
during this period; most of the stallions were of
Hodgson breeding and used for a short time. This

40n A HISTORY OP THE PP'.RCIIERON HORSE

procedure was not calculated to develop sires of
reputation, but the animals produced gained steadily
in size and draft character.

"Billy" Pritchard also used stallions of his own
breeding during most of this time. Sultan 41622,
out of a daughter of Confident 3647 (397), was one
of the best. The stallion Noirot 62489 (67573) was
imported in 1909 to head the stud and gave good
results, although criticized by many breeders on the
score of coarseness.

Both Pritchard and Hodgson were persistent ad-
vertisers and exhibited at many shows. Both did
considerable dealing in addition to their breeding
operations, and were thereby enabled to place the
horses of their own breeding at prices considerably
higher than the majority of breeders obtained, as
they sold direct to the ultimate user instead of to
dealers.

The Stetson stud at Neponset, 111., and that of
Russell & Sons, at the same place, both bred some
good Percherons during this period, although the
number was not particularly large.

The sires in the Stetson paddocks during this time
did not nick so satisfactorily with the mares as was
desired ; few of the colts were as good as their dams.
Most of the mares kept in the stud during this period
were daughters of Feamaught 16302, son of Bac-
carat 11326 (18639), the famous head of the Kel-
logg stud. The daughters of Feamaught were
roomy, well-proportioned mares, ranging from 1,700
to 2,000 pounds in weight, with unusual quality and

STAU>IO\ F.AAniOC-HEI'R (62niS)— rRIZEWINXEK AT FRENCH SHOWS.

MARK KlU'

I'RIZEWiyNER IN FRANCE.

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 407

finish. They were particularly good in the under-
pinning, and as the owners themselves expressed it,
were a better lot of mares than most of their daugh-
ters proved to be. This was undoubtedly due to
failure to obtain the right sire to nick with the
daughters of Fearnaught. Despite this, many ex-
cellent Percherons were sold from this stud and it
contributed materially to the breed's improvement.

Eussell & Sons did not breed extensively, but the
horses they produced were a good, useful sort, of
very drafty pattern. The foundation laid during
this period was so sound that at the first and only
exhibit made by the firm at the International Live
Stock Exposition in 1913 first and third prizes in the
futurity stakes were won on stallions of their own
breeding.

William Rumney, Somonauk, 111., bred a number
of Percherons during the decade, but did not give
any special attention to their development. Buyers
complained that his colts had not been well nur-
tured, and while later they grew into useful horses,
lack of feed and care undoubtedly detracted from
their influence on our horse stocks.

Important Illinois Dispersions. — The dispersion
of the studs of AVyatt Stanley, Stronghurst, 111.,
and of John Huston, Blandinsville, 111., in No-
vember, 1901, were important events. The Stanley
stud had been established in the '90 's by the pur-
chase of an excellent group of Brilliant-bred mares
and the stallion Titus 17122 (36778). Titus was
a big, rugged, heavy-boned, massive draft horse.

408 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

weighing more than 2,200 pounds, and his colts were
of the same pattern. Buyers of these animals came
from a wide territory, and a number of breeders
were among the leading purchasers. G. H. & F. A.
Reed, Lilylake, 111., G. AV. Patterson, Worthing-
ton, Minn., J. W. & J. C. Robison, Towanda, Kans.,
and W. S. Dunham, Wayne, 111. were prominent
among the buyers, especially of mares. The entire
lot of 34 head, including young, old and blemished
animals, sold for $11,117, an average of $327.50 per
head.

The John Huston sale was held on the following
day. Mr. Huston 's work as an importer and breeder
during the '80 's and '90 's was well known and the
attendance at this sale was more numerous and from
more widely scattered territory than at the Stanley
sale. The dispersion of this stud was the culmination
of 25 years' work with Percherons, and Percherons
only. Mr. Huston had bred persistently for the up-
standing, drafty sort, with special emphasis on un-
derpinning and quality. His horses were of the
large pattern, the stallions standing about 17 hands
high, and the mares I6V2 hands high, or more, yet
well proportioned. In the opinion of the horsemen
present at the vendue it was doubtful whether half-
a-dozen of the best mares could have been duplicated
in America for size, weight, bone and quality, and
the other matrons were not far behind the tops.
A. P. Nave, Attica, Ind., was one of the heaviest
buyers, and added some grand breeding matrons to
the stud he had previously started. Isaac Agen-

THE NEW CENTriiV DAWNS ArSPICIOT^SLY 409

bright, G. W. Patterson, J. H. Barnes and Granville
Kesling- were active in the bidding and obtained a
nnmber of animals. Tliirty-fonr head sold for
$11,405, an average of $356.55.

These two sales distributed some of the best Per-
cherons to be had among a number of new studs
and encouraged Percheron breeders generally. The
wide publicity given to these auctions and the crowd
of buyers from all parts of the country which as-
sembled to bid on good Percherons gave notice to
breeders that conditions had cliang;ed, and that many
men had confidence enough in the outcome of the
horse business to pay good prices for Percherons.

New Studs Founded in Illinois. — Hundreds of
new breeding establishments were started in Illi-
nois during the period under discussion. It is
impossible to mention all of these. One of the most
important was at Gregory Farai, Whitehall, 111., by
W. S. Corsa, whose later operations in the Percheron
field have made him one of the best-knowni breeders.
Gregory Farm ref|uired a number of draft horses for
general farm work and many heavy mares were
in use on Mr. Corsa 's farm in Nebraska. Cocardos
16949 (35219), the black son of Brilliant 3d, was
bought by Mr. Corsa and placed at the head of his
Nebraska, bunch of grade mares. Mr. Corsa did
not at that time know that Cocardos had Avon first
prize in the three-year-old class at the World's
Columbian Exposition in 1903, neither did he know
that he was the sire of the noted stallion Lyceen
21630 (42509) and other good ones. Cocardos' get

410 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

out of the grade mares in Nebraska were of super-
lative excellence and Mr. Corsa often has regretted
since that he did not know this stallion's true value
in time to use him on purebred mares. Radziwill
27328 (44228) was purchased in the fall of 1901
or spring of 1902 to use on the mares at Gregory
Farm. He had been imported by Dunham, Fletcher
& Coleman and shown at the International in 1901,
where he attracted much attention. The use of
these two sires on the grade mares at Gregoiy Farm
and at the farm in Nebraska impressed Mr. Corsa
most favorably, and having noticed a rapidly in-
creasing demand for Percherons he determined to
purchase a few purebred mares. The first purchase
of mares was made from H. S. Hoyman & Son in
1903, when Electress 31729 and Bona 31730 were
purchased. Lucretia 19582 was bought about the
same time. Some good mares were bought from
Parsons & Baldwin shortly afterward and a few
purchases were made from Oaklawn. A little later
some mares of Brilliant breeding were bought from
Lee Bros, of Kansas. Among these was Folichonne
31518 (54111), one of the most valuable mares ever
owned in the stud. She was an inbred Brilliant,
having for sire Besigue and for her dam a daughter
of the same Besigue. These mares and the others
which had been added from time to time gave Greg-
ory Farm quite a band of matrons by 1908. Their
produce, sired by Radziwill, was so satisfactory that
Mr. Corsa determined to secure the best stallion
obtainable to succeed Radziwill in the stud, and for

CABNOT 66S66 (66666), CHA5IPI0N AT INTERNATIONAL, EXPOSITION, 1909.

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 411

use on the fillies sired by him. Carnot 66666
(66666), a winner of iirst prize at Paris and with
practically an unbroken string of victories in tlie
United States to his credit, was champion stallion
at the International in 1909, His purchase at the
hitherto unheard of price of $10,000 was consum-
mated and he went to the h«ad of the Gregory Farm
stud in 1910. Actual breeding operations at Gregory
Farm during the first decade of the century were
carefully planned, but no showing or advertising of
consequence was done until after the purchase of
Carnot in 1909. The mares that had been purchased
and those bred at White Hall, however, had given
Mr. Corsa a strong foundation, Avorthy of the high-
priced sire selected, and subsequent breeding opera-
tions, combined with unusually skillful advertising
in the slio wring and agricultural press, have placed
the Gregory Farm stud among the leading Perclieron
breeding establishments of the present period.

Progress in Iowa. — Iowa, second in Perclieron
breeding from an early period, maintained its rank
during this decade. While there were fewer noted
and extensive breeders of Percherons in Iowa
than in Illinois, the operations were more widely
scattered through all parts of the state than was
the case in Illinois. A foundation was laid which
has brought the state very close to Illinois in the
number of Percherons produced.

The Lakewood Farm stud was the leading Per-
cheron-breeding establishment in Iowa during this
period, and bred more Percherons than any other

412 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

in the United States during this time. To the pur-
chases made prior to 1900 Mr. McMillan added some
of the best mares from the E. L. Humbert stud, the
Minnesota Percheron Horse Co., and the Wyatt
Stanley stud, and also numerous other mares bought
from scattered breeders. Seducteur was bought in
the spring of 1900. Calypso 25017 (44577), first-
prize winner in the three-year-old class at the Inter-
national in 1900 and reserve champion at that show,
was purchased in time to make his first season at
Lakewood Farm in 1901. He was a line-bred Bril-
liant, a son of the noted Theudis and out of a daugh-
ter of Brilliant 3d. Individually he was not of the
largest type, but stood about 16% hands in height
and weighed 1,900 pounds in breeding condition. He
was a remarkably well-proportioned horse, beauti-
fully balanced throughout, with two good ends and
a good middle. His underpinning could not be sur-
passed and his style, quality and action have seldom
been equalled. All in all. Calypso was one of the
most perfect types of the breed used in America
after 1900, and the only serious criticism ever lodged
against him was on the point of size. He proved
to be one of the most prepotent sires ever known
to the breed. His get won more prizes for get-of-
sire than that of any other stallion used in America
during his time; his excellence as a sire made the
reputation of Lakewood Farm. He worked under
the disadvantage of being bred to large numbers of
mares that were intended solely for sale purposes;
they were not really good enough to be mated to a

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 413

sire of such outstanding excellence. Despite this,
time has demonstrated that no sire ever begot a
more uniform and a more excellent lot of colts than
Calypso, when the character of the mares used is
taken into consideration.

It must not be inferred from this that there were
no good mares in the Lakewood Farm stud. There
was a large number of mares of the best type and
breeding, wdiose progeny by Calypso carried the
colors of the Lakewood stud to the front in the
strongest of competition at the leading shows.

Olbert 42815 (53109), first-prize aged stallion and
reserve champion at the 1905 International, was
purchased and used in the Lakewood stud during
the seasons of 1906 and 1907. He was an upstanding
gray, over 17 hands high and weighing 2,100 pounds
in fair condition. He was an upheaded, stylish stal-
lion, rather more rangy in pattern than most of
the horses of 1905 and 1906. He was a horse of
surpassing quality, with flintlike bone, tendons well
set back and joints clearly defined. Olbert was pur-
chased for the particular purpose of being mated
to the daughters of Calypso, with a view to in-
creasing the scale and draftiness of the Lakewood
Farm Percherons. He begot size, but his colts were
so rough and rangy in appearance as yearlings and
two-year-olds that he was disposed of before his
real value as a sire became apparent. His get did
not round into sale form until 3 and 4 years of
age, but they were horses of tremendous scale and
massiveness, with more than usual quality. His

414 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

blood, at first unappreciated, was later highly valued
by breeders who were seeking to increas" the size
of their Percherons without sacrificing quality. His
subsequent development into a sire of high rank
vindicated the judgment of John Huston, who in-
sisted, as one judge on the committee at the Inter-
national in 1905, that Olbert showed every evidence
of developing into a great stock horse. Had this
stallion been given an opportunity to head a great
band of brood mares, no one can estimate how far-
reaching his influence might have been. As it is, Ol-
bert has a conspicuous place among Percheron sires.
Actual breeding operations at Lakewood Farm
were subordinated to the work of purchasing and
distributing Percherons. Mr. McMillan was one of
the first to realize the opportunity open to men who
were good judges of Percherons and who had the
means and inclination to assemble the Percheron
stock which had been so widely scattered througli-
out the years of depression. For years he made
heavy purchases of both mares and stallions, par-
ticularly in Illinois and Iowa. After carrying these
animals long enough to put them in shape for sale
they were sold at public auction and were widely
distributed throughout the northwest. A large num-
ber of the animals which were recorded as bred at
Lakewood Farm were from mares purchased for
sale purposes, bred to the Lakewood Farm sires
and sold in foal, so that the number actually bred
and raised at Lakewood Farm is but a part of llic
grand total.

A,B.No/be?r^)([ W.S.Corsa

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS ALSPICIOUSLV 415

The sliow3'ard winnings of tlie Perclierons from
the Lakewood stud constitute an important contri-
bution to the showyard history of this period, be-
ginning at the International of 1906, where the
purple ribbon for grand champion mare fell to
lolanthe 40925, and where the get of Calypso won
first for get-of-sire. McMillan & Son showed re-
peatedly at the Iowa and Minnesota State Fairs and
at the International with marked success. The mare
lolanthe, bred at Lakewood Farm, was first-prize
three-year-old at the Iowa and Minnesota. State Fairs
and won the championship at Minnesota, as well as
at the International, in 1906. She came back as
an aged mare and won the championship at the In-
ternational in 1910, the only mare that ever accom-
plished this feat in the history of the show. The
American-bred colts brought to tlie front from the
Lakewood stud were the first successfully to com-
pete with imported horses in the leading showrings.
This stud did more to overcome the erroneous im-
pression that American-bred horses were not so
good as the imported ones than any other breeding
establishment of the period.

Singmaster & Sons, Keota, la., continued opera-
tions on an extensive scale, both as importers and
as breeders. The other draft breeds which had re-
ceived considerable attention from them prior to
this time were relegated to the background and Per-
clieron interests became paramount at Maple Grove
Farms. C. F. Singmaster and his son, J. 0., were
the most active in the development of this stud,

416 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

altliougli Thomas Singmaster, brother of C. F., also
carried on extensive breeding operations.

The heavy importations made by the Singmasters
led them to test out a large number of different sires,
and more than 25 were in service during this period.
"While this practice resulted in the production of a
large number of high-class Percherons, it did not
lead to the development of any sires of outstanding
reputation. Bataclan 21264 (43368) was given more
liberal opportunities in the stud than most of his
contemporaries, and he subsequently sired a number
of purebred colts in the studs of J. H. Letts and
Brockway & Sons. Niagara 32338 (48905) was also
used rather extensively and left many good colts at
Maple Grove in 1905 and 1906. He later saw service
in the stud of O. L. Thisler of Kansas, and still later
went to P. W. Cox & Sons. A number of mares bred
to him were sold to Glover & Son of North Dakota,
where they contributed to the success of their stud.

While no sires of nation-wide reputation were used
in the Singmaster studs during this period, the type
was materially improved by persistent selection of
the best mares and by carefully mating them to
such sires as seemed to be best fitted to overcome
deficiencies. Eelatively little was done in the way
of showyard exhibitions until 1907, but from that
time on the Singmaster stud was most strongly rep-
resented in the leading shows. The persistent, wide-
spread advertising done by this firm and the ex-
tensive sales made affected most favorably draft
horse development in all sections, and a large num-

-MOULINEX TDllit; (USDIT). HKST-1'KIZB AGED STAIXION AT PABIS 1911,
AFTERWARDS lifPORTED TO AMERICA.

INDIVISE. A PBIZEWINNING MARE AT FRENCH SHOWS.

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 417

ber of breeding establishments were founded on the
purchases of mares and stallions from Maple Grove.
The quality and character of the animals purchased
has improved steadily, and the stud today ranks
among the leading breeding establishments in the
United States.

Maasdam & Wheeler, Fairfield, la., were ex-
tensive dealers and importers from 1901 to 1910.
Their breeding operations were subordinate to their
other activities, but they were well to the front in
the showrings. They exhibited the gray mare
Amorita, champion at the International in 1909.
They distributed a large number of animals of drafty
type and their sales in the western states were most
extensive.

L. M. Hartley, one of the early draft horse breed-
ers in southeastern Iowa, was another breeder wlio
produced a number of Percherons during this period
and was also active as a dealer. His horses were
characterized by heavy bone and extreme rugged-
ness and massiveness. They were very powerful,
well-proportioned draft horses, possessing more
draftiness than finish. They proved extremely valu-
able in increasing the size and bone of the stock
they were used upon and a number of the best sires
of market horses trace to this stud. Samson 27328
and Tavernier 35719, whose dam was a daughter
of Samson, were the leading stallions used. Both
were prepotent. Samson was sired by Martigny
2528 (1271), a gray stallion imported in 1883 by Mr.
Dunham and sold to Mr. Hartley in 1884. Martigny

418 A HISTOKV OF THE PKHC'HERON HORSE

was of the Favori and Coco breeding, and the most
valuable of the early sires used in the Hartley stud.
Bred to Tontine 5756 (4240), a grand-daughter of
Brilliant 1899, he begot Samson. Samson stamped
his foals so indelibly with his own likeness that ex-
perienced horsemen who knew the old horse could
pick his colts with almost unerring certainty out of
bands containing numerous animals of other breed-
ing. Little was done in the way of showing the
horses bred in this stud, but persistent newspaper
advertising was resorted to and the horses were sold
over a wide range of territory.

E. D. Seaman, a neighbor of L. M. Hartley, had
stock of much the same pattern and was also an
extensive breeder during this period.

F. E. Waters, West Liberty, la., confined his work
largely to actual breeding operations and produced
some very drafty, useful stock, particularly aftei-
acquiring Morse 22714 (40.383) and Brilliant D.
45336. These sires were both above the average in
size and draftiness. Crossed on the thick mares
already in the stud they begot some very useful
stock which has been Avidely distributed through-
out the northwest.

M. L. Ayres, whose work has already been dis-
cussed, was among the ten leading breeders in Iowa
during this period. Blande 29259 (36577) was the
leading sire used; he was a son of Brilliant 3d out of
a daughter of tlie noted show horse La Ferte 5144
(452) and had been at the head of M. Tacheau's stud
in France for some time prior to his importation by

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 419

Mr. Ayres. Blancio was a l)laek witli strip and snip
in his face, and a horse of excellent pattern, stand-
ing about 16.3 hands high and weighing 2,000
pounds. He was deep-bodied, strong-backed, long
and level in the croup, with excellent feet and set
of legs, and possessed good quality and action. He
was an extremely prepotent sire and many of the
best stallions imported from France were sired by
him. He was the sire of the Olbert referred to in
the discussion of the Lakewood stud and of many
other good horses. His colts sired in Mr. Ayres'
stud were uniform and closely resembled their sire,
even to color and markings. Mr. Ayres was an ex-
cellent feeder and gave his foals every opportunity
for development. The colts sold from this breeding
establishment were of the heavy-boned, deep-bodied,
thick, drafty kind, and rendered excellent service
wherever used. Mr. Ayres' advanced age and lack
of general education handicapped his operations,
but the horses bred by him Avere undeniably of great
value to Percheron interests.

James Loonan was another of the 10 leading breed-
ers in Iowa during this period, and his operations
were strictly along breeding lines. His horses were
rather low-down, thick, wide and drafty, somewhat
on the "Dutchman's type." Superior 40605, out of
a daughter of Confident, one of the most noted sons
of Brilliant, was the greatest sire used in this stud.
He was about 17 hands high and a deep, thick, drafty
horse, weighing 2,200 pounds in show condition. His
colts were uniform in type and of high average ex-

420 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

cellence; lie rendered excellent service from tlie time
he entered Mr. Loonan's stud as a three-year-old in
1906. Some showing was practiced, animals bred
in this stud being exhibited at the International in
1910 and 1911, where for both years the second prize
was won on the get of Superior. Mr. Loonan's gen-
eral advertising was somewhat limited in character,
but horses have been sold from this stud over a large
part of Iowa and to some extent in the northwestern
states and Canada.

Isadore Link was another Iowa breeder whose
work already has been touched upon. While he
did not breed a large number of Percherons, they
were of good type and were much sought after by
dealers who recognized their excellent conformation
and quality.

There were numerous other breeders in Iowa
whose operations are deserving of attention, but
they were for the most part men who bred limited
numbers of Percherons. They contributed materi-
ally to the improvement of draft horses in Iowa,
however, by the use of high-class sires and by dis-
tributing animals of good type and breeding, there-
by aiding materially in bringing Iowa to its present
premier position among the states in number and
total value of all horses.

Ohio's Contributions. — Ohio, third in Percheron
breeding with a total of 471 breeders by 1910, bred
2,286 Percherons during the decade. The Hartman
Stock Farm, Columbus, 0., was the ranking breed-
ing establishment in the state, and a heavy importer

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 421

as well. Its operations began in 1901 with the pur-
chase of a number of American-bred mares. This
was followed in 1902 by the importation of more
than 50 mares and several stallions, and additional
importations were made in 1903, 1904 and later.
Ugolin 31488 (46131) was the first stallion used, but
he sired only a few purebred colts.

Dr. Hartman was very wealthy and ambitious to
build up the greatest Percheron breeding establish-
ment in America. He bought a number of the best
mares from the Dunham stud, several from A. P.
Nave, and purchased the best he could obtain in
France. He also secured at a long price the stallion
Besigue, the most noted sire used in France between
1893 and the time of his purchase by Dr. Hartman
in 1904. Unfortunately the horse died on shipboard,
so that Dr. Hartman 's plan of bringing over the
greatest sire France possessed to head his breeding
establishment failed of completion. He had more
than 120 Percheron mares in his stud in 1904, but
results were extremely unsatisfactory. A large num-
ber of the mares were worked in teams at heavy
hauling by teamsters who were every thing but
horsemen. Heavy pulling and backing of the mares
while in foal resulted in the loss of many foals.
The plan of running the mares in large bands
favored the spread of abortion, which cut down the
number of foals produced. The supposed tendency
of imported mares to be shy breeders on account
of acclimation fever for the first 2 or 3 years after
importation was another retarding factor, so that

422 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

tlie iiiimber of foals produced was very small in
proportion to the number of mares owned. Lack of
success in producing and raising colts discouraged
Dr. Hartman, and lie sold most of liis mares before
1910.

The steady importations of stallions and the
tendency of the men in charge continually to try
out new horses led to the use of more than 20 dif-
ferent stallions in the Hartman stud, with the result
that none of them was given a thorough enough trial
to achieve any particular reputation.

Dr. Hartman exhibited at the Ohio State Fair
and at the International with fair success. Con-
siderable newspaper advertising was instituted and
the Percheron importing and breeding operations
carried on by the Hartman Stock Farm did much
to increase the popularity of Percherons, besides
leading to the direct distribution of a large number
of valuable mares and stallions.

The mare Folichonne, already referred to as one
of the most valuable brood mares in the Gregory
Farm stud, was one of those imported by the Hart-
man Stock Farm, and many other mares that have
done much good in other breeding establishments
were imported or bred by this stud. While the
experiment was a failure from a financial standpoint
so far as Dr. Hartman was concerned, it nevertheless
benefited Percheron breeding interests in the United
States in a material degree.

C. M. Jones, Plain City, O., the oldest living
Percheron breeder in the United States, whose opera-

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 423

tions have already been reviewed in some detail,
was another of the most influential breeders in Ohio
during this period. His work was continued along
the same conservative lines, but the animals bred
in this stud, while few in number, were of uniformly
high character. Most of the stallions produced by
Mr. Jones went to head purebred studs, and such
mares as w^ere sold proved valuable additions to
other breeding establishments. Diamant ,']0018
(46611), first prize two-year-old at the 1902 Inter-
national, was purchased by Mr. Jones at that show
and was the head of his stud from that time on. He
was almost black when shown, but subsequently
developed into a typical gray. He stood 17 hands
high, weighed more than a ton in breeding condi-
tion and was a stylish, deep-bodied, massive, heavy-
boned horse, with excellent underpinning and good
quality; he could have been a little deeper in the
back rib to advantage. Diamant proved to be an
excellent breeder, siring drafty colts of excellent
conformation, quality, style and action. Although
he stood at a higher service fee than any other stal-
lion in the community he always had all he could
do. His colts, whether grade or purebred, com-
manded top prices. He was the sire of some very
good mares which went into the C. F. Camp and
John Yost & Sons studs, and was also the sire of
Dorus 51052, used for some years at the head of
C. F. Camp's stud. Dorus sired Dora C. 81201, a
prizewinner at the Ohio State Fair. Some of the
daughters of Diamant bred to Aiglon 34397 (51598),

424 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

a son of Besigue, by C. F. Camp produced colts that
were good enough to win the Eastern Percheron
Breeders ' Futurity. The colt Algernon 112779, win-
ner of these Futurity stakes at the Ohio State Fair
in 1915, was bred on this identical line. Mr. Jones
did not do much exhibiting, but the influence of
his stud was marked, even during this period.

John Yost & Sons, Thornville, 0., whose horses
have been discussed in some detail, were among the
leading breeders in Ohio during this period. Some
of the best mares in their stud have been drawn
from the C. M. Jones establishment, and three of
the Jones stallions, Wamba 22034, Moreri Jr. 26195,
and Dunham 42077, were used in the Yost stud be-
tween 1901 and 1910 with excellent results.

Henry A. Eohrs, Napoleon, 0., who founded his
stud in 1886, and whose work has been briefly
touched upon, was one of the five leading breeders
in Ohio during this period. He shipped some mares
to Oaklawn in 1902 and got a couple of fillies by
Theudis. One of these died without produce but
the other, Theudisanna 35420 proved to be a good
breeder. Mr. Rohrs shipped her to White Hall, 111.,
to be mated to Carnot in 1912, obtaining a filly
Carnole 108892. These two instances indicate Mr.
Rohr's willingness to go to considerable expense
in his breeding, and his influence upon those breed-
ers who came in contact with him was effective in
leading them to exercise greater care in the selec-
tion of their stock, particularly the sires.

Lonzo McClain, E. D. Koli, D. L. Buchanan, B. L.

IMPRECATION 79304 (79214) i iiwiiKiX AT CHICAGO INTERXATIONAL, 1911-12.

PRAfUV.N .'■i2in5 (O.iUl), (ll\MI'l(i\ \ 1' (llh M.n i N I ].KVAT10NAI-, 1907.

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 425

Robinson, F. M. Camp, E. J. Condit and A. B. New-
son were other breeders whose work was valuable to
Percheron interests in Ohio during this period. And
there were many others whose operations, while less
extensive, were potent, particularly in the local field.
Of those named Mr. Camp has bred more prize-
winners than any other, and his success has been
due largely to his insistence upon procuring the
best possible foundation stock and to his unusually
intelligent care in the management and feeding of
the colts he has produced. His stock was character-
ized by size, good conformation, excellent under-
pinning, ample style and action. He has demon-
strated that it is possible for a small breeder whose
chief interests are in farming to produce horses
capable of winning in the hottest competition.

The filly that won the first Eastern Percheron
Futurity stake at the Ohio State Fair and the stal-
lions that won the same futurity stakes in 1914
and 1915 were all bred by Camp. The stallion that
won the futurity in 1914 won second in the two-
year-old stallion class at the Iowa State Fair, and
third at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Fran-
cisco in 1915, proving that his early performance
was no fluke. These winnings, convincing evidence
of the soundness of Mr. Camp's methods, should
serve to drive home to thousands of other farmer-
breeders who have but a few Percherons the fact
that large numbers are not required to produce prize-
winners that sell for long prices. Sound judgment
in the selection of foundation stock, the use of good

426 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

sires, and intelligent management in the breeding
and development of the colts mean far more than
the possession of a large band of mares.

McLaughlin Bros., whose headquarters were at
Columbus, 0., were among the most extensive im-
porters operating in the United States during this
period. They confined their operations exclusively
to imported horses and rarely bought mares except
on special orders. They imported a large number
of very high-class stallions, excellent both in in-
dividuality and in bloodlines, between 1901 and 1908.
Nearly all their stallions were sold to syndicates on
the company plan at high prices, and as a result
comparatively few of the many stallions which
they imported were ever used on purebred mares,
as most of them went to neighborhoods where only
grade mares were available. There were some notable
exceptions to the rule, but the majority of the stal-
lions imported by this firm have been lost to the
breed. The firm was very active, however, in adver-
tising and popularizing Percherons. The McLaugh-
lins were extensive exhibitors at the leading shows,
sending forward horses that were as a rule
well brought out. They were aggressive and
extensive advertisers in the agricultural press. The
large amount of notes taken on horses sold finally
brought about the downfall of the firm, as great sums
proved impossible of collection and eventually forced
a liquidation of the business.

The Percherons bred in Ohio during this period
were good, although they did not possess on an

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 427

average so much scale as the Illinois and Iowa
horses.

Progress in Kansas. — Kansas, fourth in Perche-
ron breeding, with 319 breeders by 1910, bred a total
of 2,039 Percherons during this period. Slower
progress was made in this state than in Illinois,
Iowa or Ohio. This was due in part to the fact
that the farmers had been harder hit by years of
depression, and also to the fact that they had se-
vere drouths and short crops in 1902 and 1904.
The steadily increasing demand for draft horses for
farm use was a stimulant, and the sale of many im-
ported stallions in the Sunflower State by strong
importing firms hastened the liking of Percheron
sires.

J. C. & J. W. Robison, whose first Percheron
mares were purchased in 1897, had the leading
stud in Kansas during this period. The first mare
purchased was Rosalie 4894, a daughter of Nyanza
869. J. C. Robison bought her from Henry Avery,
Wakefield, Kans., and at the time he was there
Mr. Avery offered to let him take one or all of the
mares at $100 each. This band of mares contained
several daughters of Brilliant 3d and many others
of excellent breeding, but the horses were then lack-
ing in size and Mr. Robison was entirely un-
acquainted with Brilliant 3d's reputation as a sire.
He finally purchased the one mare with considerable
trepidation, but has regretted often since that he
did not buy the entire band.

In the spring of 1900 J. C. Robison bought for

428 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

the firm 4 imported mares and 2 colts at the side
of their dams, from S. W. McMillan, Topeka, Kans.
These mares were of the Ellwood stock and ex-
cellent individuals, but Mr. McMillan had become
discouraged by reason of the long depression in
values. He sold the entire bunch to Mr. Robison
for $610. Among the band thus purchased for a
song was the mare Fine 13085 (26998). She had a
filly foal at side when purchased, which Mr. Robi-
son recorded as Zaza 24618. Zaza subsequently won
first in the aged mare classes at the St. Louis Ex-
position in 1904. Her half-sister Fauvette 27223,
produced by Fine in 1901, won first in the three-
year-old class, and the two were sold immediately
after the show to E. B. White of Leesburg, Va., for
$1,000 each. Fine produced another foal in 1902,
but after that time quit breeding.

Three other valuable mares were added to the
Robison stud in 1901 by purchases made at the
Wyatt Stanley sale. One was Albertine 5119 (7587),
a daughter of Confident. Another was the mare
Azalia, sired by Brilliant 1271 and out of Albertine.
The third mare was Idalia, another daughter of
Brilliant 1271. These mares were excellent indi-
viduals and had been good producers in the hands
of their previous owners, but transplanting them
to Kansas apparently interfered with their breeding,
for none of them proved to be satisfactory producers
after passing into the ownership of the Whitewater
Falls stud. Their failure to breed regularly was
a sore disappointment to Mr. Robison, as they were

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 429

mares of the most desirable bloodlines and excellent
individuals.

Endymion, another grand, big mare, a daughter
of Brilliant 3d, also proved to be an unreliable pro-
ducer. She was bought by the Robisons in 1903,
and although bred regularly proved barren until
1907. She was subsequently sold to C. N. Miller,
lindsay. Ark., who got a foal out of her in 1909.
He in turn sold her to W. S. Corsa in 1910, who did
not succeed in getting a foal from her until 1914.
She produced altogether only 5 foals in 17 years.

Some mares were purchased by Eobison &: Son
from Thodore Moore, Arkansas City, Kans. These
were of the Dillon stock and Victorine 61629, later
one of the best brood mares in Mr. Corsa 's stud,
was bred by Mr. Robison out of Victoria 41198, one
of the mares included in this purchase. Rosa Bon-
heur 11324 (10382) would probably rank next to
F'ine as a valuable brood mare. She was a daughter
of Confident and was imported by the Ellwoods.
She passed into the hands of 0. L. Thisler and later
to T. K. Tomson & Son, from whom Mr. Robison
))()uglit her. She produced 4 foals from 1902 to
1905 at the Whitewater Falls Farm, and they were
all exceptionally high-class. The last one. Brilliant
42592, was used for some time in the home stud.
Some other good mares w^ere bought from S. C.
Hanna, who had obtained some of the best matrons
from his brother's stud at Bloomington, 111. Some
of the best things bred by the Robisons during this
period came from this foundation.

430 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

The chief stud sires used at Whitewater Falls
during this period were Fantome 25972 (43683),
Social 9311 (18468), and Casino 27830 (45462).
Casino was the stallion that really made the repu-
tation of the stud. He was imported in 1901 by
Singmaster & Sons, and was a line-bred Brilliant, a
son of Theudis out of a granddaughter of Brilliant
1899. He went to the head of the Whitewater Falls
stud in 1902 and is still in active service, although
now 20 years of age. He was a winner of numerous
prizes at state fairs in 1902 and 1903, won first in
the aged stallion class in 1904 at St. Louis World's
Fair, and has a long record of prizes to his credit,
both individually and as a sire. He stood about 17
hands high and weighed from 1,900 to 1,950 pounds in
breeding condition. He was a deep-bodied, strong-
backed, well-ribbed horse, symmetrical throughout,
and with the stylish carriage of head and neck and
the freedom of action so much desired in Percherons.
His colts were unifonn in tj^oe, and while he, like
Calypso, suffered the disadvantage of being bred to
many mares that were intended purely for sale, his
progeny has been considerably above the average
and he is justly entitled to rank among the noted
sires of the breed. He wrought decided improve-
ment in the Whitewater Falls Farm Percherons, and
had his best daughters been carefully retained this
breeding establishment would have had a band of
mares of very much more excellence than it did
possess. High prices tempted Mr. Eobison to sell
many of Casino's daughters, however. This policy.

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 431

while successful from a financial standpoint, un-
doubtedly interfered with the development of the
stud.

Mr. Robison's operations as a dealer were ex-
tensive. In the later years of this period he bought
large numbers of mares in various sections, par-
ticularly in Illinois and Iowa, and distributed them
through the southwest by public auctions held at
Whitewater Falls Farm. This resulted in the estab-
lishment of a large number of new breeding places
and aided in popularizing Percherons in Kansas and
the states to the southwest, where the bulk of the
sales were made.

Henry Avery, Wakefield, Kans., w^hose earlier
operations, both individually and as a member of the
fiiTu of Avery & Coleman, have already been fully
reviewed, was one of the leading breeders in Kansas
during this period. He exhibited at the St. Louis
Exposition in 1904, where he won first and third on
two-year-old mares. The stallion Bosquet 40105
(46612) was the last sire in use and left some very
good colts, a number of which went to the stables
of J. H, Tangeman when the Avery stud was dis-
persed in 1905. The prices realized were satisfac-
tory, considering the fact that everything, old,
young and blemished, was sold.

There is no doubt but that Henry Avery rendered
a great service to Percheron breeding in Kansas.
His stud was dispersed at a time when victory was
practically within his grasp. The animals sold
passed into the hands of many breeders in Kansas

432 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHl'.RON HORSE

and wherever given a fair opportunity for full de-
velopment have demonstrated the good breeding
they possessed by maturing into large, well-pro-
portioned, valuable Percherons.

J. H. Tangeman, one of the heavy purchasers of
Avery stock, did not breed a large number of Per-
cherons, but produced very good stock. Many of his
animals were considerably above the average in
breeding.

0. T. Thisler also bred a number of Percherons
during this period. He was always more of a dealer
than breeder and we have previously referred to
his purchases from the Ellwood stud. He also made
some purchases at a later date from Singmaster &
Sons. He came quite active in developing Percher-
ons in Kansas and at points farther west.

C. H. Spohr, one of the five leading breeders in
Kansas during this period started with stock from
the Covell stud. The mare Mollie 19915, bred from
this foundation, was a valuable brood mare, a reg-
ular producer of good colts. She raised colts of
record in 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1908, 1909,
1910, 1912 and 1914, an achievement that is sur-
passed by few brood mares. Three of her stallions,
Castillon 1st, Castillon 2d and Castillon 3d, are re-
ported to have sold for $800 each, and the mare was
a money-maker from the start of her career. Cas-
tillon 27318 (46308) was the most valuable sire used
in this stud. He was a black witli a star in his fore-
head, foaled in 1900 and imported in 1901 by H. A.
Briggs. Sired by Paladin (Conat 34847) and a

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 433

grandson of the notod siro Champoanx 6218 (2248),
he was out of a line-bred Brilliant dam. He was a
large, well-proportioned, rugged stallion, weighing
2,350 pounds in show condition, and his get has
been distributed throughout the southwest. The
management of the stud has since passed into the
liands of John and John A. Spohr.

Other Kansas breeders who came into prominence
during this period were F. H. Shrepel, G. E. Clark,
S. S. Spangler, Snyder Bros., Lee Bros., Clark A.
Smith, S. C. Hanna and Dr. J. T. Axtell. None of
these had bred very many animals at the close of the
decade, but they laid strong foundations for later
work.

Dr. J. T. Axtell achieved some note by attempting
to create a strain of bay Percherons. He bought
a number of typical animals of that color and by
breeding these together attempted to create a defi-
nite strain. Results proved embarrassing, for prac-
tically 50 percent of his Percherons were blacks and
greys. It should be possible, by persistent effort
to develop a strain of bays, and if the doctor's efforts
are not interrupted something of this kind undoubt-
edly may be accomplished.

The chief work done by Percheron breeders in
Kansas during this decade consisted in popularizing
the breed and in improving the size, quality and
type of the market horses and the Percherons in the
state. Extensive sales were made into Oklahoma,
Texas and other southwest states. The breeders of
Kansas have exerted a greater influence upon Per-

434 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

clieron development in the southwest than have
those of any other commonwealth.

Progress in Minnesota. — Minnesota, fifth in Per-
clieron breeding during the decade under con-
sideration, had 279 breeders by 1910, and 1,583
Percherons bred in that state are of record as
foaled during that period. G. W. Patterson, the
Patterson-Erickson Co., T. L. & J. L. DeLancey,
the Jean DuLuth Co., H. W. Lightley, Crandall &
Danforth, L. C. Hodgson and L. W. Orr were the
leading breeders.

T. L. & J. L. DeLancey, whose operations have
already been sketched, were the most aggressive
of the Minnesota, firms so far as exhibitions at the
leading state fairs were concerned, and at this
time probably were the most active in distributing
Percherons. They did not breed a large number,
but the horses they did produce were of superior
character and successfully contended in the open
classes at the Minnesota State Fair during 1900,
1901, 1902 and 1904. The mare Charmante 109.31
(20451) was their most valuable breeding matron
and held her showyard form to a late age. Her
colts without exception were of high character and
winners in the leading shows. The DeLanceys
sold foundation animals to a number of other studs
in Minnesota and wielded a decided influence in
the development of Percheron interests during the
early part of this period.

George W. Patterson, Worthington, Minn.,
founded his stud in 1901 by purchasing 6 mares

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 435

and a stallion at the Wyatt Stanley and John Huston
sales, held late in the fall of 1901. Forfait 16873
(28578), head of the John Huston stable for years,
was purchased to head Mr. Patterson's stud, but
died before being used. Mr. Patterson thereupon
purchased Lyceen 21620 (42509) from T. L. & J. L.
DeLancey, and used him until the spring of 1908,
when he sold him to the Jean DuLuth stud.

The first colts bred by Mr. Patterson were
dropped in 1903, and Lyceen was the chief sire dur-
ing the first 5 years, although Collegian 22744
(43609), a son of Lyceen and also imported by the
DeLanceys, was used to some extent. In addition
to his 6 foundation mares Mr. Patterson secured
several from Nagle and Sons, Grand Ridge, 111., and
others from the Minnesota Percheron Horse Co.

The mare Frou Frou 22681 was bred by H. G.
McMillan, passed into Mr. Patterson's stud and
proved to be a most regular breeder for him and
also in the hands of her later owners A. J. Lasby
and G. J. Gilbertson. Some mares Avere also ob-
tained by Mr. Patterson from T. L. & J. L. DeLancey
and M. C. Hodgson. Among the best ones were
those purchased from Hodgson & Nagle. They in-
cluded Pose Bonheur 12962, a daughter of the fa-
mous Confident which proved a very satisfactory
breeder.

In the spring of 1907 Mr. Patterson transferred
his business to Patterson-Erickson Co. and extended
his holding of Percherons. A disappointing number
of colts was produced, which might have been due

436 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

in part to the fact that he carried a large number
of his mares in idleness. Many failed to get in foal
and the loss of colts was heavy, but despite these
difficulties this breeding establisment bred 106
Percherons during the 10 years. Numerous sales
were made, and the mares produced were widely
scattered throughout the northwest. Some of them
went to A. A. Sandahl of Montana and were subse-
quently sold to Prof. Oliver Jenkins of the Leland
Stanford University, in California. A. J. Lasby
obtained some mares from this breeding establish-
ment and others were sold to the Jean DuLuth Co.
Lyceen was bought by the Jean DuLuth Co. in the
spring of 1908 and stood at the head of that stud
until 1913.

All in all, the breeding operations conducted by
G. W. Patterson and the Patterson-Erickson Co., re-
sulted in increasing the popularity of Percherons in
Minnesota and in distributing a number of animals
throught the state and the northwest. The state
fair showrings saw some of the horses during the
latter part of the decade. The stud was finally
dispersed in the spring of 1914, U. L. Burdick of
North Dakota taking all of the remainder.

H. W. Lightley, whose work has been touched
upon previously, was another of the leading breeders
in Minnesota. He added some mares by purchase,
but for the most part extended his Percheron hold-
ings by retaining mares of his own breeding in the
stud. The stallion Klondike 21633, bred by T. L.
& J. Tj. DeLancey, was the chief sire used by Mr.

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 437

Lightley in the early part of the period. This was
a veiy rugged, big horse, his sire being the noted
Titus 17122 (36778) and his dam the DeLancey mare
Charaiante. He proved an effective sire. Dewey
23968 was used a little later with good results; he
was bred by Mr. Lightley and while not so massive
in type as Klondike, left same excellent colts. This
stud bred only 33 Percherons during the 10 years,
but the business was carried on steadily and on the
death of the father passed into the hands of the
sons, who are still conducting it.

The Jean DuLuth Co., Duluth, Minn., began in
1904. The foundation mares were obtained from
T. L. & J. L. Delancey, G. W. Patterson, and a few
others, but the breeding operations were limited in
character until about 1908, when the business was
expanded. Special attention never was given to pro-
ducing Percherons however; the horses have been
bred as a sideline to general farming. The purchase
of Lyceen, placed a valuable sire at the head of the
stud in 1908, and while he did not beget many colts,
they were of superior character. In 1913 the entire
stud was sold to U. L. Burdick of North Dakota.

Crandall Bros., Bed Wing, Minn., reorganized as
Crandall & Danforth, Eandolph, Minn., about 1905.
The foundation mares used by Crandall Bros., were
secured from Levy Bailey, G. W. Patterson and Wil-
liam Mies & Co. These purchases, together with
other scattered ones, formed the basis of their Per-
cheron stud, and when Mr. Danforth became a mem-
ber of the firm the business was carried on with the

438 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

foundation stock already assembled. The first sire
of consequence was Spuller 17123 (20848), purchased
from T. L. & J. L. DeLancey. He was a horse of
rugged character and great size, and proved an
extremely prepotent breeder. One of his best colts
was the stallion Titian 25925, bred by Crandall
Bros, out of Milena 21636, a daughter of the great
sire Titus whose merits were discussed in our con-
sideration of the DeLancey and Wyatt Stanley studs.
Titian was a dark-gray, foaled in 1900. He was
large, rugged and massive, and proved prepotent.
He probably was the most valuable sire used by
Crandall Bros, and Crandall & Danforth during this
period and really made the reputation of the stud.
He was used freely by neighboring breeders, includ-
ing A. J. Lasby, T. L. & J. L. DeLancey, L. W. Orr
and others, and begot 50 colts of record, whose de-
scendants are scattered all over Minnesota. A num-
ber of prizes in the open classes at the Minnesota
State Fair are to the credit of the Crandall firm,
but the exhibitions were not long continued and did
not extend beyond the limits of the state. The
bulk of the sales were local. The main work of this
stud was to popularize Percherons in Minnesota, and
its influence is still marked.

L. C. Hodgson continued breeding Percherons in
a small way during the early part of the century,
and recorded 22 colts. Richelieu 21567 and Sanson-
net 2d 24588 were his most important sires during
this time.

L. W. Orr, Afton, Minn., was one of the smaller

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 439

breeders in the state and liis work was unique. He
began in 1900 with a single mare which he bought
from Jacob Koester. This was Fany 20458; she
raised colts of record every year from 1901 until
1910, inclusive, then missed until 1914, when she pro-
duced another foal. Mr. Orr kept two of her best
daughters for some time and these were also regu-
lar breeders in his hands and in the hands of later
owners.* His entire stud was originally developed
from this one mare and her produce. The financial
returns to Mr. Orr were such as to seem almost
fictitious, but they are well attested — an indication

^Regarding the produce of Fany 20458 Mr. L. W. Orr of Afton,
Minn., writes:

"I bought the mare Fany in 1900 from J. Koester of Minne-
sota. She was foaled in 1895 and had produced some colts before
I bought her. During the years 1901 to 1916, inclusive, a period
of 16 years, she has never failed to get in foal, and I have saved
and reared 12 colts produced by her in the 16 years (four were
lost through abortion or shortly after birth). Of the colts foaled
by her in my possession I sold the first, Rosalie 30609 as a mature
mare for $500; her second colt, Pickador 33150, a stallion, I sold
for $800; her third colt, a mare, Gladdis 34797, I sold at maturity
for $500; her fourth colt, a stallion, Canton 425411, I sold for
$1,000; her fifth colt, a mare, Blanche 43448, and her sixth colt, a
mare. Rosette 46841, I still own and consider the pair easily
worth $1,000; her seventh colt, a stallion, Donald 539S2, I sold for
$600 as a yearling rising two; her eiglith colt, also a stallion,
Pluton 59395, I sold for $800; her ninth colt, a mare. Hazel 72135,
I reared, but she died before she foaled a colt for me; her tenth
colt, a stallion, Tripoli 82581, I sold for $800; and her eleventh
colt, a stallion, Superior 115223, I still own, and consider him
easily worth $800. Her last colt, foaled in 1916, is one of the best
stallion foals she has ever produced, and I tliink $350 is a moderate
estimate of his value.

"I have sold seven of her colts foi' $5,000 in cash, and stiU
own four, valued conservatively at $2,150. Fany has been a
regular work mare, and has done as much work as any mare I
have ever owned, taking her turn in the teams most of the time
the year around. She has never been shod except when I have
chosen to take her out to county and district fairs, but it is
interesting to note that I have won more in prize money by
exhibiting her than the mare herself cost. Her daughters have
been prolific, have reared excellent colts, and I believe that two
of them will in time make a better record than the old mare as
money-makers.

"1 have never made an investment that has paid me as well
as the purchase of this mare."

440 A HISTORY OF THE PEIRCHERON HORSE

of what a small breeder can do if he has a good mare
to start with.

Among the many other breeders whose opera-
tions were more extensive than the average were
Manuel Cross, A. J. & W. J. Lasby and D. N.
Tollman.

Most of the Percheron breeding in Minnesota,
however, was conducted by fanners who had from
one to three mares. The large establishments which
had made this state famous in an earlier period,
notably those of Leonard Johnson and the Minne-
sota Percheron Horse Co., had for the most part
been dispersed. The mares passed at moderate
prices into the hands of farmers who have built up
Percheron studs of importance from a beginning of
one or two mares.

The Hoosier Horsemen. — Indiana, sixth in Per-
cheron breeding, had a total of 184 Percheron breed-
ers by 1910 and 1,582 Percherons bred in the state
were foaled during this period. A. P. Nave, George
D. Enyart, C. A. Eandolph, William Day, L. A.
Rickel and Granville Kesling were among the most
active Percheron breeders in the state. J. Crouch
& Son and L. W. Cochran were heavy importers and
very active as dealers, influencing Percheron prog-
ress in the state to a marked degree.

J. Crouch & Son, although strictly importers and
dealers, were especially influential in encouraging
Percheron breeding in Indiana as they imported a
large number during this time. The horses which
they brought from France to Lafayette Stock Farm

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY i-tl

were high class, including many of the most noted
prizewinners in France. Crouch & Son were ag-
gressive exhibitors in the showring, winning a
large portion of the prizes at the Indiana and Ohio
State Fairs, and at the International Live Stock
Exposition. Through their widespread newspaper
advertising they did a great deal towards popular-
izing Percherons in Indiana and adjoining states.

A. P. Nave was the most active and influential
breeder in Indiana during the decade. The founda-
tion of his Walnut Grove stud was laid in 1897 by
leasing mares from M. W. Dunham, a number of
which he subsequently purchased. He also made
a number of purchases from William Rumney &
Sons, David Risser and the Stetson Estate in Illi-
nois, and was a heavy buyer of the best mares sold
by John Huston, Blandinsville, 111., in 1901.

The mares which A. P. Nave purchased for foun-
dation purposes were among the best to be obtained
in the United States at that time, and these w^ere
added to by importations from France. Mr. Nave
has the distinction of being the tirst Percheron
breeder in the United States to make importations
of mares from France after the depression of the
'90 's. He also bought all the good mares he could
find in various parts of Indiana and Illinois. One of
the most important bunches of well-bred stock
which he secured was purchased from Ben Miller,
Mount Ayr, Ind. Mr. Nave also bought the entire
stud of E. L. Packer, Toulon, 111., as well as that of
T. L. Newton, Beaverdam, Wis. Later Mr. Nave

442 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHKRON HORSE

obtained the entire collection of John Hancliett, Big
Rapids, Mich., which included the grand stallion
Ganthier 57626 (70231). He also bought some very
good mares from Eobert Burnham, of Champaign,
111., and from W. H. Parker, Maroa, 111. These
numerous purchases of well-bred Percherons of good
type gave Mr. Nave a most extensive band of more
than average merit. He selected big, rugged mares
standing around 16% to 17 hands in height, deep-
bodied, strong-backed, symmetrical, and of extreme
draftiness. Those secured from the Huston stud
w^ere among the best; Minen^a 31076 (43173), Eose
31068 (50734) and Lisa 31071 (46682) were well up
in the prizelists at the 1902 International. Cora B.
22867, Castillonne 40389 (52602) and Julie 40388
(51192) were winners for Mr. Nave at the 1903
International, Castillone and Julie being first and
second in the two-year-old filly class, while the best
American-bred mare at the show was Cora B.

Brilliant 19648 was the first sire of importance
used at Walnut Grove and proved a very effective
breeder. He was followed by Abo 22626 (43517),
a massive black horse standing 17 hands in height
and weighing more than a ton. Abo was very
potent, begetting a uniform lot of heavy-boned black
colts.

Victoria 24449 (42905) was the most noted sire
used in the Nave stud. He was one of the most
famous sons of Besigue. Black, with a star and
white hind feet, he was one of the largest sons of
Besigue, standing over 17.1 hands high, and being

THF. XEAV CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 443

deep-bodied, well-proportioned and of veiy massive
type. He had been imported in 1900 by McLaughlin
Bros., who sold him to Iowa. He came into promi-
nence when his son Pink won the championship at
the International in 1903. Two of Mr. Nave's im-
ported show mares were sired by Victoria and he
decided to make a trip to Iowa to locate the stallion.
He found him in the hands of a farmer who had
given him very poor care and who had no idea of
his real worth as a sire. Mr. Nave had a favorable
impression of his value, as he had seen many of his
colts and knew that many of the best horses im-
ported in 1900, 1901, 1902 and 1903 had been sired
by him. He had imported some of these colts him-
self. He succeeded in purchasing Victoria at a mod-
erate figure, but had an opportunity to sell him
shortly afterwards to a breeder in Virginia, so that
only a few colts sired by this stallion were bred at
Walnut Grove.

Mr. Nave was among the first to hold public sales
of Percheron horses, and his auctions in November,
1901, and in March, 1902, were important events
in breed history. They were the first public sales
of Percheron horses in eastern territory. Satisfac-
tory prices were obtained, and the mares sold were
distributed among many small breeders who now
trace their success to this foundation stock.

All in all, Mr. Nave's work as a breeder, exhibitor
and advertiser of Percheron horses was of greatest
importance. He undoubtedly did more to encourage
farmers to use Percheron mares on their farms than

444 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

any other breeder in the state of Indiana during this
decade.

H. B. Lyman, Lafayette, Ind., began breeding
Percherons a little before the opening of the cen-
tury. Among his foundation mares were Jessie
24942, bred by George Shawver, Lewiston, 111.,
Celestine 12216 (22835), bought from Evan Jones,
and Lafayette Fair 20783, bred by G. H. Van Dolah of
Illinois. He also picked up a few good mares from
other sources, and though his breeding operations
were not extensive he produced some very good Per-
cherons. Noble, bred by L. M. Yoder, was his
first sire and left some excellent colts. Mr. Ly-
man's Percheron breeding was incidental to his
other business and to his farming interests, but he
bred and sold many Percherons in Indiana and
contributed to the popularity of the breed.

C. A. Randolph, Fowler, Ind., established a Per-
cheron stud in 1903 by the purchase of a few mares,
most of which were bought in northern Indiana and
central Illinois. These mares were not of the largest
type, but had the quality, and the size was increased
by mating to good sires. Protecteur 30043 (47573)
was the first sire placed in service. He was an
imported stallion, a dark-brown in color, but of good
size and type; he left some excellent colts. He was
followed by Trasbot 34694 (51036), and he in turn
was succeeded by Glorieux 50743 (59261). Glorieux
sired a few high-class colts, but was not so extens-
ively used as Buck 44521, bred by Mr. Randolph
and sired by Trasbot. Buck was used for several

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 445

years and his colts were of very satisfactory type,
w^itli more quality than the average. Mr. Randolph
was successful in the showring with the sons and
daughters of Buck, and this stallion undoubtedly
contributed materiallj^ to the up-building of this
breeding establishment. The horse was extensively
used from 1908 until 1913. Mr. Randolph's disper-
sion sale on Jan. 30, 1914, was one of the most suc-
cessful ever held in Indiana. Mr. Randolph 's opera-
tions were not so extensive as those of some others
in the state during this decade, but he was a man
of high character and extremely popular in his com-
munity, so that his influence was much greater than
the number of Percherons bred by him would indi-
cate. He was unusually helpful in encouraging and
assisting small breeders to get a start in Percherons.

William Day, Fowler, Ind., bred only 30 Percher-
ons during this decade, but laid a strong foundation
for later work. He, like numerous others among
the smaller breeders in the state, was an aggressive
champion of Percheron interests and assisted in pop-
ularizing the breed.

Wisconsin's Workers. — Wisconsin, seventh in
Percheron breeding during the time under consid-
eration, had a total of 269 breeders by 1910 and pro-
duced 1,388 Percherons of record during the dec-
ade. Fred Pabst and G. N. Mihills were the leading
breeders in the Badger state. The Richland County
Horse Co., the Hagemeister Stock Farm and C. T).
Holt & Son also produced a good many Percherons,
and H. A. Babcock, Louis Lewellen, Jacob Burgy

446 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

and James J. Boyd were influential in Percheron
affairs during this time.

The Pabst Pereheron business was greatly in-
creased by the purchase of the entire stud of the
Little Missouri Horse Co., of North Dakota, in 1906.
This gave Fred Pabst a large band of high grade
Percheron horses, including about 1,000 suckling
colts that carried 3 or 4 crosses of Percheron blood.
About 150 purebred Percherons were also included
in this purchase, and while many of them lacked
size on account of having been raised under range
conditions, they were well bred and for the most
part of good type and superior quality. More than
30 of these mares were retained in the stud and
proved good breeders.

Mr. Pabst bought from the Hagemeister Stock
Farm in the early part of the decade, and scattered
purchases were made from H. D. & F. A. Reed, the
Hartman Stock Farm and various small breeders in
Wisconsin. Due 50740 (53786) and Mylord 54216
(64236) were the sires most in use, and both were
effective in getting more size.

Mr. Pabst and his family controlled the Pabst
Brewing Co., of Milwaukee, and employed there
and in branch establishments nearly 800 draft
geldings. Experience had satisfied Fred Pabst that
grade Percheron geldings were the most satisfac-
tory for heavy draft work in the cities, and his su-
perintendent, James G. Boyd, has long been recog-
nized as one of the shrewdest judges of durable
draft geldings. Practically all of the horses pur-

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 447

chased were high grade Percherons, and it was de-
cided to exhibit a six-horse team. In 1904 a six-
horse team bearing the Pabst colors won the cham-
pionship at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and
at the International. The exhibition of this great
team at leading shows was another factor in popu-
larizing Pereheron breeding. Much credit is due
the Pabst establishment for showing the geldings
at leading shows and for the exhibits of this firm
at the Wisconsin State Fair. Every effort was
made to encourage and assist small breeders in
obtaining a start in Pereheron horses, and a large
share of the credit for Pereheron improvement in
Wisconsin must go to the Pabsts, father and son.

G. N. Mihills, lumberman, had begun breeding
Percherons in the '90 's and continued throughout
this period. He made a number of purchases from
the Pabst Stock Farm and reserved many of the
females which he himself had bred. In spite of
his Percherons being a side issue, Mr. Mihills pro-
duced 100 of his own breeding during this period
and made numerous sales throughout Wisconsin,
assisting materially in the upbuilding the state's
Pereheron interests. Brentt 24062 and Eipon 22299
were the chief sires used in the early part of the
decade. Both were valuable stock horses. Brentt
was more freely used than Ripon.

The Richland County Horse Co. was composed
of a number of farmers at Richland Center, Wis.,
who purchased a band of mares in 1905. J. W.
Martin and R. C. Lybrand were the leading spirits

448 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

in the movement. Althongli the mares were pur-
chased and the business was conducted in the name
of the Richland County Horse Co. the mares were
in reality owned by the individual farmers. The
stallions were owned by the company. The mares
were purchased from various sources, but mainly
in southeastern Iowa. They were of the rugged,
drafty sort, but some were lacking in finish. While
the Richland County Horse Co. bred many Perche-
rons during this period, very few of the farmers gave
sufficient care and feed to their horses to obtain
the best results. The criticism generally lodged
against the colts bred in Richland county was that
they lacked size, frankly admitted to be due to
lack of feed. A number of browns, chestnuts and
bays were produced from this stock, which did not
add to its popularity. All in all, however, the
efforts of the farmers in the Richland County Horse
Co. resulted in popularizing Percherons in that part
of the state and induced more farmers to make
a start with better horses.

The Hagemeister Stock Farm, C. D. Holt & Son
and Lewis Lewellen bred some good Percherons and
sold many to local buyers. None of these firms did
much in exhibiting at the leading shows, though
Lewellen has been more active in later years and
has made many exhibits of highly creditable Per-
cherons at the Wisconsin State Fair. Mr. Lewellen
also sold the foundation mares which P. F. Wick-
ham of South Dakota used in founding his stud.
The Lewellen mares have proved profitable in the

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 449

hands of later owners, as they have been regular
producers of saleable colts.

H. A, Babcock's work was limited during this
decade, but the horses he did breed were superior.
Had his operations been larger Wisconsin's draft
horse interests would be further advanced.

James G. Boyd, of Milwaukee, Wis., bred a few
Percherons on his farai near that city. His pref-
erence always has been for the thick, drafty, easy-
feeding kind, and while the horses which he had
produced have not been so large as the Perche-
I'ons bred in Illinois and Iowa, they have effected
a decided improvement in the stud where they have
been used. Most of Mr. Boyd's sales were made
in Wisconsin, though he sold some Percherons to
go to Canada. He has always been an aggressive
champion of Percheron interests and because of
his position as superintendent of the Pabst stables,
for which he has purchased thousands of geldings,
he has exerted a potent influence for draft horse
improvement in the state.

Work in Nebraska. — Nebraska, eighth in Perche-
ron breeding during this period, had a total of
229 breeders by 1910, and 1,518 Percherons bred in
the state are recorded as foaled during this decade.
North & Robinson and M. M. Coad were the lead-
ing breeders, but Uehling & Grolder, Ehea Bro..
and James A. Barr were also active.

North & Robinson had a large ranch near Cairo,
Neb., and practically handled their mares under
ranch conditions. During part of the time the stal-

450 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

lions ran in pasture witli the mares. The firm
made lieavy imporations, mainly of stallions. The
mares were purchased from many different sources,
but chiefly in Illinois and Iowa. The trade was
largely with the ranchmen of the west and the colts
were raised in the pasture, so that many of them
did not develop so much size as was to be found
in the Percherons of Illinois and Iowa, but they
were rugged, hardy youngsters, thoroughly accus-
tomed to the range and profitable to the men who
purchased them. The finn conducted numerous
public sales, advertised liberally especially in the
west, and exhibited to some extent at the Nebraska
State Fair. North & Robinson contributed mat-
erially to the building up of draft horse interests
in the northwest and to the popularization of Per-
cherons in that territory.

Mark M. Goad's stud was continued on the lines
already discussed, until his Percherons were dis-
persed about 1905. It was unfortunate that they
received so little feed and attention, as they were
of superior breeding. Despite the fact that Mr.
Goad's horses were not well grown out, they were
of such type and quality as to win high honors
year after year at the Nebraska State Fair and
their merits were recognized by shrewd Percheron
breeders. The mares bred in this stud were widely
distributed, and their descendants have been found
in many good breeding establishments, notably
those of J. E. Wilson and Thomas Irvine of Minne-
sota, G. H. Winship, William Thatch, Rhea Bros.

LW BKLJjE H49SD. BRED IN SOUTH DAKOTA. DEVEI^OPED IN IOWA. AND
NOW OWNED IN VIRGINIA. A GREAT BROOD MARE. CHAMPION AMER-
ICAN-BRED MARE AT INTERNATIONA I. LIVE STOCK EXPOSmON IN 1911.

I'KRCHmoN M \K)

<.K)R<.I\\V ^■^hlZ TAICBN AT 22
SHE HAD PRuIMTlKTi lif IJVINU FOAI/S,

AGE AFTT53R

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 451

and E. T. Graham of Nebraska and James H. Letts
of Iowa. One of the best brood mares ever used
at the Missouri Agricultural College came from the
Coad stock, and many of the good Percherons in
southwestern Iowa now trace to this breeding.
Mark M. Coad left a profound impression upon
Percheron breeding west of the Missouri River, and
did more to popularize the breed in that country
than any other breeder of his time.

The work of Uehling & Golder, Rhea Bros, and
James A. Barr already has been discussed in earlier
chapters. All continued breeding Percherons
throughout the entire decade, and all made improve-
ments in the size and quality of their stock. There
were numerous smaller breeders in the state.

North Dakota's Great Range Project. — North
Dakota, ninth in Percheron breeding during this
decade, had a total of 160 breeders of Percherons
by 1910, and 765 Percherons of record were bred
in the state during this period.

The Little Missouri Horse Co. had the most im-
portant breeding establishment. While the stud
was dispersed in 1906, the work done by this breed-
ing establishment was uniquely important and rep-
resentative of the improvement of range horses.

The story of the Little Missouri Horse Co. is a
romance of itself. A. C. Huidekoper, while hunt-
ing buffaloes in North Dakota in 1880, was so im-
pressed with the good grasses there that he started
a cattle ranch. The heavy winter losses in '86
and '87 caused him to swing to horses, and in 1889

452 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

he took 7 Perclieron stallions and 26 mares to the
ranch, about 30 miles south of Medora, S. D. With
this seed stock he began the improvement of about
500 grade horses. Many of the mares were of the
trotting type, weighing not over 900 pounds. The
w^ork of grading up this mixed band of mares
until in 1906 the holdings numbered more than
4,000 head, with approximately 1,000 foals branded
that season, all of true Perclieron type, was an
object lesson of incalculable value to western horse-
men. Some size was lacking, due to the fact the
colts were raised on the range without grain,
but the grades matured at weights from 1,500 to
1,800 pounds and were so uniformly good that the
type became famous among marketmen. Mr. Huide-
koper, commenting on his reasons for preferriing
Percherons for his work, says:

"I can not refrain from calling attention to the
activity of the Percheron horse. My experience
at the ranch taught me that a Percheron stallion
turned into a large corral will take the exercise that
he requires to keep him in good, serviceable con-
dition. Furthermore, he does it intelligently. When
first turned out he takes several minutes to play,
to work off his surplus spirit, and then looks over
the corral to see what is going on outside. He
watches the men at the cookhouse, the men at the
stable, the people around the ranch. If he sees a
cowboy saddling up, he knows the rider is going
out to get the harem. During the interval of waiting
he trots around and around his enclosure, and takes
his exercise like an athlete in training. This disposi-
tion of the Percheron to be active and to keep

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 453

himself in serviceable condition we considered to
be of decided economic importance on the ranch.
Our Percherons, as the result of their activity
proved surer than any other draft horses we used.
Our Percheron stallions proved to be the most pre-
potent of any draft sires we ever used. So marked
was their impress on the range mares that the
Percheron foals could be picked out without diffi-
culty or question."

Jericho 12609 (18827) was one of the first stal-
lions used. Included in the importation made by
Mr. Huidekoper in 1889, he was a high-class
horse, heavy-boned, with great finish, and weighed
over a ton. He was a horse of showyard cal-
iber in use on a ranch, and while his merits seemed
wasted in some degree, his type was so distinctive
that he proved an extremely valuable sire on the
purebred mares, as well as on the grades. One of
the best stallions used later was Rival 22471, bred
on the ranch and sired by Jericho. Although
range-bred he weighed over a ton and was a beaut-
ifully balanced, deep-bodied, heavy-boned, sym-
metrical horse of real showyard character. Peer
14379 was another range-bred sire of much the
same type, but smaller.

The Percheron sires used by the Little Missouri
Horse Co. were so notably successful that the draft
stallions of other breeds were soon discarded. The
colts by the Percheron sires were uniform in type,
whether from large or small mares, and were so
like the sires in conformation, symmetry, quality
and spirit that they proved to be durable, saleable

454 A HISTORY OP^ THE PERCHERON HORSE

horses. A large number of the geldings were ship-
ped to the breaking and fitting stables at Conneaut
Lake, Pa., from which they were sold to ice com-
panies in Boston and New York. These horses aver-
aged about 1,550 pounds each, although some of
them weighed more than 1,800 pounds. The brand
proved a handicap, but the true worth of the horses
overcame this difficulty.

Here was a powerful influence at work in favor of
the Percheron breed for range conditions. Horse-
men from all over the northwest came to this ranch
to study the results obtained and to purchase range-
bred sires for use on their own grade stocks. The
purebred Percherons proved as hardy as the range-
bred grades. The Percheron mares lived on the
range both summer and winter. The stallions were
taken up late in the fall and fitted for spring serv-
ice. The Percherons proved durable, adaptable,
hardy, and preeminently suited to the improvement
of the light-weight range-bred mares. No other
breeding establishment in the northwest carried out
such a persistent and extended campaign along
well-defined lines in the improvement of the native
horses. The fact that the Huidekoper family pos-
sessed an eastern establishment where the horses
could be broken and fitted for sale was another fac-
tor of importance, as it provided for the placing of
these range horses on the leading eastern city mar-
kets on the basis of their true value as draft horses.
The brand became so well known in the eastern
markets that horses of this type and breeding

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 455

speedily came into general demand in spite of the
prejudice against branded western horses.

Work effected in North Dakota by the Little Mis-
souri Horse Co. was far-reaching, resulting to a
greater extent than that of any other breeding es-
tablishment in the northwestern states in popular-
izing Percherons for use on the range. Great credit
must be given to A. C. Huidekoper, who founded
this enterprise and to Earle C. Huidekoper, who as
general manager after 1896 directed the systematic
improvement of the horses bred on this ranch. Per-
cheron breeders generally have known little of the
work of this breeding establishment, and it lias been
belittled by some on account of the fact that some
of the Percherons raised there, which subsequently
passed into the cornbelt states through Fred Pabst 's
stud, were lacking in size. This was due to the fact
they were raised under range conditions and was
not traceable to any weakness in the foundation
stock. The storj^ of the w^ork of the Little Missouri
Horse Co. is an epic of the northwest. It is fitting
that due credit should be given in the history of the
Percheron to the mighty influence Avielded by this
stud in the development of Percheron interests on
the ranges of the west.

The Riverside Ranch Co., controlled by Cosgrove
Bros, of St. Paul, carried out on a somew^hat smaller
scale the same kind of work that had been done by
the Little Missouri Horse Co. This stud was closed
out just before the beginning of the century, and
reference is made to it here on account of the fact

456 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

that the horses bred on Riverside Ranch were dis-
tributed into some of the leading studs in Canada
and their descendants are to be found today among
the Percherons owned by George Lane, D. J, Wylie
and Upper Bros.

White Bros., C. F. White, 0. O. Ellison, P. A.
Manseau and the Coal Harbor Stock Farm were
other Nbrtli Dakota Percheron breeders of import-
ance during this time. None of them bred a large
number of Percherons, but they did produce good
horses and by their work in distributing Percheron
sires aided in popularizing the breed for range
horse improvement. P. A. Manseau, in particular,
although a small breeder, was instrumental in en-
couraging many other farmers and ranchmen to
engage in Percheron breeding in a small way, and
many of the studs now in North Dakota owe their
existence to the encouragement which he gave.

Progress in South Dakota. — South Dakota, tenth
in Percheron breeding, had a total of 171 breeders
by 1910, and 701 Percherons bred in the state were
foaled during this period. Alex. Miller was the
leading South Dakota breeder of this period, but his
work practically ceased in 1905. During this half-
decade, however, he bred 54 Percherons of record,
and his mares which passed into other studs have
since made history. Miller-bred mares have won
the highest honors at the International. La Belle
34982, one of the daughters of Brunelles 11415
(12162), was the champion American-bred mare at
the International in 1911, and is today one of the

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 457

greatest brood mares of the breed. Mr. Miller was
one of the really constructive breeders of Percherons
and South Dakota suffered a loss beyond calculation
when he found it necessary to curtail his Percheron
breeding operations.

J. J. Fry, James R. Warden, W. H. Miller, A. D.
McClelland & Son, Hugh McGlinchy and M. A.
Hommersand were other leading breeders in the
state. None of them bred a large number of Per-
cherons, but they produced horses much above the
average in the state, and by their work and their
exhibitions at local shows did much to raise the
standard of the draft horses in the state.

Marked improvement in the common horses pro-
duced in South Dakota was effected during this
time, and the average selling price of Dakota-bred
geldings advanced decidedly because of the wide-
spread distribution of Percheron sires, due largely
to the work of the small breeders.

In Other States. — Michigan, Missouri, Pennsyl-
vania, Virginia and California were the eleventh,
twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth states
respectively in Percheron breeding. Colorado, Mon-
tana, Washington, New York, Oklahoma and Oregon
followed in the order named. Michigan bred 686
Percherons of record during this decade, and Ore-
gon, the last named, isi credited with 107 for the
same period.

Michigan. — In Michigan Henry C. Waldron, A. A.
Palmer, C. Kern and John Hanchett were the leading
breeders. Mr. Hanchett in particular had some very

458 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

good mares and a sire of unusual excellence, but he
found it necessary to close out his holdings and his
entire bunch was sold to A. P. Nave of Indiana.
Progress in Michigan was relatively slow on account
of the fact that the farmers were not accustomed to
using heavy horses and did not realize their advan-
tages over lightweights. The persistent work of
the breeders named and a number of others was
effective, however, in gradually educating them to
the advantages accruing from the use of draft horses,
and large numbers of grade drafters and many
purebred Percherons have been shipped into the
state in the last 5 years.

Missouri. — In Missouri A. M. Walker, J. W. Barn-
hart, J. F. Eoelofson, N. S. Cox and J. M. West
were the leading breeders. Mr. Walker bred almost
as many as his three leading contemporaries. Prog-
ress in Missouri was slow because Missouri fanners
were more familiar with mules than with draft
horses. The belief that draft horses would not stand
the hot weather was another retarding factor. Be-
sides, scalpers and speculators did a great deal of
harm by purchasing coarselegged horses which were
at a discount in draft horse breeding sections and
disposing of them to men in Missouri, who on ac-
count of their unfamiliarity with good draft horses
did not know that they were being supplied with
inferior stock. The certain failure of these stallions
created a prejudice against all draft horses which
the Percheron breeders in Missouri found difficult
to overcome. However, their persistent work in

THE NEW CENTURY DAWXS AUSPICIOUSLY 459

selecting' Perclierons of good type and quality, well
adapted to stand hot weather, and the success which
they themselves achieved in using Perclierons in
Missouri, even during the hot weather, gradually
had its influence upon farmers. Within the last 8
years a large number of draft horses, both grade
and purebred, has been taken into Missouri, par-
ticularly into the northern part. While no studs of
national reputation have been developed within the
state, some very good horses have been bred there
and the number of breeders has been very greatly
increased.

Pennsylvania. — In Pennsylvania William Paden,
Bond Bros., George A. Hogg and Powell Bros, were
the leading breeders, and the Little Missouri Horse
Co., which continued in a small way after closing
out its holdings in North Dakota, also bred quite a
number of Perclierons in Pennsylvania. Sales with-
in the state were limited, however, as Pennsylvania
farmers in general have been slow to use heavy
horses. A disposition prevailed for many years to
buy young western horses in thin condition for farm
work, disposing of them when they reached matur-
ity. This policy retarded Percheron breeding and
the state has never produced as many horses as
actually are needed for its own use. The w^ork of
the few breeders located in Pennsylvania did, how-
ever, favorably influence draft horse breeding in
the state and the number of draft mares kept on
Pennsylvania farms is being slowly but surely in-
creased.

460 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Virginia. — In Virginia John F. Lewis, E. B. White,
D. M. Cloyd and Charles Edgar were the leading-
breeders during this period and there were many
other smaller breeders scattered throughout the
state. Charles Edgar's stud was dispersed about
the close of the decade and most of the Percherons
owned by him were shipped west. The John F.
Lewis stud was dispersed a little later, but most of
these horses were distributed in Virginia and ad-
joining states.

0. E. Jordan. — Located in the extreme southwest-
ern part of Virginia, Mr. Jordan did a great good
for Percheron interests. The Jordan family has
been breeding Percherons persistently since early in
the eighties, having used some very excellent sires,
including the stallion Victoria 24449 (42905), sire
of the champion Pink. AVhile none of the breeders
in this particular district has bred many Per-
cherons they have had horses of very superior
type and with perhaps more size and real draft
character than most of those produced in Virginia.
Mr. Jordan's operations have been more far-reaching
and have exerted a more favorable influence on
draft horse breeding than the number of Percherons
he has bred would indicate.

Selma Farm. — E. B. White began breeding Per-
cherons in 190.3, and today his stud is recognized
as one of the high-class breeding establishments of
the United States. The Selma Farm stud was
started in 1908 by the purchase of 2 mares from the
Hartman Stock Fann. In 1904 the two first-prize

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 461

mares at the St. Louis Exposition, Zaza 24618 and
Faiivette 27223, were purchased from J. C. Robison
of Kansas. Both of these mares were daughters of
the famous brood mare Fine 13085 (26998), im-
ported by W. L. EUwood. Mr. AVhite made addi-
tional purchases from time to time, seeking to obtain
the best mares possible. He imported 23 mares from
France, a number of which were noted in the show-
ring. Besides these Mr. White purchased some
noted American-bred show mares. The American-
bred mares and their produce proved more satis-
factory in the stud than the imported mares. Prac-
tically all the best horses produced at Selma Farm
have been bred from the mares secured in this
country.

One of the first stallions used by Mr. White was
Sam 52055 (54508), third-prize winner at the Inter-
national in 1906; he left some good colts, which have
been successful sires. Cassius 35839, which Mr.
White purchased as a stallion foal at the side of
Zaza in 1904, was also used to some extent. Mr.
White's determination to have the best Percherons
possible to obtain lead liim to purchase Etudiant
70802 (59291), which he imported in 1909. Etudiant
was at that time considered one of the best individ-
uals in France and had quite a reputation as a sire.
He stood about 17.1 higli and was deep-bodied, mas-
sive, well-proportioned, and of drafty type, with
extraordinarily heavy muscling in the quarters and
haunches. He was open to some criticism for being
somewhat too straight in his hind pasterns, but he

462 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

was a horse of excellent type and quality and
weighed 2,100 pounds. Etudiant had beaten Car-
not 66666 (66666) at the Percheron society show at
Nogent in 1909 and was being fitted for exhibition
at the 1909 International Live Stock Exposition
when he contracted influenza which settled in his
testicles and made it impossible to show him. This
practically ruined him for breeding purposes for
some years following. He begot only 7 purebred
colts while in use at Selma Fann and for this reason
did not materially influence the development of the
stud.

Dragon 52155 (63516), champion at the Interna-
tional in 1907, was obtained by Mr. White to suc-
ceed Etudiant and results from his services have
been so satisfactory that he is now properly ranked
among the leading sires of the breed.

Selma Farm is one of the few breeding establish-
ments in this country where particular emphasis
has been placed on quality and uniformity in type
and conformation. The foundation mares selected
were the best that could be obtained in France or
America, and while numerous disappointments
were encountered in securing a sire of the first rank,
some excellent colts were got. The policy of re-
taining the best animals in the stud and eliminating
all that did not come ui» to the desired standard in
type and quality has given Selma Farm one of the
most uniform bands of Percherons now existing in
the United States. During the period considered
this stud has been the most important factor in

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 463

Percheron breeding in the eastern part of tlie
United States. The work done at Selma Farm in-
fluenced others to establish studs in the eastern
states and many small breeding establishments there
now have animals tracing to this stud.

California. — In California no studs of outstanding
importance were developed during the decade, but
J. F. Spaulding, J. W. Johnston, Mrs. Eschleman
Sherman, H. T. Liliencrantz and the California
Polytechnic School all had establishments of some
consequence, which aided in the improvement of
draft horses in the state. Conditions in California,
however, have not been favorable to the develop-
ment of draft horse interests. There are but two
seasons, one wet and one dry, and the long dry sea-
son has been particularly favorable to the use of
tractors. Besides this, the tendency to operate
California fanns in large areas devoted to small
grain lead to the employment of large numbers of
men whose knowledge of horsemanship was so rudi-
mentary as to make it unsafe to trust them with
good draft mares. Mule teams and tractors were
mostly used, so that horse-breeding interests in
California have been greatly retarded and it is
doubtful whether the state will ever come to the
general use of draft horses in any such degree as
prevails in the Mississippi Valley. Great progress
has been made in recent years, however, and more
Percheron s are being purchased than ever before.

Colorado. — In Colorado A. J. Zang, the Yampa Live
Stock Co. and Nels Shuland were the only breeders

464 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

with any considerable number of Percherons, but
there were many small breeders who bred a few.
A. J. Zang bought some good mares and an unusu-
ally high-class stallion in founding his stud and the
horses he has bred have been very favorably com-
mented upon by some of the best judges in the
United States. The stallion Champagne 51743
(65402), used in the stud practically from its incep-
tion, proved extremely prepotent and his colts are
characterized by uniformity in type and by excellent
quality. The persistent work done in this stud has
aided in large measure all Percheron-breeding in-
terests in Colorado. The greatest progress in this
state, however, has been made in grading up the
native range horses, in which Percherons have had
the leading part. The free use of Percheron stal-
lions on the native horses in Colorado has increased
the size, improved the symmetry and conformation,
and brought about such improvement in the general
type and quality of the horses that they are worth
from two to three times as much as the native stock
from which they sprang. A large proportion of
the range horses in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana
and other western states, carrying from two to three
crosses of Percheron blood, have weighed from
1,350 to 1,500 pounds at maturity, even when raised
under range conditions without grain feed, and have
made admirable heavy artillery horses for use in
the European war. Hundreds of thousands of these
good western-bred horses have been purchased and
shipped abroad for artillery and cavalry uses. The

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 465

horses produced in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana
and adjacent states by the use of Percheron blood
have been much alike in type and conformation and
have yielded a handsome profit to the ranchmen
who bred them.

MontaJia. — In Montana A. A. Sandahl, the Ball
Kanch Co. and John F. Forbis were the leading
breeders. A. A. Sandahl's entire stud was dis-
persed about the close of this decade, the majority
of the horses going to Oliver Jenkins of California.
No stallions of outstanding importance were used
in the purebred studs in this state during the decade
and the chief work done by the Percheron breeders
in Montana was along the same general lines as in
Colorado.

Washington. — In Washington the conditions were
intermediate between those existing in California
and those prevailing in Colorado and Montana. Prog-
ress was slow and was retarded in some degree by
the fact that some inferior horses were sold at long
prices by speculators and scalpers to inexperienced
men. The work of the Percheron breeders in Wash-
ington has aided in overcoming this and in recent
years better horses have been distributed throughout
the state. P. W. Cox & Sons, The Stooke & Amery
Ranch Co. and Fryer Bros, were among the leading
breeders in the state and there were a number of
small breeding establishments which have since
grown to some importance.

New York. — No developments of importance took
place in New York during the decade, except the

466 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

establishment of the Heart's Delight stud at Chazy,
N. Y. This stnd, founded by the purchase of some
very high-class mares, has gradually increased its
Percheron holdings and bids fair to become one of
the most important breeding establishments in the
United States, when the quality and size of the ani-
mals produced are taken into consideration. The
earlier stallions used were not particularly success-
ful as sires, but Idlefonse 79307 (83004), champion
at the 1913 International, was purchased at that
show and is getting more satisfactory colts than the
sires which preceded him.

New York has been slow in increasing its invest-
ments in draft horses ; the tendency has been to pur-
chase work horses rather than produce them. Per-
cheron breeders scattered throughout the state are
gradually overcoming this and it is probable that
New York will in the future produce a much larger
number of the horses needed than it has done in
the past.

About all that occurred in most of the other states
during this decade were the establishment and grad-
ual development of small Percheron studs, many of
which may prove to be of importance in the future.

Growth of the Percheron Society of America. —
The new association, organized Dec. 23, 1902, was
known at that time as the American Percheron
Horse Breeders and Importers Association. The
capital stock was originally $10,000. In August,
1905, legal action was taken to change the name to
The Percheron Society of America. The capital

Ed.Nkodemus ^)L[ c/.B.MflamM/f

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 467

stock was increased to $20,000 in Febrnary, 1907,
and in July, 1908, was increased to $;}0,000. By the
time of the annual meeting in November, 1910, all
capital stock had been sold, and there were many
other breeders desirous of becoming members. The
capital stock was, therefore, increased to $100,000,
consisting of 10,000 shares of $10 each.

The growth of the association was extremely
rapid, the membershii) having increased to almost
2,900 separate breeders, between December, 1902,
and Nov. 28, 1910. In February, 1911, the McLaugh-
lin interests, previously referred to, were absorbed
by the Percheron Society of America, and this
brought about an increase of approximately 100
members. The rapid expansion of Percheron inter-
ests, and the very considerable increase in number
of breeders actually owning Percheron mares and
engaged in the production of Percheron horses, led
to an extraordinary increase in membership, ex-
celled by but one association in America.

On Nov. 28, 1910, there were 3,000 shares of stock
outstanding in the hands of approximately 2,900
members. At the close of the fiscal year, Oct. 31,
1916, less than six years later, there were 8,330 shares
of outstanding stock of the Percheron Society of
America in the hands of more than 8,000 members.
This membership was scattered over the entire
United States and Canada, although Illinois, Iowa,
Ohio and Kansas, pioneers in Percheron breeding,
still held more than one-third of the total member-
ship.

468 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Of registrations made, certificates of pedigree
numbered from 1 to 35,912 were issued under the
regime of S. D. Tliompson, Secretary. The numbers
from 35,912 to 40,000 are vacant. Some certificates
above 35,912 bearing S. D. Thompson's signature
were issued during a sliort period of conflict, but
these have been declared null and void. Certificates
numbered from 40,00 to 70,335 were issued under
the administration of George W. Stubblefield, as
Secretaiy. There are some vacant numbers in this
30,335, due to the system of numbering in vogue at
that time. Registrations from 70,335 on have no va-
cant numbers. All certificates of pedigree numbered
above 70,335 to date have been issued under the ad-
ministration of Secretary Dinsmore, beginning Aug.
1, 1910. Between Aug. 1, 1910, and the close of the
fiscal year, Oct. 31, 1916, approximately 58,000 pedi-
grees were issued. The fact that almost 58,000 pedi-
grees were issued in the past six years, while the
total number issued in the preceding 34 years
amounted to approximately 65,000, illustrates the
tremendous expansion in Percheron breeding that
has occurred in recent years. It also illustrates the
fact that progress in breeding purebred live stock
becomes cumulative as the years roll by.

A Canadian Association. — The Canadian Perche-
ron Horse Breeders' Association completes the trio
of great organizations engaged in promoting the
Percheron horse. It was incorporated under the
act respecting live stock record associations in
Canada, Dec. 3, 1907, accepted all registrations

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 469

made by the Societe Hippique Perclieronne de
France, and the Percheron Society of America,
the parent organizations, as valid, and has been
actively engaged in the promotion of Percheron
interests since that time. The actual registrations
are made by the National Live Stock Records at
Ottawa, as the Canadian registrations are made
under a department of the Canadian government.
The inauguration of this system was due largely to
the fact that breeders were few and widely scat-
tered, and lacked the financial organization neces-
sary to properly care for the interests of many breeds
which were represented in Canada by small num-
bers of breeders. This, combined with the paternal
tendency of the Canadian Government, led to the
establishment of the National Live Stock Records,
which controls the registration of all animals in the
Dominion of Canada. Associations of breeders exist,
however, for each breed, and said associations re-
ceive a certain percentage of the fees paid in to the
National Live Stock Records for promotion Avork.

W. B. Thorne, of Aldersyde, Alberta, was elected
as first President of the Canadian Percheron Horse
Breeders' Association, and served from 1907 to 1911.
F. R. Pike, of High River, Alberta, was Secretary-
Treasurer from 1907 to 1915 inclusive. R. C. Upper
was President during 1912, Geo. Lane in 1913, J. C.
Drewry in 1914 and Geo. I^ane during the years 1915
and 1916.

The work of the association has been to act in an
advisory capacity on matters relating to the regis-

470 A HISTORY OF THE PKHCllERON HORSE

tratioii of Percheroii horses with the National Live
Stock Records, decide upon the fonii in which the
stud books shall be published, and to promote, by
advertising, grants of special prizes, and in all other
proper ways, the breeding of Percheron horses in the
Dominion of Canada,. The association has been
handicapped by lack of funds, and the breeders gen-
erally consider that the plan of organization fol-
lowed in the United States, where the breeders of
each kind of live stock control their own associa-
tions and attend to the registration and promotion
work, is much more effective in promoting breed
interests.

Percheron Breeding in Canada. — While some Per-
cheron breeding had been done in the Dominion of
Canada during the '80 's, as noted in previous chap-
ters, relatively little progress was made by Perche-
rons until after 1900. The population of Canada
was, prior to that time, largely in the eastern part
of the Dominion, and was made up in large part of
settlers from Great Britain and Scotland, who, nat-
urally, brought their own breeds of horses with
them, had well settled preferences for the same,
and were further encouraged to handle the British
breeds rather than breeds drawn from the United
States or the continent by the aggressive action of
English and Scotch live stock men who employed
many of the Canadian stockmen as agents in fact, if
not in name, by furnishing numbers of animals on
easy terms, to be sold in Canada. This naturally
tied the Canadians by close business connections

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 471

with the breeders in Great Britain and Scotland so
that it was extremely difficult for other breeds to
obtain any foothold in the eastern part of the Do-
minion.

With the development of the great Northwest,
Percherons came into more general demand. Many
of the settlers had come from the United States and
were well acquainted with the advantages which
Percherons possessed. Aside from this, extensive
traffic in live stock and in many other lines of busi-
ness sprung up between the provinces of western
Canada and the western part of the United States.

The first extensive breeder of Percherons in west-
em Canada was George Lane, of the Bar U Eanch.
This great cattle outfit handled large numbers of
horses, and Mr. Lane, the managing partner, says
as follows:

''When I first came to Canada from Montana, in
1883, tO' take charge of the cattle on what was then
the newly started Bar U Ranch, I was particularly
impressed by the absence of horses such as we had
been accustomed to in Montana, and some of the
other western states. By this I mean horses that
were able to do ordinary hauling and farm work,
and that also had the endurance and the speed
necessary for making long trips to the railroad, to
the democrat or buckboard.

"After considering the matter carefully, and
noting conditions in different localities, I came to
the conclusion that it was Percheron blood that was
lacking in the horses of western Canada. There
were some excellent horses, particularly those sired
by Thoroughbred stallions, but the majority of the

472 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

horses were not equal in type or utility to the Mon-
tana Percheron grades I had been accustomed to.
Having fully made up my mind that the Percheron
horse was what was required in western Canada, I
set to work as soon as I was able, to try and obtain
some of the right kind. I secured and used some
Percheron stallions on our grade mares, and in 1898
we purchased, from James Mauldin of Dillon, Mont.,
his entire herd of Percherons, known as the Diamond
O bunch. This comprised about 35 head of Perche-
rons of excellent type, conformation and quality.
They were heavy boned, matronly mares, with the
best of underpinning, and these mares proved to be
producers of the kind of horses which breeders are
always looking for. We also obtained about 1200
head of grade Percherons from Mauldin at the same
time, and added these to our holdings of grade
horses.

"The same year that we bought the Mauldin
Percherons, we purchased the tops from the River
Side Ranch Company's Percheron stud. These were
known as the H. F. mares. These, added to the
Diamond 0 mares obtained from Mauldin, gave us
the foundation of our present Percheron stud.

"Among the earliest and best sires we used were
Paris 12016 and Presbourg 29982 (48649). Both
gave us good results, and Presbourg particularly
proved to be an extremely prepotent sire of high-
class brood mares. Experienced judges, in going
over the band of mares in 1914 with a view to se-
lecting the brood mares of the best type, picked on
more Presbourg mares than mares of any other
breeding, and these matrons have been noted as
among the best producers in our stud."

In 1906 Mr. Lane went to France and selected a
few mares. He subsequently made importations in

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 473

1908, 1909 and 1910, importing more than 100 head
of the best mares he could find in France, and se-
lected the best stock sires he could possibly obtain.
The policy has been to keep practically all of the
mares produced, and the stud now numbers consider-
ably over 400 head of purebred Percherons, the
largest single band of Percheron horses owned in
the world." Halifax 60328 (75867), Pinson 57211
(63122) and Americain 61316 (63422) are the chief
sires now in service.

The Percherons produced at the Bar U and Na-
maka ranches under the direction of Mr. Lane are
of superior type and quality. So good a judge as
James Fletcher frankly stated that he did not be-
lieve any other breeder had 20 mares that were equal
to the 20 best mares in this stud. Louis Aveline,
who visited the stud in 1915, also stated that the
Percherons being produced on these ranches w^ere
equal to any produced in France, and added that
he did not believe it would be possible to select from
any one establishment in France, at the present time,
three stallions equal to the three stallions then in
service.

Careful management and intelligent feeding have
enabled Mr. Lane to produce Percherons of as much
size as any produced in the cornbelt states. Over
90 foals were raised in 1915, and 117 foals were
raised in 1916. Men who have watched the devel-
opment of this stud for years are outspoken in their
admiration of the Percherons produced. Present in-
dications are that this breeding establishment will

474 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

make a success, financially and otliei*wise, of the
productions of Perclierons on a large scale, as tlie de-
mand for the horses produced is already in excess
of the supply, and profitable prices are being paid
for the horses in cash right at the ranches. Rela-
tively little advertising has been done, and no mares
have been sold except in small bands to Canadian
breeders who desired to make a start in Percherons,
but in spite of this, it has not been possible, to date,
to produce nearly as many stallions as the trade
called for.

W. B. Thorne of Aldersyde, Alberta, and S. A.
Davenport of Acme, Alberta, are very aggressive
breeders who have produced Percherons of show-
yard caliber, and who have been particularly ag-
gressive in promoting Percheron interests in the
Dominion.

J. C. Drewiy established one of the larger Per-
cheron studs about 1907 or 1908, purchased some
of the best to be found in the United States, and
had bred colts of very high-class character, achieving
notable success in the sho wring, but his career
was cut short by his untimely death in 1914. While
the stud is still being carried on under the direc-
tion of the estate, the loss of Mr. Drewiy, who was
a good advertiser and particularly skillful in pro-
moting Percheron interests through the public press,
has been seriously felt by his fellow breeders.

There are numerous other smaller breeders in
northwestern Canada, but it is impossible to discuss
all. Great credit must go to the Percheron breed-

THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 475

ers of western Canada for their aggressive campaign
in behalf of Percheron interests, confronted with
hostile sentiment. They have made notable progress,
and the breed is today the most popular one in Al-
berta, and is making very rapid headway in Sas-
katchewan and Manitoba.

CHAPTER XIII.

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUC-
TION IN THE UNITED STATES.

The most accurate guide to the distribution of
Percherons in the United States, so far as purebred
breeding stock is concerned, is believed to be found
in an analysis of the registrations made in the Per-
clieron Society of America year by year. While this
gives only the number of horses recorded from each
state during the year under consideration, it affords
accurate knowledge as to the distribution of pure-
bred mares throughout the United States, and it is
a matter of record in the reports of the stallion en-
rollment boards that the Percheron stallions are dis-
tributed in practically the same proportion.

The Percheron Society of America recorded 9,044
Percherons during the fiscal year ending Oct. 31,
1916; all but 140 of these were American-bred. Illi-
nois, which has occupied front rank in Percheron
breeding since the beginning, stood first with 2,014
head, or 22,27 percent of the total. Iowa, which from
earliest days has followed closely after Illinois,
ranked second with 1,772 registrations, or 19.59
percent of the total. Ohio, the state to which the
first Percherons were imported, was third with 747
registrations, or 8.26 percent of the total. Kansas,

476

Illinois had in 1916 1,709 members of the Percheron Society of America.
The total number of Percheron horses recorded from Illinois between Nov. 1, 1915,
and Oct. 31, 1916, was 2.014. The number appearing in each County is the
number of Percheron horses recorded from that County between Nov. 1, 1915, and
Oct. 31, 1916. inclusive.

477

478

A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

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the leading Percheron-breeding center west of the
Missouri River, stood fourth, with 653 head recorded
during the year, 7.22 percent of the total. Nebraska
came fifth, with 466 head, or 5.15 percent; Wiscon-

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 479

sin, sixth, with 414, or 4.58 percent ; Indiana, seventh,
with 367, or 4.06 percent, and Minnesota, eighth, with
347, or 3.84 percent.

The rank of the other states was as follows :

Reg-is- Percent Regis- Percent

trations of total trations of total

South Dakota. 9th 336 3.72 Tennessee, 28th 12 .13

North Dakota. 10th 298 3.30 Maryland. 29th 11 .22

Missouri. 11th 251 2.78 New Jersey. 30th 8 .09

Pennsylvania. 12th 211 2.33 Arizonalo,^. - na

Michig-an. 13th 180 1.99 Nevada/"'""

Montana, 14th 152 1.68 Delaware \...,, . r^

Oklahoma. 15th 134 1.48 Connecticut j ■*-" "^ "^

California. 16th 99 1.10 Massachusetts ). o.,., . aj

Virginia. 17th 91 1.01 Maine r ^ "*

New York, 18th 79 .86 Vermont l-^ath ■^ m

Idaho, 19th 67 .74 New Hampshire l'*^'^"-- • •*

Oreg-on. 20th 55 .61 Georg-ia -,

Washington. 2lst 48 .53 Kentucky ^35th'.... 2 .02

Colorado, 22d 47 ,52 North Carolina -"

Texas, 23d 32 .36 Arkansas ^

Canada, 24th 30 .33 Alabama I

Utah, 25th 28 .31 New Mexico !■ 36th 1 .01

Wyoming:, 26th 25 .28 District of

West Virg-inia. 27th 22 .24 Columbia ^

The tendency for the breeding of any class of live
stock to become concentrated in districts where it
was first introduced and where its merits are most
widely known is indicated in this data. Illinois and
Iowa contributed 41.86 percent of the total registra-
tions recorded during the year, while more than half
of the Percherons recorded were raised in the first
three states — Illinois, Iowa and Ohio.

The first eight states contributed 74.97 percent of
the total number of Percherons registered during
the year, while all the other states combined con-
tributed only 25 percent. Nevertheless, the wide dis-
tribution of Percherons in the United States is
shown by the fact that they were recorded during
the year from 45 states, counting the District
of Columbia and Canada. The number recorded

480

A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

from Canada, however, was but a mere fraction of
the total. Most of the Percherons in Canada are
recorded in the Canadian Percheron Stud Book; the

Ohio had in 1916 779 members of the Percheron Society of America. The
total number of Percheron horses recorded from Ohio between ITov, 1, 1915, and
Oct. 31, 1916, was 747. The number appearing in each County is the number
of Percheron horses recorded from that county between Nov. 1, 1915, and Oct. 31,
1916, inclusive.

ones registered in the Percheron Society of America
are those selected to compete for special prizes
offered by the Percheron Society of America in Ca-

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DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION

483

nadian shows, or those which have been recorded
here to permit of their exportation to the United
States, if opportunity arises.

Wisconsin had in 1916 366 members of the Percheron Society of America.
The total number of Percheron horses recorded from Wisconsin between Nov. 1,
1915, and Oct. 31, 1916, was 414. The number appearing in each County is the
number of Percheron horses recorded from that County between Nov. 1, 1915,
and Oct. 31, 1916, inclusive.

Another indication of the widespread distribution
of Percheron breeding is the fact that the 9,044 re^-

LA GRANGE

Indiana had in 1916 412 members of the Percheron Society of America. The
total number of Percheron horses recorded from Indiana between Nov, 1, 1915,
and Oct, 31, 1916, was 367, The number appearing in each County is the number
of Percheron horses recorded from that County between Nov. 1, 1915, and Oct.
31, 1916, inclusive,

484

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION

485

istrations were made by 4,347 breeders, an average
of only about 2 per breeder. This means that a

Minnesota had In 1916 397 members of the Percheron Society of America.
The total number of Percheron horses recorded from Minnesota between T^ov.
1, 1915, and Oct. 31, 1916, was 347. The number appearing in each County is
the number of Percheron horses recorded from that County between Nov. 1, 1915,
and Oct. 31, 1916, inclusive.

great many breeders recorded but one animal, as
many others recorded from 5 to 10 head each.

In Illinois the breeding of Percherons is concen-

486 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHEEON HORSE

trated very largely in 10 counties in the north-cen-
tral part of the state, contiguous to each other.
These 10 counties contributed more than 53 percent
of the Percherons recorded by Illinois breeders dur-
ing the year. The counties, in order of rank and
with the number of horses recorded, are as follows :
McLean, 186; LaSalle, 168; Iroquois, 125; Living-
ston, 109; Tazewell, 109; Fulton, 87; Ford, 82; Mc-
Donough, 76 ; Bureau, 70, and Woodford County, 62.
This represents a total of 1,074 registrations from
the 10 counties, out of 2,014 for the entire state.

In Iowa the leading counties are more widely scat-
tered. The first, second, fourth, sixth, seventh and
tenth counties are all located in the southeastern
part of the state, practically contiguous to each
other, while the third county is in the central part
of the state, the fifth is in the northeast-central por-
tion, and the ninth is in the northwest corner. The
first 10 counties in Iowa contributed only 33.8 per-
cent of the registrations from the state. Another
fact which shows how much more widely Percherons
are scattered in Iowa than in Illinois is that they
were recorded from 98 out of the 99 counties in
Iowa during the year, but from only 81 out of the
102 counties in Illinois. The 10 leading Iowa coun^
ties, with the number of registrations, are as follows :
Henry, 97; Keokuk, 75; Story, 66; Jefferson, 63;
Black Hawk, 63 ; Van Buren, 55 ; Johnson, 54 ; Page,
46 ; Cherokee, 43, and Lee, 37.

In Ohio the 10 leading Percheron-producing coun-
ties, with the number of registrations from each dur-

"^ r^^

487

488 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

ing the year are as follows : Delaware, 81 ; Wayne,
42 ; Hardin, 31 ; Allen, 30 ; Madison, 28 ; Miami, 26 ;
Morrow, 26 ; Marion, 23 ; Van Wert, 19, and Williams
County, 17. The first, fifth, seventh and eighth coun-
ties are practically in one body in the central part of
the state, but the others are scattered from the north-
eastern to the western part, without any particular
concentration of breeding in any one district. Dela-
ware is far in the lead of all other counties in Ohio
in the number of Percherons raised, but Percheron
breeding is by no means so general as in Iowa, as
registrations were made from only 75 of the 88 coun-
ties in the state.

The Percheron-breeding districts in the other lead-
ing states are clearly shown by the maps accompany-
ing this analysis. The significant fact is that Per-
cheron breeding has expanded most rapidly in those
communities wdiere the breed has been longest known
— eloquent testimony to the wearing qualities of the
breed. The endurance, adaptability and money-
making qualities of the Percheron have won it life-
long friends wherever farmers have had an oppor-
tunity^ to become acquainted with the sterling w^orth
of the world's most popular draft breed.

Percherons in the South. — Touching the matter of
the adaptibility of the Percheron to the conditions
prevailing in the Southern States we have asked for
expressions of opinion, based on observation and
experience, from two well-known animal husband-
men connected respectively with the Texas and
Georgia agricultural colleges.

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 489

The evidence of Prof. John C. Burns of College
Station, Tex., is as follows:

^'Tlie PerclieTon is decidedly the most popular
draft breed in the south, though it still lacks much of
being so popular as horses of the light type. A large
majority of southern farmers have long practiced a
system of farming, cotton raising, which permits of
the use of light-weight teams, both horses and mules,
to good advantage. This accounts largely for the
preference that is given to horses of the light type.
Of course, prejudice also has played an important
part in keeping down the popularity of draft horses,
the general belief being that they can not withstand
the hot climate.

''I have had an opportunity to observe the Perche-
ron under many different conditions in Texas. I have
seen registered stallions at the head of bands of
range mares; stallions restricted to the stall and pad-
dock, that were being offered for public service ; reg-
istered mares with foals at side; weanling, year-
lings, and two-year-olds in the process of develop-
ment on the farm; and mares and geldings at work in
the field and on the road. Wherever these animals
were being given the care and attention to be expect-
ed from any good horseman, they were thriving and
proving satisfactory. The fact that the period of
hot weather in the south is long and the heat often
severe makes it even more important here than in
the north that Percheron mares and geldings be
worked by intelligent teamsters who are good care-
takers. From the middle of September until the
middle of May, as a rule, no better teams could be
desired, and during this period they easily excel
teams of light horses and light mules in much of
the work of the farm. But during the remaining
four months of hot weather extreme care must be

490 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

exercised to prevent them from becoming over-
heated. Nevertheless, one finds the general health
of Percherons in the south equally as good as that
of light horses.

''More Percheron horses are needed in the south,
and there are two important reasons why they are
needed :

"First, diversified farming is rapidly gaining
headway. More feed crops are being raised. Such
a system of farming calls into use heavier farm im-
plements and machinery, the handling of which re-
requires heavier teams.

' ' Second, the south has long given much attention
to the raising of mules, animals that have proved so
well adapted to the work on southern farms. The
great majority of the mules, however, are the prod-
ucts of light mares and are therefore themselves
generally small and of the class known as cotton
mules. Even in the past there has rarely been a
time when large, smooth-turned mules were not in
demand at good prices, while light mules have often
been a drug on the market. The changing to diversi-
fied farming is making the heavy mule more neces-
sary and more in demand than ever and in the
production of such mules Percheron blood must play
an important part. By the use of good Percheron
stallions excellent mule foundations can be obtained
by grading up from native or Spanish mares and
from mares of Saddle, Thoroughbred and Standard-
bred breeding. More mares that possess size and
draft conformation must be used, if large, high-
priced mules, capable of doing the heavy work of
the farm, are to be produced.

"Feeding Percheron horses in the south does not
differ greatly from feeding them in other sections
of the country. Oats here, as elsewhere, is one of the

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 491

best feeds that can be used. Combined with a little
wheat bran oats is especially desirable for feeding
during hot weather. During the winter corn may
be used extensively, especialy for mature work ani-
mals. Kafir, milo, and feterita make excellent feeds,
but, like corn, they serve best in the ration during
the cold months. Almost any of the good, clean,
well-cured grass hays, such as Bermuda, Johnson
grass, Sudan grass, sorghum, or prairie hay senses
well as roughage. Legume hay, especially alfalfa,
is also often fed as a part of the roughage with good
results.

"The South needs more Percheron horses. But
here let it be said that a kind vastly different from
the majority that has been sold here is needed. The
southern states have been a dumping ground for
inferior, unsound stallions that have been driven
from the northern states as a result of the opera-
tion in those states of stallion license laws. The
farmers of the southern states must awake to this
fact, exercise better judgment in purchasing stal-
lions, and, if necessary, have laws enacted for their
protection. A few inferior, unsound stallions can do
more damage in a short time to the progress of the
breed than several good stallions can overcome in
many years. Percheron horses that are typical of
the breed are sound and of good conformation, qual-
ity, style, and action. Such horses will pave the way
for the breed's more rapid progress and greater
popularity in the south as nothing else will."

Prof. Milton P. Jarnagin of the Georgia State Col-
lege of Agriculture says:

"In 1906 we began shipping grade Percheron mares
from the middle west to Tennessee. Up to that time
there had been strenuous objection in the south to
any of the draft breeds, and the first mares which

4:92 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

we shipped carried but a small infusion of draft
blood. It was soon observed that these mares of
more weight gave a better account of themselves as
farm workers than the lighter mares had done. Even
after the first shipment it was evident that farmers
were willing to pay more money for the heavier ones
than for medium-weight mares. In 1910 we shipped
in a carload of high grade Percheron mares. These
sold well and developed into valuable breeding and
work mares. In 1911 I purchased 6 registered
mares in central Illinois. They have been regular
breeders and good farm workers in Tennessee. Since
1911 we have been carrying gi*ade and purebred
Percheron mares on the farm of the Georgia State
College of Agriculture. These mares have also done
satisfactory work and have proved regular breeders.
We have demonstrated conclusively that with rea-
sonable supervision the negro will make a satis-
factory teamster with grade or purebred mares.

"During six weeks of the hottest summer months
the mules are able to do but little more work
than the mares. We work our mares regularly
through the entire season, but during the hottest
weather they are given the lightest work and the
mules the heaviest work. For the other ten and
a half months of the year our mares do more work
than the mules do.

"I feel positive that we will work mules in the
cottonbelt permanently. However, there is a strong,
growing demand for homeraised mules, and even the
most skeptical farmer is willing to admit that the
Percheron stallion is the best 'grand-daddy' a mule
ever had. In other words, there is a broadening de-
mand for Percheron stallions to sire mule mares.
The user of mules knows that the massive, full-made,
strong-boned mule is more durable and more salable

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 493

than the over-refined mnle with a Thorouglibred or
trottingbred dam. Regardless of whetlier tlie dam
ultimately is used to produce horses or mule mares,
he is clamoring for brood mares showing a strong
infusion of draft blood.

' ' The complaints that have been raised against the
Percheron from the southern territory have been
made as a result of inferior counterfeits being
dumped into the southern states. Quality, finish and
courage should be dominant features in all Perch-
eron horses sent to the south. Wherever animals
filling these requirements have gone they have made
friends for this great breed of horses."

Horse Stock of the United States. — The estimates
of the Department of Agriculture for Jan. 1, 1917,
show 21,126,000 horses on f amis in the United States,
with an average valuation of $102.94, or a total val-
uation of $2,174,629,000, and 4,639,000 mules with
an average valuation of $118.32, or a total valuation
of $548,864,000.

The 1910 census, taken June 1, 1910, gives a
total of 1,731,982 colts foaled in 1909, or, as we would
class them, yearlings. While the estimates of the
Department of Agriculture indicate that there has
been some falling off in the production of horses
within the past 6 years, it seems safe to assume that
we are producing at least 1,500,000 foals annually
which come to at least one year of age. The 1910
census also shows that of the total number of farms
in the United States only 16.1 percent reported
yearlings, from which we may safely conclude that
only 16 percent of the farmers in the United States
are producing horses.

494 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

Of the yearlings on farms in 1910, 21.5 percent
were in the east-north-central section, 38.4 percent
in the west-north-central and 11.1 percent in the
west-south-central. That is to say, a fraction more
than 70 percent of the yearlings reported by the
census of 1910, which is unquestionably the most
accurate source of data we have, were in these
three sections. The states comprising the east-
north-central section are Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Michigan and Wisconsin. Those in the west-north-
central are Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Da-
kota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas, and in
the west-south-central Arkansas, Louisiana, Okla-
homa and Texas.

Percherons the Leading Draft Type. — The most
reliable estimates which we have been able to ob-
tain indicate that there are probably about 150,000
purebred drafters in this country at this date. This
figure includes all ages. Of this total it is estimated
that approximately 90,000 are Percherons. In other
words, our most reliable sources of information
indicate that nearly two-thirds of the purebred draft
horses in America are Percherons.

The last analysis made of the stallion enrollment
boards' reports in the 10 leading horse producing
states shows that 64 percent of the total number
of purebred draft stallions are Percherons. The
figures from other states which have since made
reports on stallions in service, particularly Kansas
and Indiana, increase the total percentage of Percli-
eron sires, so that it is safe to say that at least 66

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 495

percent of all purebred draft stallions in use in the
United States are Perclierons.

War Exports. — Our exports since the great Euro-
pean war began aggregated for the 27 months end-
ing Dec. 1st, 1916, 774,947 horses and 255,014 mules,
totalling in value $216,941,912. The strongest de-
mand has been for artillery and transport horses,
which have brought from $35 to $60 per head more
than cavalry horses. Men who have been in particu-
larly close touch with the work of the inspectors
declare that at least 75 percent of the artillery and
transport horses have been grade Percherons. How
well these horses have met the foreign demand is
attested in the leading editorial of the London
''Live Stock Journal" for Nov. 17, 1916, from which
we quote:

"In the meantime the Percheron type has made
many friends in England. The breed, mostly rep-
resented, it is true, by 'grade' horses as yet, is firmly
established in the hearts and minds of the responsi-
ble officers of the British army. Go where one will
in army circles, he hears nothing but praise for a
horse that has proved his sterling worth in artil-
lery. East and west, north and south the story is
the same; the half-bred Percheron has filled many
wants and has proved himself a gentleman of a
horse, as well as a willing and never failing worker.
We shall have a further opportunity of stating how
pleased army men are with the type, but for the
moment our chief concern lies in stating the facts
of the case in connection with the recent importa-
tion of two purebred Percheron stallions and some
brood mares.

496 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHEEON HORSE

"It is tlie intention of their owners to nse these
horses in producing reliable artillery horses from
Shire and Clydesdale mares, but they will also breed
true to type, using the several Percheron mares
accompanying the stallions, and so lay the founda-
tion for an English Percheron Stud Book. Let it
be added that this desire to try out the Percheron
in England is not an idle whim or passing fancy.
It is a thorough determination, brought about as
the result of sincere conviction on the part of army
authorities that the half-bred Percheron fills the
bill best of the many types bought for us the world
over since the outbreak of the war."

One point clearly brought out by the developments
of the trade in the past 2 years is that the United
States is the only nation with a surplus of horses
ranging from 1,200 to 1,500 pounds or over in weight.
Attempts to purchase such horses in Canada have
been made at different times since the war began,
but the proportion of horses obtained was so slight
in comparison with the total number examined and
the cost of inspecting and purchasing them was
so great that practically all purchases have been
made in the United States, so far as North Amer-
ica is concerned. In South America the Argentine
appears to have been the only country which has
exported any considerable number of horses. About
150,000 head in all have probably been exported
from Buenos Aires since the war began. The cav-
alry horses bought there have brought about $90
in our money, and the best artillery horses from $125
to $130. Inasmuch as the cavalry horses bought in
this country have brought from $125 to $150 and

Arthur CoJeprove 1 ji^ T Lewis Slack

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 497

the artillery horses from $165 to $210, it is manifest
that the Argentine has not been favorably consid-
ered as a source of horses for foreign use. One
reason is found in the long shipment and another in
the fact that they have but a very small proportion
of horses large enough for artillery work.

French Embargo on Exports. — Practically no im-
portations of Percherons have been made since the
European war began. A few horses bought before
the war broke out were brought over in the autumn
of 1914, but these were not Percherons. From that
time until Jan. 1, 1917, no more Percherons were
imported, except 59 brought over in the spring of

1916. Almost immediately after the war began the
French Government placed an absolute embargo on
the exportation of horses to foreign countries. This
embargo was not lifted until Jan. 1, 1916, when
through the strenuous efforts of Charles Aveline,
then President of the Percheron Society of France,
the government did agree to release for export 200
Percheron stallions rising four years old or over.
This suspension of the embargo lasted from Jan. 1
to March 1, 1916, and but 59 horses were brought
out under this release order. Another order of sim-
ilar character released 200 more stallions for export
during December, 1916, and January and Febimary,

1917, but these horses were required to be coming
four years old or over.

American Breeding Stimulated. — The elimination
of imports has greatly stimulated Percheron breed-
ing in this country. Importers and dealers have

498 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

been forced to piircliase their stock here. They
have scoured the country for good colts of both
sexes and have paid higher prices than ever before.
This has encouraged our breeders to spend more time
and money in breeding good mares to better sires.
This demand has also caused growers to feed their
colts more liberally, with results which were ex-
hibited in most convincing form at the 1916 Inter-
national Live Stock Exposition.

During the twelvemonth ended Oct. 30, 1915, reg-
istrations were made by the Percheron Society of
America as follows:

American-bred stallions, 3,795; American-bred
mares, 4,542; total American-breds, 8,337.

Imported stallions, 107; imported mares, 48; total
imported Percherons, 155. Grand total, 8,492.

During the fiscal year ended Oct. 30, 1916, reg-
istrations were as follows:

American-bred stallions, 4,043; American-bred
mares, 4,861; total American-breds, 8,904.

Imported stallions, 123; imported mares, 17; total
imported Percherons, 140.

Almost all of the registrations under the head of
"imported" for 1915 were of animals imported
prior to the beginning of the war, and of the 140
imported animals recorded during the fiscal year
of 1916 all but 59 were imported prior to the war.

The most decisive testimony regarding the effect
of the war in stimulating Percheron breeding comes
from the small farmer-breeders scattered throughout
this country. They testify without exception that

ABMO'UIl'S PElli 111 i;ii\ (.1 1 |il\(, \l \( K -lAKKN Airi:K NINE YEABS
OF STEADY SERVICE

THE TAMOUS PEKCUERitN GEXiDING BIG JIM.

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 499

they have had a better demand for their surplus
stallions and that they have sold them at earlier
ages and at better prices than at any time in the
last 20 years.

Commercial Market for Draft Horses. — Ellsworth
& McNair are known throughout the United States
and abroad as extensive handlers of horses of all
kinds, including many draft horses. Harry McNair,
of this firm, is probably as well versed in the com-
mercial demand for draft horses as any man in
the world. What he has to say on this subject is of
particular interest. His statement follows:

"The point of orgin of most of the draft horses
used in the United States is in the west, particu-
larly in the states of Iowa and Illinois. The best
market for the surplus draft horses is very largely
in our eastern states, particularly Pennsylvania.,
New York and New England. It is true that many
horses are used in the cities, towns and villages of
the middle west and that large numbers of draft
horses are sold into the northern woods for logging
purposes, but the chief market for high-class draft
horses is, and always has been, in the eastern part
of the United States. The reason for this is not
difficult to find when we consider that more than
23,000,000 people live in Pennsylvania, New York
and New England and that the total valuation of
the horses used in the cities, towns and villages of
that section amounts to more than $135,000,000.

The eastern section is densely populated and
given up largely to manufacturing and commerce,
necessitating unusual requirements in the way of
transportation. The number of horses produced on
the fanns of the east is very small. The census
of 1910 shows that in that year yearlings were found

500 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

on farms in the east to but a limited extent. The
percentages of the total number of eastern farms on
which yearling colts were found follows: Connecti-
cut, 2 percent; Maine, 5.4; New Hampshire, 3.4;
Rhode Island, 1.3; Vermont, 9; Massachusetts, 1.9;
New York, 9.5, and Pennsylvania, 11.1. It is true that
horses may have been produced on some farms that
did not report yearlings in 1910, but the percentage
of yearlings available in any year is a fairly accu-
rate index to horse production in any particular
district. The farms in the east are not producing
as many horses as they need in their actual farm
work, to say nothing of surplus fit and available for
city use. The thousands upon thousands of draft
horses annually shipped from western farms to the
eastern states are used for all kinds of transporta-
tion purposes where strength and weight is needed.
Ice companies, coal companies, transfer companies,
manufacturing establishments, department stores,
wholesale houses, warehouses and mills are all ex-
tensive users of draft horses, and the farms of New
England also take large numbers of draft horses
eveiy spring for use in agricultural work. The lum-
ber interests in this territory are also extensive and
require large numbers of horses to go into the woods
each fall. There are more than 100 dealers or firms
located in the states mentioned which make a busi-
ness of handling heavy draft horses for the eastern
trade.

"From all that I have been able to learn, the
demand for heavy draft horses between July 1, 1916,
and Nov. 15, 1916 was probably as good as it has
been at any time within the past 20 years. I feel
satisfied that the prices which the dealers in the east
obtained from the ultimate consumers were as high
as at any time since 1900, if not higher.

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 501

''One tiling- which farmers generally do not fully
understand and which they should at all times keep
in mind is that the trade for draft horses is a sea-
sonable one. Heavy draft horses are in demand
mainly during the spring and fall months. During
the winter there is little call for them and there
is not much trading during June. The reasons
underlying this seasonable condition in the trade
are related to the demands of commerce. During
April and May ice companies are buying heavily
for their summer requirements and a great many
commercial concerns which do a much heavier busi-
ness in the summer than they do in the winter, such
as city lumber companies, building concerns, con-
tractors for excavations, and the like, are all in the
market for draft horses during the latter part of
March and April and the early part of May. The
demand naturally falls off during June as parties
needing these drafters have obtained them and the
only horses bought are occasional animals to fill un-
foreseen emergencies. In the latter part of July,
August and during September the large coal com-
panies are on the market purchasing horses for de-
livery of coal during the fall and winter months; the
logging companies are also in the market for heavy
draft horses and some additional purchases are
always made in the fall on account of an extra call
for horses on contract work. These basic factors
underlie the trade for draft horses, which is natur-
ally strongest during the spring months and next
best during the early fall months. There is no par-
ticular demand for the heavy draft horses during
January and February; the men who need them have
already obtained them, and such purchases as are
made are emergency ones to fill out teams or take
care of unforeseen work. I am satisfied that if

502 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

farmers generally would bear in mind tlie fact tliat
the trade in draft geldings is a seasonable one, tliey
could obtain much more for their horses than they
have generally secured, by having the horses fit for
sale at these particular times.

"Another feature which is worthy of mention is
that the eastern buyers have been willing to pay
higher prices and for this reason have obtained the
better class of draft geldings. The majority of
Chicago and other western buyers, when they do
want big horses, are willing to take second-class
ones w^hich can be obtained somewhat cheaper, but
the eastern buyers are inclined to take the best
horses they can get even at higher prices. I know
of many teams that have been sold in New
York, Brooklyn and Boston at prices ranging from
$800 to $900 per team.

' ' The number of draft horses passing through our
large commercial markets during the past 2 years
has not been at all representative of the actual de-
mand or sales. The reason for this is that the com-
mercial markets have been given up largely to tlie
export trade, which has been almost exclusively for
cavalry, artillery and transport horses. It is likely
that the draft horses would have continued to move
freely through the large markets had it not been for
the very extensive movement in war horses.

''By reason of this the eastern buyers of heavy
draft horses have within the last 18 months been
avoiding the large market and going directly to
the country, making their purchases from farmers
or small dealers who have assembled and fed their
horses for the eastern markets.

''I am no prophet and will not undertake to make
any predictions as to what will occur in the com-
m.ercial horse market when the war ends. I believe,

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 503

however, that exports will continue for a consider-
able period, although probably not on the same ex-
tensive scale. I am of the opinion, however, that we
probably shall ship a somewhat better class of horses
to foreign nations after the war; it is likely that
they will seek the draftier type of mares weighing
from 1,400 to 1,700 pounds and with evidence
of draft breeding. Whether exports continue or
not, however, the demand for draft horses in the
United States will continue. In spite of the exten-
sive use of auto-trucks, which has unquestionably
curtailed the demand for heavy draft horses very
materially, especially in Chicago, the need for horses
in our city transportation will continue. The ex-
perience of thousands of users has satisfied them
that on short hauls and in construction work as it
is generally conducted horses are more economical
than auto trucks.

''I am satisfied that the only type of horse which
it will really pay the faraier to raise in the future
is the draft horse, and the better the horse the
more profit will accrue to the fanner. Draft horses
are more efficient in farm work than any others;
they do more work, and do it more thoroughly and
more cheaply. Where draft mares are kept for the
farm work, as they can be wherever the farmer
is a good manager and an intelligent horseman, the
revenue accniing from the sale of the colts con-
stitutes an annual income of no slight importance.
If all the mares now in the United States which
range in weight from 1,100 to 1,500 pounds could
be bred to first-class draft stallions, and their
daughters in turn bred to the best draft stallions,
and the grand-daughters likewise, the value of the
progeny in the United States would be increased at
least $50 per head, whether we consider that value

504 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

in draft horses from the standpoint of efficiency
in farm work or from the standpoint of their actual
worth to users in our largfe cities or in foreign coun-
tries. There is every encouragement to produce
the big horses of approved draft type, conformation
and quality, which will weigh 1,650 pounds and up
in good working condition. I can see no encour-
agement for the man who is producing the cheap
or undersized horses. I fully believe that the prices
on these smaller horses will drop materially after
the war.

''So far as I can judge, the average price which
fanners in the United States have received for
cavalry horses has been in the neighborhood of $115
per head. The average price for the French artil-
lery horse has been around $140, and for the British
artillery horse around $165 to the farmers wdio sold
such horses. There is here a difference of from
$25 to $50 per head in favor of the heavier horse
and this increase in weight has in all instances
been due to the use of draft blood. During this
very time, however, when the heavy artillery horses
were selling from our farms at an average of $165
per head, horses with one more cross of draft blood,
which would weigh from 1,600 to 1,800 pounds in
working condition have been bringing from $225 to
$250 on the farms, and the horses with still more
size and draft character have brought from $250
to $275 on the farms. I cannot see how there can
be any clearer evidence of the advantage of produc-
ing draft horses on the farm, or of using purebred
draft stallions in increasing the value of the com-
mon horses of our country."

Geldings at the Show. — Tremendous impetus has
been given the breeding of better geldings by the
exhibits made at the International Live Stock Ex-

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 505

positions by the great packing companies, breweries
and other exhibitorfe. Without attempting to give
a detailed list of the winnings, it is worth while to
call attention to the fact that the Armour gelding
Jim, admitted by experienced judges to have been
the greatest gelding ever exhibited in America, won
first and championship in the heavy gelding classes
in 1903, 1905, 1906 and 1907. He has been the
only gelding to achieve such an extraordinary rec-
ord in the history of the entire show.

All the geldings exhibited by Armour & Co. have
been grade Percherons. They won the heavy four-
in-hand class in 1904, 1905 and 1906, the class for
heavy geldings in the treys abreast in 1904, 1905
and 1906, and the class for the sixes in 1905 and 1906.
The high estimate placed on the Armour geldings
is abundantly attested by the frank admission
of Thomas B. Freshney, a breeder of Shires in
England, who freely acknowledged in 1905 that
they could turn out no such six-horse team in Eng-
land, taking size, draftiness, weight and dashing
action into consideration. At the International in
1907 Mr. Sparks of London, who at that time owned
the best pair of Shires in England, stated that all
prejudices aside he had never seen a gelding quite
so good as Armour's Jim. In 1906 Big Jim de-
feated Tom, a brown gelding sent over by King
Edward VII of England to uphold the honor of the
Shires at the International, and in 1907 he defeated
Drew, a horse that under the name of King Harry
was the champion gelding of Scotland in his day

506 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

and was imported by Clydesdale enthusiasts to up-
hold their colors at the International.

The Percheron standard also has been ably upheld
during the various shows by the exhibits sent for-
ward by Swift & Co., Schwarzsehild & Sulzberger,
and the Pabst Brewing Co. Exhibits by all these
companies were well to the front in the various
shows, and the Pabst six-horse team won the high-
est honors in 1904. In more recent years J. Crouch
& Son have been well represented in all classes for
geldings, winning the championship for single geld-
ing in 1910 on Prince, the trey hitch in 1910 and

1911, and the blue ribbon on the six-horse team in

1912. It is worthy of note that while other breeds
have put forward the best purebred geldings that
they could find in this country or abroad, the Per-
cheron honors have in all cases been won on grade
Percheron geldings bred in the United States and
bought on the open market as work geldings.

The Amiour six-horse team, champion at the In-
ternational in 1906, was sent to Great Britain and
exhibited at the Olympic Horse Show in 1907. The
team subsequently toured Great Britain and created
a sensation that has probably never been equalled
in the tight little isle.

The wonderful enduring qualities of the Per-
cheron also are attested by the fact that a large
proportion of the geldings which won the highest
honors in these shows continued in steady service
until well up in years. An especially notable in-
stance of this is found in the gelding Mack, pur-

DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 507

chased as a six-year-old in the spring of 1905, by
Tom Donnellan, superintendant of stables for Ar-
mour & Co. He was the off horse in the lead team
in the famous Armour six, and was a member of the
trey team that won first for Armour in 1906 and 1907;
in 1914, when fifteen years of age and after 9 years
of hard service on the city streets, he was selected as
a high-class representative of what is desired in
good Percheron geldings and used for demonstra-
tion purposes on an extension train in Wisconsin
during that year and the following one. In spite of
his age and long service and the fact that he had
not missed a single day's work during the preced-
ing 9 years, Mack weighed more than 1,800 pounds
in ordinary working condition and was absolutely
sound and right. This horse and others shown in
the famous Percheron teams exemplified in their con-
formation, set of legs, well-shaped, durable feet,
clean joints, clean-cut quality and their long years
of service the characteristics which have made Per-
cheron geldings popular with great Packingtown
firms and with the cartage companies of the large
cities, where endurance is estimated at its time
value.

Percheron geldings won first and championship in
the single gelding class 7 times out of a possible 14;
won the blue ribbon on pairs under 3,500 pounds 9
times out of a possible 13; won on heavy geldings
three abreast 7 times out of a possible 14; won on
the light four-in-hand 7 times out of a possible 9,
and won the heavy gelding six-in-hand 6 times out

508 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

of a possible 14, to say notliing of the innumerable
seconds and thirds. Of this record the breed has
reason to be proud, in view of the fact that it has
in all instances been represented by grade Percheron
geldings bought on the open market as work horses,
while adherents of other breeds have scoured two
continents and selected the best purebred geld-
ings that could be obtained to uphold their colors.

PERCSHERON MARES AT DELCHESTER FARMS.

CHAPTER XIV.
' SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT.

Under this head we have the pleasure of submit-
ting the views of a number of recognized authorities
in the trade. The authors believe that these state-
ments will prove interesting and instructive, more
especially to those who may be engaging in the busi-
ness of breeding Percherons for the first time.

Edmond Perriot. — Speaking of types of Perche-
rons as regarded in France and by American buyers,
this veteran "stallioner" of the Perche says:

*'Tlie Percheron types that we as breeders are
interested in today may be divided into three
classes— the type sought by Americans, the one
bought by the government haras, and the type which
the breeders in the Perche love to see. Regarding
the last type, what we look for is a great deal of
character and reproductive ability as shown in the
head and neck and eye. We forgive some things
that the American buyer would never overlook, but
we demand that a good breeding stallion should have
an expressive physiognomy. We like to see in a
stallion a well-crested, swan-curved neck, a clean
throatlatch, a well-poised head with small, fine ears
— an intelligent head above all, with a large prom-
inent eye, full of brilliance and fire. The eye we
regard as of very great importance. I have never
yet seen a good reproductive sire that had a com-
mon eye.

510 A HISTORY OF THE PERCH ERON HORSE

"The type that the government wants is a snngly-
built, compact stallion, with a rather short, level
back and moderately high withers, and showing a
pleasing symmetry of form, with a good length of
neck, sloping shoulders and rather small, neat and
clean head. But perhaps the most important point
for them is the action. The legs must be clean and
not show too much bone, while a general lightness
of foot is desired, with moderately high knee and
hock action. To put it plainly, the government haras
are always looking towards the problem of supplying
the army with good cavalry and artillery horses,
and the most of the stallions bought by them are
used on French Coach mares of different types.

"The American likes a big-framed, heavy, drafty
type, even if the head and neck are not quite ideal.
He is looking above all for strong undei'pinning, and
will not forgive a hock that is not perfectly straight
and clean. He also likes a good length of pastern
and pays considerable attention to action."

James M. Fletcher. — The views of one so long asso-
ciated with Oaklawn's breeding and importing oper-
ations are surely worth printing:

"In my opinion, a typical Percheron stallion
should weigh between 1,900 and 2,100 pounds in
good condition. His height will range from I6V2
to 1714 hands. In selecting a stallion I look for an
intelligent head broad between the eyes and carry-
ing well-set ears, a well-cut neck set on sloping
shoulders, and a short back, with the tail set neither
too high nor too low. He should have a broad breast
with a muscular forearm, broad quarters, a deep
body with well-sprung rib, legs squarely set with
clean bone, sloping pastern not too long, and a wide,
deep foot. Avoid a stallion narrow between the eyes,
ugly-headed, with ears set too wide, narrow in front

SELECTION, CAKE AND MANAGEMENT 511

or behind, short-ribbed, or with a crooked or puffy
hind leg, a straight pastern, or a flat foot.

"A stallion should be housed in a large, roomy,
well-ventilated boxstall, and given plenty of exer-
cise, either in a well-enclosed yard or under saddle
on the road every day. Plenty of fresh water, clean,
fresh hay and sweet, clean oats and bran in sufficient
quantities during breeding season to keep the horse
in good condition are essential in my plan of feeding
stallions. I avoid corn in any form as a feed, as
well as dirty or musty hay or oats. A moderate
amount of green feed is beneficial. A good stallioner
will not pemiit his charge to become too fat or too
thin, and will be sure that he does not lack exercise.
A clean, well-cared-for stable with good ventilation
is necessary, and there should be sufficient grooming
to keep his coat in a clean, healthy condition.

"In selecting a brood mare I should choose one
from a producing family, weighing 1,700 to 2,100
pounds and standing 16 to 17M: hands high. She
should be sound and of feminine type. The mare
should have a fine head with eyes well apart and
well-set ears not too heavy, a slim, graceful neck
well set on sloping shoulders, a large, roomy barrel,
a well-sprung rib, a tail not too low, clean, sound,
well-placed legs not inclined to be meaty or to cany
too much hair, sloping pasterns and deep, tough
hoof. The mare to be avoided is the one of mascu-
line type or from a family of shy producers. They
are rarely successful. A coarse, Roman head, heavy,
poorly-set ears, a masculine neck, a tail set too low,
a short rib, a crooked, puffy hind leg, a straight
pastern and a foot that is too narrow or too flat
are also very undesirable features.

'•'Brood mares not in the harness should be kept
in pasture as much as possible at all seasons of the

512 A HISTORY OF THE PEKCHERON HORSE

year. The expectant mother should be given a well-
ventilated, roomy boxstall and permitted to run out
as much as possible. Feed clean, fresh hay, ground
oats and bran, and such green feed as the season
affords. Mares should be kept in healthy condition,
neither too fat nor too thin. As foaling time ap-
proaches a night watch should be kept. During the
period of suckling the mare must be fed well on
milk-producing feeds, such as dampened ground oats
or bran. Keep in the pasture as much as possible.

"The stallion colts should be thoroughly halter-
broken at or before weaning time. After taking the
colt from its mother, he should be placed in roomy,
well-ventilated pens or boxstalls that adjoin clean,
well-drained yards or pastures, where he may have
plenty of exercise. These yards or pastures should
be fenced, either with boards or closely-woven heavy
wire of such weight as to discourage any disposition
to get out. They should be located also on dry,
w^ell-drained ground. The stable should be kept
clean. The colt must have sufficient feed to keep
him in a healthy and growing condition, but not
too fat. It is a mistake to permit colts to go back
after weaning time through lack of feed. A colt
stunted at this time Avill never recover his lost
ground.

"I believe a ration of ground oats and bran with
plenty of sweet hay the best for colts. After the
first winter place them in well-fenced pastures with
ample shed protection from bad weather. Do not
locate this pasture adjacent to one in which mares
are kept. Have plenty of fresh water always acces-
sible and feed enough grain to keep the youngsters
in a healthy growing condition.

"I should handle my colts in this manner, with
proper winter protection, until they are 21/2 years

JOIE 105878 (83942)— CHAMPION PANAMA-PACIFIO EXPOSITION, 1915.

SELECTION, CxVRE AND MANAGEMENT 513

old, and then place them in roomy boxstalls and
feed them for market. Stallion colts kept in con-
finement and highly fed easily become blemished.
Through lack of exercise they do not develop proper
bone and muscle, and rarely reach their full size.
They also are inclined to bad dispositions."

W. E. Prichaxd. — This from one of the veterans
of the trade in the middle west:

' ' Forty-seven years of experience and observation
have convinced me that the most serviceable Perche-
ron stallion should stand from 16.2 to 17.1 hands
high and weigh from 1,800 to 2,000 pounds in thrifty
breeding condition. Some 200 pounds or more fat
could be added to this weight, but it is to the injury
of the stallion; it is usually not real horse, it is
worthless blubber.

"In looking over a stallion have him stand in the
shade of a stable door. Take him by the bit with
the left hand, look in his mouth, look in his eyes,
look over his face ; then drop your eyes down to his
breast and shoulders, then down to his knees, pas-
terns and feet. See that he stands squarely on his
feet. Then step to his left shoulder; chin him. Then
step back about 10 feet and take in the topline and
depth of body, specially the flank. Step behind and
observe the width of quarters, the fullness and depth
of the stifles. Step around to the right side and
look him over just as on the left. Examine his
coronets; observe how he stands on his pasterns,
which should be fair in length and sloping. See
that he has plenty of bone of good quality below
the knee and hock, and is sound. Then let him walk
out and return on the walk. Have him move at the
trot out and back and see that his action is straight.

''The stallion should be rugged and masculine,
not feminine in appearance. He should 'have a

514 A HISTORY OF THE PERCIIERON HORSE

strong head well poised on a good neck. His breast
should be full, wide and deep. The body should
measure well at the heart and be full and deep at
the flank. The back should be strong and short,
well-coupled with long hips of good width. He
should stand on good, big feet and be of kind dis-
position.

"Before settling for the stallion see his certificate
of registration and try his wind. Buy of a respon-
sible breeder or dealer — one who can and will treat
you right if anything goes wrong.

"If it is possible to give a stallion work, break
him to harness and give him constant work about
the farm out of season. When the breeding season
comes he will be in condition and it will be easy
to give him daily exercise of from 5 to 6 miles. If
you cannot work the stallion, make a paddock, en-
closing an acre of ground with good grass and plenty
of water always at hand. Build a stall for shelter
from sun and storm so that he can go in and out at
will. Feed oats and a little dry bran in every feed.
If he does not eat oats readily, feed a little corn and
good timothy hay. Handled in this manner the
stallion should live long and be useful as a sire.

' ' Our experience has been that the full-made, wide,
deep-bodied mare of medium height, standing on
rather short legs, is the most successful in the hands
of the average breeder. Pier weight in ordinary
working condition should be from 1,600 to 1,900
pounds. She should have plenty of bone both fore
and aft, specially below the knee and hock. We
like as much refinement about the head and neck
as is consistent with the confonnation. The mare
should have a strong back well coupled to broad
hips. Of course she should stand on sound feet and
limbs. Be sure that she has a sweet disposition and

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 515

is not nervous or fretful. The frotliy-dispositioned
mare is a nuisance and should be avoided. Look
your mare over and find a stallion that can correct
her faults. Keep her in harness, if you can, working
her up nearly to foaling time.

^'We prefer to keep our mares in harness almost
up to foaling time, working them carefully, slowly,
and in moderation. The feed before foaling is on
the laxative order — oats and bran, not too much
hay. We have fed our mares some silage for some
time before foaling and like it very much; about 12
pounds twice a day make a reasonable feed. The
silage must be absolutely free from mold.

"When the mare foals, if we are present and the
afterbirth is separated from the navel, we disinfect
the navel at once with a good disinfecting powder
and repeat the treatment until the cord is dried up.
We give the mare tepid water to drink, a little at a
time for three or four hours until her thirst is
quenched. One should be sure that the foal sucks
within a reasonable time. Give it a chance to nurse
without assistance if possible. Do not be deceived
by its nosing around the mare's udder; be sure that
it is nursing. We always give a foal about an ounce
of castor oil before it sucks, if we see it in time.
This assists in regulating the bowels. The foal
should be watched for the first three days quite
closely to see that the bowels are working properly.
Make sure that the mare cleans in a couple of hours
after foaling. One can usually remove the after-
birth by taking a round stick and wrapping the
point of the afterbirth around it and winding it up
and out of the mare slowly. Examine the afterbirth
carefully to see that it is whole and complete. If
fragments are left, infection will follow and the
mare may be lost. Feed her moderately for a couple

516 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

of weeks, until the foal is old enough to take the
milk freely.

"It goes without saying that a stallion foal should
get a good start in life while by the side of his
mother. He should know how to eat grain before
weaning time, so that when weaned he will hardly
miss his mother's milk. After w^eaning he should
have a grass lot with feed and water always before
him and should be halter-broken and stabled at
night. Have oats, corn, bran and good hay, clover
or some alfalfa, always available. We aim to have
grain before our weanlings so that they can get it
as they want it.

"When spring comes our yearling stallions are
placed in a pasture by themselves. They are fed
grain three times a day and have good water always
available. If the grass is not plentiful enough, we
give hay or silage to supplement it. In other words,
we give them plenty to eat and the freedom of the
pasture for exercise. When winter comes again the
yearlings are run in a 20-acre bluegrass pasture and
fed sorghum, silage, hay and grain in a roomy barn
wdiere they go in and out at will. The next spring
they are coming two-year-olds. In March and April
they are kept off the pasture and yarded about the
barn. When grass is good in May they are turned
on the pasture and grained three times daily. We
had twelve two-year-olds running together last sea-
son. They get exercise, sunshine and shade as they
want it, and they grow and grow. They grow bone
and muscle and develop as colts should, and only
as colts can that are raised in the open. Last sum-
mer w^as dry and hot and the late pastures were
bare, but we planted some sweet-coni which ripened
early enough to cut. With that and our silage the
colts managed to squeeze through and those who see

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 517

them seem to think they look very well. At one time
our two-year-olds and yearlings were running on
sweet clover up to their knees, and liked it im-
mensely. We sowed sweet clover in oats last spring
and it looks like a success.

''Our two-year-olds have not been housed in a
closed barn since the first winter, and then only at
night. A variety of feeds is essential — oats, corn,
bran, silage, timothy hay, sorghum, sweet clover,
bluegrass, and alfalfa. AYe can raise Percherons in
America as good and as big and as rugged, and yet
as refined and as full of quality, as they can in
France. To accomplish this end we must breed good
mares to good stallions, give abundant exercise in
the open, and feed, feed, feed."

E. B. White. — The present President of the Per-
cheron Society of America expresses his judgment
as follows:

"The main things to seek in the Percheron stallion
are bone of good quality and quantity, good feet and
correctly-set legs, specially the pasterns, a good back,
plenty of depth in hoof, a good middle, and straight
and free action at both walk and trot. Of course
the horse should be sound and clean. He should
show quality, but not be coacliy. The size of a draft
horse's head should be in proportion to his body
and show quality. The eyes should be prominent
and the horse should appear always alert. I believe
that alertness strongly indicates prepotency. I never
have seen a prepotent sire that nearly always ap-
peared dull and sleepy. He should be of medium
size, and I would suggest that he weigh not more
than 2,100 pounds in show condition. I believe that
the very large ones are seldom, if ever, satisfactory in
the stud. The things to be avoided are unsound-
ness, especially the kind that is generally considered

518 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

hereditary, any faulty conformation that is fre-
quently found in the breed, such as a droopy rump,
crooked hocks, and the like. I prefer not to have
an oft'-colored horse, not that the color makes the
horse, but it indicates the possibility of the presence
of some other blood than that of the breed and to
that extent makes uncertain the type of colts which
the stallion will sire.

"I do not believe that one can afford to work a
high-class stallion; the risk is too great. He should
have a large boxstall opening into a paddock con-
taining about an acre, and the door should be kept
open day and night so that the stallion can go in
and out at will. The fence must be secure, but at
the same time constructed so that the horse can see
through and ascertain what is going on. If possible,
I like to have a knoll in the paddock, from which
the horse can get a good look over a large part of
the farm. He should be made happy and contented.
The stallion should be kept in the stall a month
before the breeding season begins, fed more heavily
and given plenty of exercise, so that when the season
begins he will weigh about 150 pounds less than
in show condition and be hard. I use only oats,
bran and timothy hay for my stallions. Other feeds
may be as good, and they may be better, but I know
from experience that these are both good and safe.

"I believe that the size desired in the colt should
be mainly derived from the mare. Therefore, I like
a large, open, roomy mare, but she must be feminine.
While I do not want a long back, at the same time
I prefer it to a short, pony-built mare. She, like
the stallion, must be sound and have good true
action. Mares while pregnant can and should be
worked when it is possible for the owner or his sons
to handle them or when a reliable man is to be

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 519

secured. When this is not possible it is best tliat
the mare remain idle, but in this case she should
be out every day unless the weather is very bad
and she should be allowed the run of large pastures
and not be confined to paddocks. A fair number of
mares can be allowed to run together, but I regard
it desirable not to have more than eight in one
pasture.

"About one week before foaling the mare's feed
should be oats and bran, largely bran, so that her
bowels may be in good condition. If one is sure
that the foal will receive proper attention, especially
the navel, the mare may be put to work within
two weeks after foaling; otherwise I prefer to have
her remain idle until the navel has healed. On my
farm the mares carrying foals are not worked, but
this is because of my inability to secure reliable
labor. When they are suckling I feed my mares
oats and bran and mixed hay, half timothy and half
clover or alfalfa. When flies are bad the mare and
foal have a boxstall during the day and are turned
out at night.

''The stallions and fillies should be separated
when not more than seven months old. This is
before there is a possibility of any of the fillies com-
ing in heat and causing the stallions to fret and
worry. If a stallion is never allowed to get near
enough to a mare in heat to smell her, he will run
in a pasture with a number of others nearly as con-
tented as the same number of geldings. These
stallions should have abundance of range. I prefer
a field about twice as large as would be necessary
to furnish them sufficient pasture, and I put in the
pasture a like number of cattle. When running in
large pastures the colts are able to take abundant
exercise and will consume large amounts of oats

520 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

and bran, of which they shouki be given all they
will clean up nicely.

' ' For pasture I prefer bluegrass on limestone land,
with running water at hand. My colts run together
in such a pasture until they are about twenty-seven
months old. The flies then compel me to stable them
during the day. I find that when they are sepa-
rated during the day they get more rough when
turned together at night than when allowed to re-
main together all the time.

"When it is not practicable for small breeders
to make ample arrangements for raising their colts,
I would advise selling the stallion foals at weaning
time. I should like to see some man in every breed-
ing community engaged solely in the purchase and
development of these youngsters."

J. L. DeLancey.— This from one who has helped
to make Percheron history in the Northwest:

"The problems for the beginner in the breeding
of Percherons are many, nearly all of which can
be solved easily by putting to proper use the infor-
mation which one can obtain from experienced, con-
structive breeders. It is, however, to be regretted
that we do not have more constructive breeders,
both in this country and in France, but those we
have had and have now have done a wonderful
work. And there is much to do in the future. It
is unfortunate for the breed that until very recently
the cheaper class of Percheron was more profitable
to the importer and dealer than the better ones.
But the time has now come when the breeder of the
good ones meets with a just reward, not only in
pecuniary profits, but in personal satisfaction and
public appreciation.

"The person who is establishing a stud of Per-
cherons today, either on a large or small scale, should

ox RIGHT, MARK Hlvl.KN HICI.IX JITilKi. CHAAIl'ION .NEBRASKA STATE FAIR
UUG; OX IJCI'T, MARIv DOROTHY P.. 1224.i5, RESERVE CHAJinOX NEBRASIvA
STATE FAIR. IKIG.

ILDEFONSE

;il04)— CHAMI'IOX A'l' TilK
EXI'OSITION OF 1913.

hNTKH.NATiilNALi

SELECTION, CARE x\ND MANAGEMENT 521

use greater care in the selection of liis foundation
stock, both as to their breeding and conformation,
than ever before. The mares should be of good
size, standing sciuarely on large, wide-heeled feet
with round hoofheads, above which are pasterns of
proper slope, strong, flat bone, flat, wide hocks and
large, flat knees. Also they should have good ends,
long, well-sprung ribs and level toplines. Avoid
all undersized and very blocky mares.

"In choosing a stallion one must remember that
the sire is half the stud, and that his selection is
most important. There are many experienced breed-
ers who can tell at the first glance a stallion that
will be more than an average breeder. The same
stallion, on close inspection, may have faults, either
in breeding or conformation, which would make
him undesirable as a stud-header. But if one can
get the strong 'personality' in a stallion which so
attracts the man of experience, and without the
other faults, one is almost sure to be piloting in
safe w^aters for a sire.

"The general points to seek in the selection of
a sire are much the same as for mares. In addition
he should be stronger and more masculine in appear-
ance, especially in head and neck, as well as more
upstanding. The day of tlie blocky Percheron stal-
lion is past. A stallion to head a stud of registered
mares should stand not less tlian 17 hands high, and
weigh no less than 2,100 pounds in sale condition.

"In the selection of both stallion and mares the
breeding is very important and should be carefully
considered. The families of Percherons which have
made the greatest successes as sires and dams are
well known, and one should get as much of the
blood of these strains as possible in the foundation
stock.

522 A HISTORY OF THE PERCIIERON HORSE

"Brood mares should have plenty of exercise.
Much the best plan is to work them, feeding clean,
nourishing feed, so that when the foals come they
may be strong and well. With proper cleanliness
and disinfection the loss should be very small.

"The feeding and care of the foals after weaning
is almost as important as the selection of the sire
and dams. ,Tlie foals should be weaned at five
months old, having had oats for four months
prior to weaning time. After weaning they
should have the run of a grass paddock, when
flies are not bad, and be fed liberally on grain. We
have never been in favor of over-feeding either
stallions or colts, but there is little danger in giving
too much grain the first year. After that feed them
liberally, but not all that they will eat. Many good
colts have been ruined by over-feeding. It is advi-
sable to let from two to six stallions run together
until two and one-half years old ; then separate them.

"It is next to impossible to over-feed a colt running
on grass. The feed given them then will give the
best results, but when they are taken up greater
care should be used in the selection of feeds. And
always give plenty of exercise. The word exercise
should be strong in the mind of every breeder of
Percherons. Without it one grows a small -boned,
soft-muscled, blemished colt. And if the mature
stallions do not get exercise and plenty of it, they
soon become non-breeders and the colts they do sire
will be weaklings.

"The beginner in Percheron breeding, who begins
right and then follows it with judicious care and
feeding, will find his undertaking both interesting
and profitable. Besides that, he is conferring a
lasting benefit to the community in which he lives."

J. 0. Singmaster. — Out of his long experience as

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 523

a breeder and importer Mr. Singmaster submits
these views:

"In my opinion, the chief characteristics of a
Percheron stallion are these: a head of good length
and breadth, broad between the eyes, wide-open nos-
trils; eyes full and rather outstanding, rather than
deep-set or in any way out of nomial; a gracefully
curved and massive neck; broad and heavy shoul-
ders; a deep-ribbed body; a back well developed
from the point of the shoulder and of graceful sym-
metry; medium-closely ribbed at the point of the
hip; the hindquarters slightly narrower than the
shoulders; a gently sloping and rather long hip; the
legs to match tliis body — a good, straight limb, a
flat bone of rather heavy type ; long, springy pastern
joints; good, dark-colored hoofs of above medium
size, and clean legs both front and rear. He should
also have a heavy tail, docked at 9 inches for beauty
of carriage, and still long enough to brush away
the flies. There are other points, but these should
assist the inexperienced purchaser in guarding his
own interests. The stallion's w^eight in selling con-
dition should be 2,100 pounds and in breeding
condition 1,950 pounds. I prefer the dark or steel
gray or black colors, without markings other than a
star in the face. Plenty of bone to support the
body is essential, but abnoiTnal bone is rather a
weakness that foretells an early breakdown or rough-
ness of limb.

"The breeding season in our latitude should not
be earlier than April 1. The stallion should be put
on the road for exercise a month earlier, so as to
harden him for producing fertile semen. We would
not increase his feed of bright timothy hay and oats
until he is put to breeding; then increase the amount
fed and add small quantities of clover hay or alfalfa

524 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

and use bran mash as a bowel corrective. He should
have 4 to 6 miles of exercise daily, except Sunday,
when he should rest and not be used. If the stallion
does not settle his mares by May 1, put him to
work, either to a wagon or at farm work, from 2 to
4 hours per day. The stallioner should be a kind
man and yet have his stallion under complete con-
trol. Never strike your horse, but guide him, control
him. It is sometimes necessary to reduce your stal-
lion to subjection, but never when you are in a
passion.

' ' Select the type of mare that suits you best. We
I^refer the rather lengthy mare of good-reaching
neck, wdth a sweet, feminine head, a good pair of
shoulders, a deep body closely ribbed to the point
of the hip, a gently sloping hip, and flat-boned legs
with springy pastern joints. At the throatlatch she
should be much lighter and cleaner than the male.
The prominent eye and the medium-sized hoof, dark-
colored and sloping but not steep, should be sought.
Get your mares of similar confomiation, so that
when mated with a stallion of opposite good points
they will produce foals of distinctive conformation
or type that will build your reputation as a studious
breeder of all that is best in Percherons. Color in
the mare is not so essential as in the male. The
mare should weigh from 1,750 to 1,900 pounds and
be a square walker, with no Avobbly joints. Per-
cherons are of good disposition, and it stands us in
hand to have it so remain, but it requires care in
mating and care in handling the colts.

"Thirty days before the foaling date the mare
should be fed on bran mash and clean, sweet hay,
with a light ration of oats. Two days before foaling
she should be placed in a thoroughly cleansed and
disinfected boxstall, not less than 12 by 12 feet. A

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 525

thick bedding" of clean, bright straw is to be placed
for her. If this is looked after one need use only
a diying powder on the navel. It is the filthy con-
dition that is usually responsible for the deaths that
annually occur from navel disease.

"Young foals should be allowed to eat bran and
oats with the dam, besides the mother's milk for
the first month. Then a smaller box should be
placed beside the dam's feedbox, and the foal will
soon take care of its allowance, which may be
changed in amount according to its needs. At four
months it should have a good ration in addition to
the pasturage. Keep the foal growing if you want
the best results.

"One can expect only ordinary results unless he
starts right, with both the sire and dam of good
weights and breeding. To this add feeding and care
and be repaid in the value of a well-bred and well-
eared-for colt."

W. S. Dunham. — The son of the founder of Oak-
lawn, who has won for himself high place in the
esteem of all latter-day breeders of Percherons, sup-
plies the following summary of his views on several
important matters:

"In setting forth my opinions as to those things
which are requisite in the selection of a stallion for
breeding purposes, perhaps the best thing to do is
to tell how I look at them when I buy them.

"When a horse is brought out for my inspection
I first note his general conformation and size. A
stallion to be successful in the stud should have good
feet and legs and stand well on them. Nothing is
so sure to be transmitted to the offspring as faults
of conformatio7i in the bony structure, such as curby
formation of the hind leg, lack of bone, or crooked

526 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

or badly placed liind legs. In order to suit me a
stallion must have some quality and must be a true
mover. If he has a powerful forearm and shoulder,
he is almost sure to transmit these qualities to his
offspring and to beget colts of large size. For a sire
do not buy too small a horse, and do not buy one
that is lacking in substance or that does not stand
well on his legs, feet and pasterns.

"The matured stallion when in use during the
breeding season should have plenty of exercise and
good feed. He should, if possible, be kept gaining
in weight during the season. I find that the best
way to take care of such a horse is to give him a
yard to run in, with plenty of oats, bran and good
hay, I do not believe that he needs artificial feeds
or stimulants. It keeps him more tractable and
surer if he has plenty of exercise, or even work
when not in stud service. The stallion which one
purchases for stud purposes of course should be
sound.

"Brood mares should be selected with due refer-
ence to size and soundness. They should be of fem-
inine type and of the largest size to be found, short
in the back but long below, and of good substance.
Lightness of bone is apt to reappear in the colts.
It does not hurt the mares any, in fact it does them
good, if they are worked, except for a short time
preceding foaling. They should not be kept in too
high condition. Our own mares are kept at w^ork
except when they are producing foals, but after
they have their foals they are kept on first-class
pasture and fed some grain. The foals have access
to grain and are accustomed to eat before they are
weaned, so that at weaning time they lose very lit-
tle in condition.

"For proper development it is necessary that the

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 527

young stallions have pasture and space to run in.
They should be well fed and kept in growing con-
dition. The great fault of our American breeders
is that they keep their stallion foals too much in
the barn, where they cannot possibly develop the
bone and substance which is necessary to make them
first-class horses. Colts should run at large as much
as possible; the exercise, the grass and the extra
feed they get make them grow into desirable horses.
The importance of exercise and grass cannot be
dwelt upon too much. It is lack of these which
prevents so many of our American-bred colts from
developing into the kind of horse which they
should be."

J. B. McLaughlin. — Few Americans know the
Perche and its horses better than Mr. McLaughlin.
He says:

"Proper draft horse size is of course the prime
requisite for the Percheron stallion. Correct con-
formation and alignment of the legs, big, broad
joints, heavy bone with quality, pasterns sloping at
an angle of about 45 degrees, a short back and a
long hip with the tail set high, great depth through
the chest, or heart as we usually call it, great width
of chest, with the front legs not set too far out,
plenty of middle, with great width to hips and stifles
— these points, together with a big, broad foot with
a high heel and plenty of straight, clean, vigorous
action at both the walk and trot, are the most essen-
tial characteristics of a Percheron stallion. The
things most to be avoided are improper confonna-
tion and alignment of the legs. A perpendicular
line projected from the middle of the front toe
should bisect equally the pastern joint and the knee
joint. A line passed through the point of the stifle,
the point of the hock and the point of the hind toe

528 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

sliould bisect equally the hock joint and the pastern
joint.

"A stallion should have at least 5 miles of exer-
cise each day. Out of the breeding season the best
thing is to work him moderately. He should have
oats and corn enough to keep him always in good
condition. He should be given enough bran or
clover or alfalfa hay to keep his bowels in good
shape. I think it is a great mistake to try to get
a horse thin through starvation or lack of nourish-
ing food. The old adage, 'Put your trust in Grod,
and keep your bowels open,' works equally well
with men and horses.

' ' Good brood mares should be feminine in appear-
ance. They should be longer in the baeks and
broader in the hips and have more quality than
stallions. They should be worked and always should
be well fed.

"Cleanliness and antiseptic conditions are essen-
tial at foaling time. If the mare's bowels are not
sufficiently loose from the feed and grass, epsom
salts should be given to make them so. The mare
should have a thoroughly clean box in which to foal.
If the season and conditions are right, the pasture
is just as good or better. The navel cord should
be immediately treated with iodine or something-
similar in order to prevent infection. Just so soon
as the colt can eat it should be fed all that it can
handle in addition to his mother's milk. The dam
should be fed grain, in addition to the pasture, in
order to increase the flow of milk,

"In developing the colts I would advise feed, more
feed, and still more feed, with oats if possible; oats
are the great developer of hard, clean, flinty bone.
If oats are not available, feed corn, and plenty of it.
For the first two years of its life a colt cannot be

KOXTACT 87277 (95S04). FOURTH-PRIZE AGED STAI,LIOX, INTKRNATIONAX,
LIVE STOCK EXPOSITION, 1916.

GEORGE P. 82495, RESERVE CHAilPION AMERIOAN-BRED STAXiLION, ILLINOIS
STATE FAIR, 1916.

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 529

fed too mncli grain, as this induces early maturity,
great size and heavy bone.

"During the fall and winter after weaning the
colt should be fed all the grain he will eat, with
enough succulent feed, such as bran and clover or
alfalfa hay, to keep his bowels in good condition.
When the colt is turned out to pasture in the spring-
he should still be fed grain in order to make him
grow properly. I always prefer a hill pasture for
yearlings, as it induces great muscular development.
The winter that the colts are rising twos they should
run in a paddock or field together, and should be
fed all the grain they will eat. The spring and sum-
mer when they are two-year-olds they should still
run together in pasture, with plenty of grain ; the ex-
ercise that they take playing with each other adds
greatly to their development.

"The fall that tliey are two-year-olds, when it
becomes necessary to separate them, they should be
placed in boxes, with paddocks if possible, and fed
all they will eat. A few carrots do them a great
deal of good at this time.

"In a sentence: in order to develop a Percheron
stallion to his best estate, it requires from the time
he is foaled plenty of exercise, either voluntary or
forced, and all the feed that one can induce him to
consume, and of such a nature that his bowels are
always kept open."

W. S. Corsa. — The buyer of Carnot is a close stu-
dent of animal form and his observations have
weight :

"Fortunately for the horse-breeding interests,
owning a stallion is largely a matter of convenience.
Some one man or set of men usually will provide the
stallion, but no one gets anywhere in raising horses
unless he owns mares. While every one of us is

530 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

vitally concerned as to the stallion he is to use, the
fact remains that more men own mares than own
stallions. The wide, general interest is in the mares;
the deep, personal pleasure for us and our families
is in the produce of the mares, while attached to
them and surrounding them are perpetually per-
plexing problems periling the profits.

"If the mare delivers a good foal annually, she
does her part. If the foal is raised and properly
developed, the owner does his part. If both mare
and owner do their part, then there is pleasure and
profit in the business. With this end in view we
must start w^ith the right kind of mares. This
would seem first to require soundness. Although
the available stallion may be a breeder and an im-
pressive sire, sound and of correct pattern and suffi-
cient size, we cannot expect him to overcome a
material unsoundness in the mare.

''The size of a brood mare is also of importance.
"VVe would not expect to raise real drafters from
1,400-pound mares; the offspring at maturity are
seldom more than chunks. On the other hand, there
is quite a temptation to use, and a very general
demand for, the 'ton mare.' There are many such
mares that are quick in their movements and handy
at work on the farm; they make good mothers and
regular breeders. They are the exception, however,
among those of their size. In general, I believe the
experience of breeders of purebred live stock will
bear out the statement that the excessively large
females are seldom the best breeders.

"A mare w^eighing from 1,700 to 1,800 pounds in
ordinarily good condition is the draft mare that
may be expected to give a good account of herself
both at work and in the stud. Get size in the off-
spring through the selection of the sire and through

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 531

the kind, quality and quantity of feed given tlie
colts. Fortunately, it is among tliese under excessive
weights that we find the greater number of mares
of acceptable brood type — sweetly feminine sorts
which usually have necks long enough so that one
may put his arm around and love them.

''Avoid flat, shelly feet, straight pasterns, crooked
hind legs, excessively sloping rumps, low backs and
straight shoulders, both in the mares and in the
stallion to w^liich they are bred. The size of the
bone may well be considered, though too much stress
frequently has been placed upon mere size. It is
the quality, however, which counts. "VYe w^ant a
clean, flat, hard, flinty bone, and enough of it to
hold up the mare and carry her on any work she
may be called upon to do. It is desirable also that
the front legs should not cut under too much just
below and back of the knee.

"Having found a mare that is sound and accept-
able in size, type and conformation, let us hope and
pray that she has snap and courage to carry on the
work that comes w^ith the heat of the day and to
pass them on as an heritage to her offspring. Such
a mare not only moves more gaily, but is likely to
move more correctly than the dull-headed, wabbly-
legged mare.

"It is idle to exioect a soft, flabby, or poorly con-
ditioned mare to stand up under the heart- and
body-breaking stress of spring work, much less to
conceive. It is to this weakened condition of the
mare far more than to the condition of the stallion
that the failure of most of the early spring mating
is due. Stallion owners commonly recognize that
mares begin to settle when the let-up comes in the
spring work, about the time that most mares have
a little chance to begin to gain. Mares that are

532 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

grained into gaining condition and are hardened by
proper exercise or work are ready for spring labor;
also they are in condition to be bred. The prevailing-
practice among breeders of live stock other than
horses is to have all the young come at about the
same time, so that they can all be carried along and
finally sent to market together. For obvious rea-
sons this does not work out well in the foal crop.
Where several mares are on a farm for the dual
purpose of farm work and raising foals, the farm
work is less interrupted and the foals can be given
better care and attention if the entire foal crop
does not make its appearance at once. Practically
ever\^ farmer can take care of one or two early foals,
say of March or even late February foaling, if he
wants to. The early foal, like the early calf or pig,
has an advantage over the younger things when
fall comes and it is time to show or sell. If, how-
ever, one is not equipped and lacks the energy to
care for foals in the early days of the year, then
by all means let him arrange to have the foals come
at grass time. For the many this will be the more
favorable time.

''If one w^ants to make some preparation for the
early foals, it is all very simple and inexpensive.
A small building containing two boxstalls, each 18
by 20 feet, separated by a space 6 feet wide, serves
every purpose. The south half-end of the space
may be inclosed to make a very comfortable place
for a man to wait for the expected newcomer. The
building should face south, and entirely across the
front should run a strip of 4- or 6-pane window
sash, so that every bright hour may bathe the stalls
in sunshine. This simple structure should be placed
a short distance from other buildings and away
from other horses. Adjoining it should be provided

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 533

a nice lot where the mother and her baby may enjoy
themselves free from the danger and annoyance of
other horses.

''But whenever and w^herever the foal comes, when
the mare lies down it must be somebody's business
to be on the spot ready to help the mare and take
care of the foal. Inexperienced men, either through
excitement or through ignorance, too often unduly
hasten the coming of the foal. This is bad for the
mare and often fatal for the foaL The rope is fre-
quently called into use too soon, and more often is
used too severely and without judgment. Give the
mare a little time; nature will assist powerfully if
left to herself.

' ' The navel cord of the foal should be left untied.
Paint at once with iodine and completely cover with
some drying powder. The powder should be applied
repeatedly until the cord has entirely dried up and
healed. In aggravated cases give the iodine treat-
ment once or twice a day, spraying the interior of
the cord if the trouble is extreme, and apply the
powder three or four times a day. Beware the little
pus pockets. As a further precaution against navel-
ill, give the first bacterin treatment in 24 hours;
repeat in 6 days and again when the foal is about a
month old. Fortunately for men remote from a
veterinarian, this treatment does not require pro-
fessional services. Any one with ordinary horse
experience can do the work.*

♦Note — Touching the important matter of Pj'emic and Septic Joint
Diseases of Sucklings (Omphalophlebitis Septica) Dr. Theo. C. Tiede-
bolil supplies the following:

"This disease is both contagious and Infectious, affecting a new
born animal, occurring usually in the first few days of life, and seldom
after 30 days, and in the greater majority of cases, it develops as the
result of umbilical infections, due to the fact that the stump of the
umbilical cord still being moist but yet no longer nourished, making it
a favorable seat for infection, infective organism gains entrance into

534 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

"As soon as tlie foal is able to staiid, it should
be given an injection of warm castor oil or warm
soapy water, preferably castor oil. This should be
repeated, if necessary, until the caretaker is satisfied
that all the little hard lumps havo been expelled.
Many foals are lost because the caretaker is too
quickly satisfied with the results of one injection.

"If all has gone well the mare should be rebred
on the ninth day after her date of foaling. Do not
neglect this. In our experience mares bred at that
time are much more sure to settle in foal than when
bred at a later date. Assuming that her foal is
exceptionally good, then by all means, if possible,
breed the mare back to the same stallion as before
just as long as this excellence in the produce is
evident. Do not change; rather count yourself for-
tunate that you have this happy 'nick.'

"Foals are inquisitive youngsters and when only
a few days old will begin nibbling around the grain
box. From the time they are two weeks old, they

the blood vessels and either causes a local pus formation or gains
entrance into tlie circulatory system itself.

"From a bacteriological standpoint, no specific organism has been
isolated that I know of at this time. The varieties which aro usually
found are as follows : Bacillus Coli Communis, Bacillus Bipolaris
Septicus and Streptococcus.

"As for the treatment, many medicinal agents have been employed,
but with varying results. The Bacterin treatment is now the most
valuable adjunct. It consists of injections of killed bacterial cultures
containing varying amounts of killed bacteria, the doses varying from
one billion to ten billion. The bacteria is injected hypodermatically
under the skin. The point of inoculation should be antisepticized with
any good standard antiseptic, using about a 5% solution. If the infec-
tion is known to exist on the place, a second dose should be given
about the 6th day, followed if necessary when the colt is about 30
days old.

"No harm can result from the injection of bacterin if they are made
by a reliable firm. There are many vaccines on the market. Some
of them are called Polyvalent, due to the fact that they contain killed
cultures of different types of bacteria. Others are Autogenous, etc^ If
the laymen are to employ bacterin treatment, it is well for tliem to
state when ordering tlie bacterin, the use they want it for and the
biological companies will send them bacterin made from cultures,
suitable for navel infection. It is usually put up in small 1 CC
ampules in solution ready for administration."

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 535

should have their daily chance at the ' wee bite, '. and
as they get older do not make the bites too 'wee.'
Crushed oats and bran make excellent feed. There
may be a better, but we need not worry about that.
About this time the foal on most farms is having
its troubles. Often the mare and foal have to light
it out with too many others of the same kind or with
mixed lots of horses. The ideal arrangement is
for the mare and her foal, with no other horses, to
be placed in a grass lot that has not been pastured
by horses for at least a year. The nearer this con-
dition can be obtained, tlie better the foal thrives
and the freer it is from infection and trouble.

"The next critical period for the foal is at wean-
ing time. Then the ravages of distemper are most
threatening, and an unchecked outbreak is always
frightful and frequently fatal. However, with the
colt long since a good feeder and carrying consider-
able immunity from previous bacterin or serum
treatments, it only remains to reinforce the immu-
nity against distemper by vaccinating a week before
weaning and by following with the same treatment
a week after weaning. The colt with his compan-
ions is now headed for winter quarters. Before
going, however, there is another good foot trimming
and leveling and, if it has not been done previously,
he is neck-branded. The brand, usually a herd num-
ber, is made a part of the owner's records. This
is for the convenience of the owner while he lives,
and afterward, if necessarv^, for the convenience of
his administrator.

"Just a last word about the little fellows as they
are taken from their mothers and put in their winter
home. This has been freshly prepared for them,
thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Throughout the
winter it should be regularly cleaned and occasion-

536 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

ally disinfected. Arrange tlie quarters, if possible,
so that the colts may go in or out at will, except
in stormy weather, when a gate may be used to
keep them within shelter, where they will be out
of drafts but supplied with an abundance of fresh
air. If the gate to the shelter opens out on several
acres of grassland where the colts may play tag and
nibble a little lunch between their two regular daily
feeds of grain, there will be some very happy and
probably very profitable colts. And profitable colts
are the controlling and compelling argument in favor
of the use of draft mares on the farm. ' '

A. L. Robison & Son. — From this firm we have the
subjoined remarks touching the management of
mares and foals:

'^At the outset it may be said that the man who
would succeed in the management of Percheron
mares and foals must have mares of coiTect pattern,
a.nd they must all be of that one pattern. The more
nearly they are alike in bloodlines the better, and
they must be mated with a sire of the same type
that has likewise descended from an ancestral line
of which he is a typical specimen. It is a thankless
task wasting good feed and faithful care on mares
and foals that do not resemble some one definite
standard. The greatest mistake young breeders
make is in picking mares here and there that strike
the fancy. Years later they may awake to the fact
that the diverse types or uncongenial bloodlines, or
likely both, have foiled their attempts to produce
such colts and fillies as the breed needs. With a
foundation uniform both in pattern and ancestry
one is assured that the offspring Avill be of the same
sort. Then there is the foundation on Avliich skillful
feeding and care will build finished horses that are.
a monument to competent management.

KnSKluWH S74(i7, I'lUST rilT/n A(;KI> j\L\KE at ILLINOIS STAn<: FAIR I.N I'l
AND KSSEIBVE CHAMPION AT SAJMB SHOW.

LEGITIME 98978 (99SS9), FIRST-PEIZE TW0-YEAR-OLJ> AND GRAND CHAMPION
MARE, INTERNATIONAL LIVE STOCK EXPOSITION. 1913

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 537

''Producing matrons must not be allowed to take
on a load of fat. Thrifty, vigorous, muscular, big-
boned mares are easy feeders, and a kind-hearted at-
tendant may get them so fat that they will not breed
regularly. It is best to have them come through the
winter in moderate flesh. Then during the spring
on bluegrass pasture they are fed com generously,
perhaps 10 ears twice a day, so as to be gaining in
flesh at the time of breeding. By this plan they get
in foal much more promptly and surely. We never
pasture timothy and clover in the spring, for the
mares do not breed so Avell on anything but blue-
grass. Those that have foals are left on the pasture
all summer, and fod sufficient com to keep them in
strong flesh but not fat. Oats are not so good for this
purpose, as they are apt to cause colic in horses get-
ting early summer grass. After Aug. 1 we feed some
oats. Mares that are not suckling foals are given no
grain when on pasture. They are, however, usually
put in the harness and worked through the season.*

''We do not breed two-year-old fillies. There are
several reasons. Such early breeding probably checks
their growth to some extent, and our records show
that it develops irregular breeding and a shorter
period of production. The filly bred so young is
restless at foaling time, and is not a good mother.
She is likely not to breed while suckling her first
foal at three years old, and that starts her at the
very beginning with the every-other-year habit of
breeding. We sometimes put two-year-olds to light

*NoTE — Readers will observe that Robison & Son recommend gen-
eral use of corn with mares, and as the practice tliey follow is opposed
to that pursued by a majority of breeders, it may be well to state that
while Robison & Son have obtained satisfactoi-j' results with their
system of feeding-, this may largely be due to the fact that they have
extraordinarily good bluegrass pastures, mixed with white clover, and
that such pastures are not overstocked. The high protein content of
bluegrass has apparently served in their case to balance the surplus
of corn.

538 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

work. At tliree tliey are bred and put to work for
the season. Early work develops a large feeding
capacity, as well as powerful frame and muscle. It
accustoms tlie fillies to being handled, and so they
behave well when maternal duties come upon them.
Some of our best old brood mares did not produce
their first foals until five years- old.

''After the foals are weaned in October, and the
milkflow is dried up, the mares are turned on good
pasture, and fed 5 or 6 ears of corn and 3 quarts of
oats apiece twice a day for sixty days, to build up
their flesh in good shape for the winter. After that
they get no grain until spring. During the winter
they run on bluegrass pasture and second-crop tim-
othy in the meadows, but are not allowed in stalk-
fields. We are also careful to keep them out of oat
stubblefields late in the fall, for frosted green oats
cause abortion. The mares are not fed straw either.
Special care is exercised to keep them away from rye
straw, as a very little rye ergot is sufficient to cause
abortion. Besides the grass from which they often
paw the snow, the mares have free access to stacks
of timothy hay, with just a sprinkling of clover in it.
Sometimes they are fed a little cane, but never any
corn-fodder. Fodder with the ears on is a dangerous
feed for a band of mares, because at some time one
of the mares is almost sure to get too much corn and
lose her foal as a result.

''The brood mares have no shelter in winter, other
than the haystacks for a windbreak. They will crowd
in quite closely and quietly around the stacks during
a storm. When we have tried turning them to the
sheds they at once begin to fight for a monopoly
of the shelter. In that case a big shed only protects
the 'boss' mare anyway, and there is the danger be-
sides of injury from kicking. The mares that run out

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 539

all the time do not mind the cold. On some of the
coldest nights they will be found far out in the field,
and when the snow is deep they are out early pawing
away the snow to get at the grass beneath. The
"water tank for the mares has a heater, which is kept
burning all winter, so that they cannot become sud-
denly chilled by taking a big drink of icewater. We
see to it that they come up to drink twice a day.
Drinking cold Avater is more likely to cause a raare
to lose her foal than exposure to a rain or snow
storm, even with extreme cold weather immediately
afterward.

''In the spring the mares that are soon to foal
are kept in pastures near the barn. At night those
that are soon to foal are put in a little pasture near
the house, and some one goes to look at them about
four times during the night or even eveiy hour, in
some cases. This attention is absolutely necessary,
if one would avoid the frequent loss of foals and
sometimes the loss of a valuable mare. Whenever
help is needed it is needed at once. If the afterbirth
does not all come away naturally, within a day, the
uterus is flushed full of warm antiseptic water and
the membrane removed carefully by hand. The
mare is fed lightly at first after foaling. She is not
given much grain for the first two v/eeks. If she is
fed heavily there is too copious a flow of milk, and
the foal is likely to develop digestive disorders, and
maybe die. Mixed timothy and clover hay is about
all that is needed at first.

''Mares are bred at the ninth day after foaling and
are tried regularly thereafter for several periods.
Breeding is more successful in the afternoon, as the
mares are quieter then after returning to the pas-
ture. Dry, shy-breeding mares are worked all day
before they are bred. After the first two weeks from

540 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

foaling, some corn is fed to the mare, and the amount
is increased to a heavy feed a couple of weeks later.

''The earliest foals are taught to eat at four weeks
old by putting a little bran, whole oats, shelled corn
and alfalfa-molasses meal in a litte feedbox just
out of reach of the mares. In the pasture a feed
trough is kept in a pen, with a creep provided, so
that foals can go in but the mares cannot. After the
first foals learn to eat, they are fed twice a day in
this trough, and the later foals learn to eat by imita-
tion. Sometimes they begin at two weeks old. They
are given all the grain they will eat twice a day, and,
after they get well accustomed to eating, the feed is
mainly oats. There is no danger of overloading
them with fat or injuring the joints when they are
running out day and night and get plenty of exercise.

*' All the foals that are as much as four months old
are weaned about Oct. 1. To do this each mare is
tied at the feed trough in a long shed and her foal is
haltered and tied alongside Avith a rope it cannot
break. Of course, it pulls and tugs at it for a while,
but no damage is done. The mare is right there and
the youngster soon settles down to good behavior.
As the foals are all thoroughly accustomed to dry
feed, they do not miss the milk much, but go right on
eating and growing. The mares are fed timothy
hay alone and milked diy twice a day for a few days.
It helps if one greases the udders with warm lard.
After the milk is dried up the mares are turned out
on pasture and fed grain in preparation for winter.
The weanlings are given the open shed for shelter
and run on pasture for sixty days, with grain. They
are likely to get wormy at this time and rock salt
is a useful preventive.

' ' Beginning in December the colts are put in box-
stalls, two or three together, at night, and turned

SELECTION, CAEE AND MANAGEMENT 541

out to pasture in tlie daytime. Tliey are fed oats,
bran, slielled corn, chopped cane, oilmeal and alfalfa
liay, all they will eat. The colts grow faster and de-
velop a greater feeding capacity on alfalfa hay than
they used to have when we fed mixed timothy and
clover. Their grain is principally oats. The first
winter is a critical time with a colt. If fed so as to
grow well up to the age of 12 months, the colt may
be kept going easily enough on good pasture in sum-
mer and rich hay in winter, supplemented with
enough grain to maintain a good degree of flesh, so
that there is no lack of nourishment at any time in
the year."

Lee Brothers. — Selection and care of breeding
stock is discussed by Mr. J. H. Lee of this well-
known Kansas firm:

' ' The selection of a stallion to use either on pure-
bred or grade mares should be studied carefully.
One should exercise his very best judgment, not only
as to the animal's individuality and breeding, but
as to what he will do in the stud. One horse may
be a good individual but be lacking in bone, another
in size, and so on.

''In all our experience we have found it easy to
right a wrong early, not waiting until we have one
or two crops of colts and then seeing where our
stallion is lacking. Some localities want a heavy,
low-down block; others want a tall, rang}^, light-
boned horse. My idea of a good Percheron stallion
is one which at the age of three or four weighs about
a ton, is black or gTay in colors, neither the low-
down kind or the tall, rangy kind, but one well bal-
anced all around. I want him wide between the
eyes and w^ith a good, clear eye. I prefer hazel
eyes, as they seldom lose their sight. See that his
ears are well set, not pointed or drooping, but stand-

542 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

ing up well and about the same distance apart at
top and bottom. He should show a clean-cut neck
nicely set on his shoulders, with his head up to
attract attention. I want always to see a wide
breast and clean, flat bone, not a meaty, large bone
(it will always give trouble, both in the stallion
and his offspring). Well-set limbs are essential;
see that he is not buck- or calf-kneed, and that he
is clean around his pastern joints. Look for side-
bones; they are considered by 75 per cent of the
farmers as a buyer's trick to buy horses cheap, but
they have worked more harm to the heavy horse
for market than any other one thing in the past
five years. See that the horse has a good hoof, not
the pancake kind or the narrow, contracted kind,
but a well-shaped, solid hoof. If one follows this
he will find a good front end. Next have the stallion
deep through the heart, close-coupled, good of
withers, strong in topline, well-sprung of rib and
with a place to carry some hay, not too sloping on
the hips, with a well-set hind leg clean at the hock,
no curbs, thorouglipins, bog or bone spavins, and
clean about his pasterns. See that his legs are well
set; no one wants a cow-hock or a crooked leg. Have
the salesman move the horse from you, first at a
walk, then at a trot; watch closely and see that he
moves straight away, that he is not a paddler or a
weaver.

*' Often high-fed horses that have had the ship-
ping fever or distemper are left weak in the back
or a little thick in the wind. My advice would be
not to buy either kind because he is cheap; in the
long run he is high-priced. Our old stud sire, Scip-
ion, now in his 18th year, is as clean as a ribbon
all over and sound, except for being cut a little in
the wind, due to his age.

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 543

"The care of the stallion will show itself in more
than one way. He should have a good boxstall, if
possible 25 feet square, with a high ceiling and
ample light. It should be in a place where he can
see what is going on around him, see the other
horses come and go and feel that he is not alone.
A stallion likes company. Give him from 3 to 6
miles every day to a cart or at the side of another
horse, and when the breeding season is over hitch
him with a steady horse and put him to work. In
the beginning start at light work, increasing it each
time, from an empty w^agon to a manure spreader
and hay-hauling, and from that to any kind of w^ork
at which he can have plenty of time, so as not to
become overheated or broken in constitution. Dur-
ing the breeding season turn the stallion into a blue-
grass or clover pasture of 2 or more acres, or at
least give him a paddock 200 feet square, where he
can have plenty of exercise and see everything that
is going on. Give him plenty of good alfalfa hay,
or perhaps prairie hay, and feed him equal parts
by measure of bran and oats, together with a small
amount of corn chop. Wet this feed well. Some
horses require a greater amount of feed than others.
In starting a new stallion in our bam he is tried
out with a very small amount of feed. This is
increased little by little, until we have him eating
what we think he should have. Our foreman re-
quires one thing of our feeders — the horse must be
ready for every meal.

"In buying the brood mare a man can use almost
the same rules as in buying a stallion. Her care
should be the care of any good horse. She may be
worked hard in the field while cariying her foal,
if at night she is given a good place to rest with
good feed. After foaling let her rest for ten days

544 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

or two weeks, rebreeding lier on the 9tli day if
possible. Then leave the baby in a boxstall, with
other foals or alone. Bring the mother in from the
field once between morning and noon for her baby
to nurse. Never allow tlie mare to get too hot or
the foal to nurse when the mare is hot.

''When the foal is thirty days old put some oats
where it can nibble at them; increase the amount
as it cleans them up, until oats may be left in the box
for the foal to eat any time. As time goes on
and the baby is left at the stable, try turning it
out in a small pasture with a few calves or foals
where it can eat grass and got plenty of exercise.
When the foal is two months old it will not be neces-
sary to let it nurse between regular meal times, but
you will have a better colt if you do. After the
foals are six months old and weaned turn them
on alfalfa pasture, if possible, and feed them grain
twice each day. When the pasture is killed by frost
or is too closely cropped, take them to their winter
quarters, preferably a place where they can have
plenty of exercise all day and a shed to shelter them
from storms at night. Do not start to put them in
the closed barn or shed; let them run in and out at
any time; have plenty of clean alfalfa where they
can run to it, and feed grain twice each day.

''One reason that the colts in this country do not
mature so quickly as imported stock is that we are
too stingy with our feed. However, most of the
imported stallions have their growth at two and
one-half years, Avhile our stallions will continue to
grow until five years of age. We always feed plenty
of oats and very little com to growing colts. Oats
make bone and keep them growing, while corn makes
fat and in time will bum out their stomachs.

"We let our colts run to2:ether until the December

KEOTA JAIiAP 1061S6, SECONB-PRIZB TWO-TEAB-OLJ> STALLION, INTERNA-
TIONAL LIVK STOCK EXPOSITION, 1916.

IVAN 108146, FIEST-PRIZB THREE-YEAR-OLD, OPEN CLASSES, AND CHAMPION
AMERICAN-BRED STALLION, INTERNATIONAL LPVE STOCK KXPOSITION, 1916.

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 545

or January before they will be two years of age,
then put them in boxstalls and give plenty of clean
straw, alfalfa, oats, bran and some chop feed wet,
three times each day. The barn man should take
them out of their stalls every morning and clean
them well, even their hoofs. Arrange so that they
have a paddock to run in at least every other day.

"Teach tlie colt to stand when out of the stall, and
teach him to move. Let the barn man start with
him, and follow, not with a whip, but with a corn-
shuck to make a shuffling noise, something new to
the colt. After a few times he will be moving like
a coacher when he hears the shuffling of the shuck,
and will never know how he learned it. Whips in
the showring have lost more blue ribbons for horses
than they ever won."

Dan Augstin's Story. — Thirty years of Percheron
breeding are thus recalled by Mr. Augstin:

''Ever since I can remember I have been inter-
ested in Percherons. When only a lad I used to go
over to the old Dillon place to 'talk horse' every
Sunday that mother would let me. That was a great
treat to me, as fine draft horses were very scarce at
that time. I learned a great deal in this way about
the breeding and showyard records of these good
horses. I made the vow then that if I ever got to
be a man I too would own some Percherons.

"When I first started farming for myself I had
only 80 acres of land and was not able to put my
money in purebred Percherons. I did the next best
thing and purchased high-class grade mares. These
were bred to the best Percheron stallions in the
community. My grade colts from such sires as old
Powerful and Kellermann developed into massive,
big horses of the right type. I made a strenuous
effort each year to have every mare have a foal, and

546 A HISTOKY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

it was not long before I had plenty of horses to use
and some to sell. These big, strong-made colts
brought good prices, considering horse values at
that time. Soon I was able to sell enough horses so
as to buy more land. This policj^ I have continued
to follow until my farm now comprises a total of
400 acres.

^'I bought my first purebred Percheron mare in
1888. Seldom have I made a mistake in buying a
mare, because I never allow myself to be persuaded
into taking anything that is not of good breeding.
If I buy a filly I make sure tliat she is out of a mare
that produces the right kind and does it quite regu-
larly. I have bought a few imported mares, whose
parents and past records I could not trace satisfac-
torily, but in so doing I have always made it a prac-
tice to buy nothing except good individuals from
reliable importers. Frequently, when times were
hard, I have bought mares for which I thought I was
paying twice as much as they were worth. However,
I always satisfied myself before I made such a pur-
chase that the mare was the kind I wanted. After
30 years of experience in the business I have found
that the initial cost of an animal is of little concern,
if it is the right kind. Some mares are just as high-
priced at $500 as others are at $1,500.

''I beleve more in Percheron bloodlines than many
breeders do. If Percheron breeders generally would
pay more attention to selecting animals of the right
kind of breeding, progress would be made more rap-
idly. Now that tlie war has cut off the importation
of horses from Europe and we are trying to produce
the good kind here at home, the cry has gone up
from everywhere, 'I am in need of a good sire.'
Breeders are just now coming to realize that con-
structive breeding of the highest degree cannot take

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 547

place without the right kind of bloodlines to build
upon. Why have purebreds and pedigrees, unless we
give preference to those families that have been pro-
ducing the desirable kind? When I first started in
the business I bred my grade mares to the best sires
available at a cost of $25 or $30 for the service fee.
My neighbors thought I was crazy, but they soon
saw the error of their ways.

' ' Frequently one hears it said, ' I want a stallion or
a mare, but I will not buy anything but a prize-
winner.' No greater mistake was ever made. Of
course it is a fine advertisement to have a champion
in the stud, but not all champions produce cham-
pions, by a long way. Many outstanding individuals
come from the common ranks. Always select the
very best breeding stock available; but that does not
mean that one should purchase a prizewinner and
turn down one that is not. Many show animals are
ruined as producers and many equally good individ-
uals never see the tanbark. I have made a great
many mistakes since I first began, but believe that
I have made fewer in selecting my breeding stock
than in other ways, because I have given bloodlines
and individuality first importance and price only sec-
ond concern.

"In my early experiences at selling Perclierons I
never permitted a man to go away if he really want-
ed to buy and would offer me anything like a reason-
able price. Here is where so many of our small
breeders make a serious mistake. They ask such un-
reasonable prices that a dealer can not buy. The
small breeder is not w^ell enough known to sell at
retail and often holds his stock long enough past
the right selling time so that the feed bill eats up
all the profit. Whenever an animal is looking at
its best and one wants to sell it, then is the time to

548 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

cash in, provided of course tliat lie can get anytliing
like a reasonable price. The small breeder almost
always loses money if he passes up a dealer who is
a good buyer, thinking that the price ought to be
as much as the dealer would ask if the animal were
in his own bam. That is not good business logic.
Many breeders in this country still have this lesson
to learn if they are going to produce breeding ani-
mals to sell profitably. The demand is now wide
open for all the good Percherons we can produce,
but the small breeder is likely to stand in his own
light by misjudging his stuff and thinking he has
an animal that would warrant a long price, when
as a matter of fact he has only an ordinary individ-
ual. Effective selling goes a long way toward mak-
ing the business profitable.

"Feed and care are as important as breeding and
individuality. The average breeder needs to be
schooled along this line more than any other. I have
proved to my own satisfaction that there is nothing
else so essential as feed and care in producing pure-
bred draft horses. Since we began treating our foals
at birth with antitoxin streptococci and having them
come when the mares can get on the grass, we have
had practically no deaths. We give them an in-
jection of this antitoxin when they are a few hours
old and then again in about a week. Altogether
too many breeders make the mistake of having their
foals come too early in the spring. They are inclined
to be constipated because their mothers have been
on dry feed so long. There is also much more danger
of other complications setting in when dam and
youngster must be kept in a stall for some time with-
out exercise.

"I am sure from my own experience, that a far
larger percentage of the foals born during the latter

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 549

part of April and May live than of those that
come in February and March. I find also that I am
more successful in getting my mares in foal by
breeding during the second heat period after foaling
than on the 9th day. This gives them a chance to
heal before being bred, as well as to rest somewhat
before entering upon another year's work.

"Just so soon as the foal shows sigiis of wanting
to nibble grain I tie the mare up and give it a box
to itself. It gets all the oats and bran it will eat
from that time on. We sprinkle a little shelled corn
on the oats and bran. Our foals seem to like a little
corn particularly well. To this we add a little alfalfa
meal in the winter, but not in the sununer, as the
molasses is likely to sour to some extent and sweet
feeds draw flies around the feedbox. A foal always
does better if fed in a clean box. Good alfalfa and
clover hay are the best roughages. We use these
feeds for all our animals, even our mature show
horses. We never use black-strap molasses, as it
always causes more or less digestive troubles. It is
not any trouble to get a horse fat if it is healthy and
has plenty of clean feeds, with good water to drink.

"For best results one should keep the idle mares
that are nursing foals in the barn in the daytime
during the hot weather and turn them out at night
on good pasture. Generally speaking, we never let
our foals go hungry from the time they will eat until
they are well along toward maturity. We push our
stallion colts harder than we do the fillies in order
to make them salable sooner. One can not feed a
colt too much of the right kind of feed, if he gives
it plenty of exercise. We feed all our weanlings all
they will eat, but keep them out of doors in large
paddocks and pastures every day, unless it is storm-
ing badly. Open sheds or large boxstalls with doors

550 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

opening into a large lot are most suitable for de-
veloping colts of this age. In fact we handle all our
stallion colts in this way until the winter be-
fore they are three years old. Of course, if we have
a colt which we wish to fit for the show, we keep him
by himself. In the main we run our stallion colts
together, even though we intend to show them. It is
useless to expect that one can put on as much flesh
that way, but he can unquestionably grow a more
rugged and sturdy colt.

"Every man who raises colts in this way knows
that he has more or less trouble with sore heels. The
fact that such colts take an abundance of exercise,
which gives them a strong appetite to consume more
feed than they otherwise would, clearly overshadows
such an annoyance as sore heels. We even run our
two-year-olds, weighing 1,700 to 1,800 pounds to-
gether, but they do not look their best in the show-
ring. I know, however, that they are worth more to
the man who buys them than if they were kept up in
boxstalls all the time. By raising my colts in this
way I have very little difficulty with filled hocks. It
is more economical to develop them by such a method
because it requires less labor.

' ' Farmers are comparatively busy most of the year
and have not the time and in many cases lack the
help to give their stallion colts the exercise they need
if they are kept shut up in a barn. Every farmer
can provide his colts a good grass paddock, however,
and let them do their own exercising while he does
something else. Here is where the French breeders
have the advantage of us. They have unusually fine
pastures and furthermore every effort is made to im-
prove them, because the French breeders fully realize
the importance of developing draft colts out of doors.
My long experience in developing stallion colts has

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 551

taught me the imjDortance of liberal feeding, but
there must be an abundance of outdoor exercise,
preferably in good pastures.^'

U. L. Burdick. — A deep interest in Percheron
breeding has been manifested by Mr. Burdick, one
of the present directors of the Percheron Society,
and we only regret that he has not favored us with
a more extended statement :

' ' The essential features of a draft stallion are good
feet, strong, flat bone, and size well balanced with
quality. I would not select a horse with light bone,
nor with poor feet, nor wdth large size unless he
had quality to go with it. Nor would I select a
horse with quality if he did not have size. I am
speaking about ranch conditions only.

"Stallions should have plenty of good hay and
oats, and plenty of exercise in a fenced lot.

' ' Brood mares must be selected with as much care
as the stallions. The fine little Percheron mares
rarely make successful breeders. Turn the mares
out in a good pasture and let them foal as far away
from the barn as possible.

"We try to get the foals to eat oats as early as"
possible, and they do not shrink a pound in weaning.
Oats, water and hay left to colts to take at their
own will mature them more quickly than any other
method."

On the Northv/estern Range — The following from
]\Lr. J. P. Gammon of northern Wyoming will be
found of special interest:

"Thirty-three years ago I began the breeding of
Percheron horses on the range in northern Wyom-
ing. I realized at that time that in order to be
successful in this far-western country the horses I
raised must be of a good quality, excelling the pam-

552 A HISTORY OF THE PERCIIERON HORSE

pered horses of tlie lower altitudes in breeding and
size. My start in tlie business consisted of a number
of high-grade and purebred mares, of good colors
and size, picked to confonn to my idea of what good
dams should be. I chose for the head of the band an
imported stallion that weighed 2,140 pounds, as good
a horse as I could purchase at that time. With this
start I have been able to build up by the purchase
of new blood, always of the best, until I now have
a band of Percherons that is the delight of all Avho
see them.

"In the early days the country was new and there
was plenty of good grass; the horses made excellent
growth and kept fat the year around, running on
the range. Later, as the country was stocked and
the settlers came in large numbers, the range kept
getting shorter, and my horses came in thin in the
spring instead of fat as before. I saw that if I
continued in the horse business I would have to
change with the country. The day of the range was
passing; it was necessary to provide some means
of feeding through the winter, and about the only
way to do this was to secure a ranch from which
I could cut hay, and also have pasture for use as it
became necessaiy. I finally purchased a ranch at
the foot of the Big Horn Mountains, where I could
cut plenty of hay and raise grain and also have
plenty of pasture when necessary. Being close to
the forest reserve of the Big Horn Mountains, I
could also use that in summer, giving the horses an
ideal summer pasture at the nominal cost of 35 cents
per head for the season. I have been operating this
ranch for several j^ears, using the forest reserve in
the summer. Late in the fall I bring the horses off
the mountains and feed them on alfalfa hay until
the grass starts in the spring. Under this system

\i;.\JiU.\IK nuiM. CHAMl'liLX STAJJ.KIX. KAX.SAS .STATE FAIR, 1916.

GREKAT SU714 (71632), CK.'i.MriON STAIxLION, IlilNOIS STATE FAIR, 1912.

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 553

I raise liorses to maturity that would surprise the
average easterner.

"About Jan. 1 I wean the foals, and during the
first winter I feed them oats and alfalfa hay. I
find that in this way I can raise horses that compare
favorably with the eastern horses that are fed hay
and grain throughout the year, and I think we get
a much more hardy and tougher horse, of immense
lung power and a constitution that cannot be ex-
celled in the lower altitudes. One of the noticeable
things about the horses raised in this country is
that even many of the larger ones can be worked
all winter without shoes. Actual tests show that
the average range-bred and range-raised horse has
a bone as solid as the Thoroughbred, and that the
legs are usually free from puffs and enlargements.
The horses which I have raised under western con-
ditions are as large as or even larger than the eastern
horse. I have mares in my band that have never
tasted grain, except during the first winter after
foaling, that weigh from a ton to 2,200 pounds, and
I have also had two-year-old fillies weighing as much
as 1,900 pounds.

"By buying a young stallion in the east and ma-
turing him here I get a larger horse with more and
better bone than would have been the case had he
remained in the east until maturity. I account for
this by the fact that our feeds are so much stronger
and of so much better quality than those grown in
the eastern states. This is a broad assertion, but
our oats seldom make less than 40 pounds to the
bushel and have gone as high as 48, and I am
threshing today oats that are yielding 80 bushels
to the acre. The last three stallions that I bought
in the east for my own use prove to my mind that
my assertion is true. Two of them T bought as year-

554 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

lings, and the other was 5 months old when pur-
chased. The first two made horses that weighed
2,350 pounds, and the other weighed 2,225 pounds
as a three-year-old.

' ' The big factor that has aided in the development
of these big-boned, heavy horses under our condi-
tions is the fact that even the stallions that neces-
sarily ha\'e been brought into our herds have become
acclimated with a marked degree of rapidity. They
could, if the occasion demanded, be put under exactly
the same range conditions as all the mares and young
stuff endure. There seems to be something about
the Percheron that is highly adaptable to range
conditions. They can build bone and size with
scarcely any grain. This is important and should
not be overlooked by the western horseman when
selecting horses for size, and horses that will have
to rustle to no limited extent during many months
of the year.

"Another pleasing feature of the horse business
under range conditions and as we are handling them
is the freedom from many of the more common dis-
eases and unsoundnesses. Seldom are we confronted
with problems in doctoring sick horses. Neither do
we have animals discarded because of inferior bone
or poor vitality. There is also a noticeable uni-
formity in the results of our breeding work. I can
only account for it by the fact that our horses have
the free use of a large domain of excellent range,
plenty of good mountain water, hay of first grade
throughout the winter, a great deal of work and
exercise for the mares when kept in close pastures,
and the continuous freedom for exercise of all our
breeding stallions. We are giving to the lovers of
draft horses a big, well-made horse, tipping the
scales at more than a ton and doing a vast amount

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 555

of work — all from grazing on the range and a nearly
grainless ration. These horses are transmitting their
draft characteristics to their purebred offspring and
also are proving of unlimited value in crossing on
smaller-typed liorses.

"Four good legs constitute the foundation of any
draft horse, and a square, compact, close-coupled
body must follow a close second. From an expe-
rience covering a long term of years I have reached
the conclusion that we can raise better liorses here
in the west, with its pure air and splendid water
and range conditions, ideal for plenty of exercise,
feeding them nothing but hay and grass, than can
be raised under the ordinary eastern conditions
where the horses are fed all kinds of feed during
tlie entire year. Our horses are as large as the
eastern horses, and more free from blemishes or
imperfections. It has also been my observation that
the Percheron is one of the best rustlers of any of
the draft breeds, often going through the winter
under the same conditions as the common range
animal and many of them coming out in the spring
in good shape and fit for work. The tendency in
this country is toward the Percheron, with better
sires and dams than were found a few years ago.
In a large number of the horses of the Percheron
breed that I see today on the farms of this county
I can trace a resemblance to my first sire, brought
into the country years ago. With the passing of the
years this improvement will be more noticeable."

Manag^ement of Foals and Yearlings. — We are in-
debted to Messrs. M. C. Hodgson & Sons for this
statement of their experience in the feeding and de-
velopment of young stock:

"At the very outset, credit must be given to Eli
Hodgson, father of M. C. Hodgson and grandfather

556 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

of the younger members of our firm, for much of
the success that has accrued to us in our Percheron
operations. His sound counsel in regard to the se-
lection of foundation animals and the feeding and
management of young ones has been of incalculable
value. While we have gained some things from long-
experience, the fundamentals on which our success
has been based have come largely from Eli Hodg-
son.

^'For some years we had our foals come in Feb-
ruary and March, because early-born colts have an
advantage in the showring and in selling. But after
many years of experience we have changed the time
of foaling, and now have our foals coming during
the latter part of April and in May. We would
much rather have them foaled in June than in
March. Our experience has shown us conclusively
that the mares foal more easily, the foals have more
vitality, and the percentage of loss is much lower
with the later foals. Under conditions prevailing
in our latitude it is possible for our mares to foal
out on pasture after Apil 15, and they do foal on
pasture in the great majority of cases. A good
bluegrass pasture, well exposed to the sun, is the
safest place we have found in which to have a mare
drop her offspring. We let the mare run out day
and night, unless a bad storm comes up, in which
case we put her in a boxstall if slie is near foaling.
In such case we take particular pains to see that
the stall is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with
one of the coaltar dips. We then put in some clean
straw and sprinkle more disinfectant over this. Our
plan of having the mares foal on pasture when it is
possible, and to put them in thoroughly cleaned, well-
disinfected stalls in the few instances when it is
necessary to have them foal inside, has enabled us

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 557

to reduce the loss through navel-ill to a minimum.

' ' We keep careful records of the breeding dates of
our mares. We know when they are about to foal,
and from long experience we have learned to tell
quite accurately about when they are to drop foals.
We make it a rule to be with the mare when she
foals, whether in the pasture or in the barn, either
night or day, for if a mare does not foal safely within
30 minutes from the time she starts, intelligent help
must be given.

"Besides having been able to save more foals by
having the mares foal fairly late, we have found
that mares are much more apt to become pregnant
if bred after the grass is good and they have begun
to make satisfactory gains on pasture. Any ex-
perienced stallion owner will testify that mares bred
in March and April are hard to settle. This is of no
slight importance when every effort is being made
to get every mare safely in foal.

' ' After the foals are dropped, they run with their
mothers in pasture night and day until hot weather
and flies begin to cause trouble. They are started
on grain feed when they are about four weeks of
age. As soon as the mares begin to bunch up in
the pasture and fight flies, we adopt the plan of
housing the mares and foals in a cool, partially dark-
ened barn during the daytime. They are put in
about 7 o'clock in the morning and left in until 4 or 5
o'clock in the evening. Each mare is tied in a
roomy double stall, which has two feed boxes and a
manger for hay. The mares are fed grain twice a
day, and as soon as the foals have learned to eat they
are given some grain in a separate feedbox beside
their dams. The youngsters are not tied up, but run
loose in the barn, which has a wide central alleyway
where they are at liberty.

558 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

"For roughage we place mixed clover and timothy
hay in the mangers for the mares and foals. We
also place some bright alfalfa hay in a separate place
where the foals have access to it. Both mares and
foals are allowed all the hay they will eat, but when
they are on good pasture they do not utilize very
large amounts. Our grain ration is the same for the
mares and foals, and consists of bran and oats mixed
in the proportion of 2 bushels of oats to 1 of bran.
This is mixed and fed dry. The mares are allowed
a moderate ration of this — about a half-pound per
100 pounds of live weight. A mare weighing 1,600
pounds will receive about 8 pounds of the grain
ration per day. This is divided into two feeds, morn-
ing and evening. The foals are allowed all of this
grain mixture that they will eat up at two feeds
per day, although we take the precaution to see that
they are not given enough to cause them to leave
any grain in their feedboxes from one feed to the
next.

"Both the mares and foals are turned out about
4:30 or 5 o'clock in the evening, and run on blue-
grass pasture all night, being taken in again in the
morning. This general policy is continued through-
out the entire summer. The barn doors are closed
in the daytime, and the barn is partially darkened,
so that the flies cause little trouble.

"We do not work mares that are nursing foals, as
we usually have enough dry mares or young horses
to do our farm work. We believe that we get better
results with the foals by not requiring the mares
that are nursing them to do anything while they
are raising their offspring. Our policy of giving
some grain to the mares while they are nursing foals
may be objected to by some, but we have found
that it increases the milk flow and contributes ma-

LACTINE 101472 (100912), RESERVE SENIOR mA^rPIOX XIARE, IXTERXA-nONAL
Lr\'E STOCK EXPOSITION, 1916.

TURQUOISE 110346, FIRST-PRIZE T\VO-YEAR-OLD AKD RESERVE CHAilPION
MARE, INTERNATIONAIi UVB S.TOCK EXPOSITION, 1916.

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 559

terially to the rapid development of tlie youngsters.

"We make it a rule to wean the foals about Nov.
1. They have been haltered some time before this,
but are not tied up until we are ready to wean
them. We place a strong leather halter on each
one, but also take the precaution to run a rope
through the halter rings and tie it around the neck,
fastening it to the manger, so that there is no possi-
bility of a colt's breaking loose when first tied, there-
by acquiring bad habits. The mares are turned out
in pasture but are brought back the following day
and the foals are allowed to strip them out once.
After this the mares are turned back in a separate
pasture and do not see their young again for some
weeks. The foals are kept tied up for two or three
days, until they have become accustomed to the
halters and have forgotten in some degree about
their mothers. We then begin turning them out
during the daytime, keeping them tied up at night.
We take the time at this period in their growth to
halter-break them thoroughly. From this time until
the following May they are turned out regularly
on bluegrass pasture every day and are kept in at
night. The only exception to this is in case of a
cold, wet storm during the winter. They are kept
in out of the storm.

"From the time the foals are weaned until the fol-
lowing spring we give them alfalfa hay for rough-
age, and for grain allow each about 3 ears of corn
per day, and in addition to this all of the oats and
bran mixture they will eat. This system is followed
until the pasture grass is very good the following
spring, usually about the lOtli or 15th of May. From
this time until the hot weather and flies begin to
bother the colts they are allowed to run out on
pasture, both night and day. The stallions are sep-

560 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

arated from the fillies about this time, and the year-
ling stallions are kept in the barn during the day.
We have a half-basement barn which is fairly cool
during the summer, and turn the yearling stallions
into it during the day. This is partially darkened
and some burlap strips hanging down protect the
colts from the flies. Our yearling stallions receive
the oats and bran mixture, fed three times a day
throughout the entire summer and fall. They are
given about all they will clean up. In addition to
this, they have access to mixed clover and timothy
hay, and alfalfa when we have it. This is given to
them in the mangers during the day in the bam. At
night they run out on bluegrass pasture.

"We usually have from 6 to 12 yearling stallions
that are handled in this way. They are all allowed
to run together. It occasionally happens that one
will get his heels tramped on by some of the others,
but by watching closely and by taking such a colt
out immediately we have little trouble. It is of
course necessary to use some carbolic salve, or
something of the kind, on the injured part until it
heals up, but as soon as this is done, the colt is turned
out again with the rest of the bunch. We have not
had much difficulty on this score.

"The yearling fillies are usually turned with the
two-year-old fillies into a separate pasture, where
they run out both night and day throughout the
entire summer. We do not feed any hay to the fillies,
but give them a moderate ration of the oats and bran
mixture. This is given twice a day. Their allow-
ance probably amounts to half-a-pound per 100
pounds of live weight per day.

' ' In November or December we begin tying up the
yearling stallions at night, but allow them to run out
during the day. From this time until the following

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 561

spring, or until they are sold, these stallions coming
two years old receive about 5 ears of corn each per
day, and in addition all of the oats and bran mixture
that they will clean up. They are fed three times
per day. For hay, we continue with the mixed clover
and timothy, although we would feed alfalfa if we
had enough of it to supply all of our horses. So far
we have not had enough, and so have retained it for
the younger colts.

"The fillies coming two years old are tied up,
when we have room. If we do not have enough room,
they are allowed to run loose in the shed, where they
are protected from the cold storms and where they
may take refuge during the night, but they are out
every clay during the winter on pasture.

"By following these general methods we have
made excellent gains on our foals and yearlings. We
have found it very advantageous to keep the mares
and foals in and protected from the hot weather and
the flies, as our own experience and our observa-
tion of operations on other farms have satisfied us
that extreme heat and flies materially retard the
development of foals. We have been able to secure
quite satisfactory growth in bone and muscle. Our
colts have matured into rugged, heavy-boned, mas-
sive draft horses, standing from IGVt to 17 hands in
height by the time they are 24 months of age. The
weight varies with individual colts, but they are
deep-bodied, well-proportioned, and with size and
weight enough to balance their height and general
development. We believe our policies of feeding and
management of yearlings and w^eanlings are justified
by the results. We seldom have had any two-year-
olds left unsold. If we do carry over a colt, it is
usually one that we want to develop or use in our
own stud. We have realized substantial prices for

562 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

the colts of our own breeding and raising by the
time they were from 20 to 24 months of age.

"It is quite likely that our policy of liberal feed-
ing might not be justified if good breeding and
Percheron type did not exist in the colts to which
this system was applied. The colts which we have
raised, however, have been bred by us from mares
whose dams and grandams, and in some cases their
great-grandams, were bred by the members of our
own family.

"Eli and M, C. Hodgson made an importation of
12 weanling fillies in 1881. All of the mares now in
our stud trace back to three of the twelve, which is
merely an indication of the careful attention that we
have given to eliminating animals that did not sat-
isfy us in type. On the other hand, w^e have held
fast to the most desirable strains that have come
into our possession, and never have permitted any-
one to purchase our best mares. By persistently
retaining our best mares and by the long-continued
use of good sires, we have been able to produce a
band of mares that are of good type, excellent in
set of legs, good in the feet, and real producers of
rugged, drafty colts which have found a ready sale
before they were two years of age. We are satisfied
that the tendency to breed regularly, the tendency
to prolificacy, is just as certainly transmitted as color
or type; we have held fast to our most prolific
strains.

"Any breeder who will select good foundation
stock, breed to good sires, and follow out intelligent-
ly the same general methods in feeding and man-
agement cannot fail to realize substantial profits
from his Percherons, but emphasis must be placed
on persistent, patient, never-ending watchfulness."

Feeding Alfalfa— Mr. J. C. Pobison of Towanda,

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 5G3

Kans., has this to say about the use of this great
forage plant in connection with horse breeding:

' ' My father sowed the first piece of alfalfa in this
county in the spring of 1895. We have increased
the acreage until now we have about 1,000 acres of
it. We have pastured it a little, but find it does
not pay to do that, as we get so much more feed
from the same acreage by mowing it and feeding
as hay.

''If the alfalfa is cut when about one-tenth in
bloom, we experience no bad results from feeding
it, either from heaves or in any other way. Our
Percherons are allowed to run to the alfalfa stacks
or to eat as much as they like in the barns, and I
am sure we are able to put on more pounds of flesh
and make more growth, both in bone and muscle,
than on any other feed with a smaller amount of
grain. We prefer to mix w^itli it some kind of coarse,
rough feed, such as sugar-cane hay, shock corn or
straw, as the horses crave these feeds when given
alfalfa.

' ' Alfalfa has been the salvation of Kansas and the
west."

The experience of J. A. Gilford, Twin Falls Co.,
Idaho, in feeding alfalfa seems of particular value.
He says:

' ' When living in Kansas in 1896 I seeded 50 acres
to alfalfa. The stand was good. I cut the weeds
with a mowing machine, carrying the cutterbar high
enough so as not to injure the alfalfa, and let them
lie. The next year I cut the alfalfa and stacked it
in the field. When I came to the tops and bottoms
of the stacks, that hay was fed on the ground, the
horses being allowed to eat as much of it as they
would. They began to show signs of heaves. After

564 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHEEON HORSE

I built barns, I no longer fed damaged hay to my
liorses, and I have seen no signs of heaves among
therii since.

"I have raised colts from birth to maturity on
grain and alfalfa hay, and they have made before
weaning time from 100 to 150 pounds of gain a
month. I expect a colt from 5 to 6 months old to
weigh from 700 to 800 pounds, and at 12 months
about 1,200 pounds. I want more mature hay for
horses than for cattle, and they should clean it all
up each time it is fed. I consider one acre of alfalfa
cut and fed judiciously worth more than two acres
pastured. By judicious feeding I mean to give no
more than will be cleaned up each time.

''I have had experience in both stacking and
housing hay; I am strongly in favor of housing. I
built a haybarn in the middle of an alfalfa field,
intending to cure the hay in the windrow, with buck
rakes take it to barn, drop it from the rake to a
sling, and so get it into the barn. But I found that
the dew, without any rain, bleached the hay, and
I decided to shock it. I could not handle it satis-
factorily with rakes, and so laid them aside. I made
floats, 7 by 14 feet with a railing 2 feet high at each
end. On each of these I laid a sling, with each end
fastened to the top of the railing. These I put on
a slingload, drove to the barn, hooked onto the sling,
and put the hay into barn. No leaves were wasted.
I am highly pleased with this method of handling
hay.

"I regard alfalfa as the best hay for growing
out any kind of stock that I ever fed. I am careful
not to put it into barn in such a condition that it
will mow-burn."

Importajice of Soundness. — Mr. J. S. Golder, a Ne-
braska breeder of long experience, gives some useful

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 565

hints to beginners, especially in reference to the
matter of nnsonndness in draft breeding stock. He
says:

"To the young man setting out to own a team of
high-class Percheron mares I would say, start right,
however small the beginning may be. If he has only
the one mare and she is a good one, he need not be
ashamed to show her. If he can take that one mare
to the fair and get first prize on her, he will have
done something that many an older and larger
breeder has never accomplished.

"Many people have an idea that purebred mares
require more care than grades. This is entirely er-
roneous. They do not require it; but somehow they
seem to get it, which goes with the spirit of success.
In order to begin right, I would impress upon the
prospective buyer to buy them sound. Do not
squeeze the eagle too hard. Use good judgment and
buy them sound. I would rather have one good one
and have her sound than half-a-dozen good ones and
have them unsound. When you go out to Iniy an
animal and find it a little coarse in the pastern, turn
it down, and hard at that. If you hesitate, the seller
may try to cover it up with a lot of excuses. Then
one asks himself whether it will breed on. Of course
it will, not only for one generation, but through half-
a-dozen. I know for sure that it will persist for three
generations. It matters not whether it is a coarse
pastern or a coarse liock, bad eyes or bad wind, they
are all the same when it comes to breeding.

* * I once bought a stallion. He was a good one, Init
developed a sidebone at the age of four. Most of
his colts developed sidebones at the age of two. More
than that, nearly every one of his fillies passed them
on. We were forced to put them all on the auction
block and sell them as coarse in the pasterns for what

566 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

they would bring. While some thought they went
cheaply, and they did, they were dear too.

"I believe that the horse business now has the
brightest future that it has known in many, many
years. With the importations cut off, American
dealers find that they can get just al)out what they
want at home, and perhaps somewhat cheaper. The
American farmer and breeder can raise them just as
good and big as they can in France if he will. We
have just as good feeds and much more room to ex-
ercise them in. That is another place where the
young l)reeder makes a mistake — not giving enough
feed of the right kind, and not enough exercise. Feed
liberally of the right sort of feeds, such as oats, bran,
alfalfa, clover and such, and do not confine the horses
to a boxstall."

Growing Purebred Percheron Fillies. — Prof. J. L.
Edmonds of the Illinois Agricultural Experiment
Station summarizes the results of careful study of
this subject at the University of Illinois farm in the
following language:

"Well-bred young things deserve good feeding.
They demand it, if profits are duly considered. Their
growing-out should permit the fullest development
of inherent possibilities.

"A record of the feed consumption and increase in
weight and height of a lot of 10 purebred Percheron
weanling fillies, foaled in 1914, was made at the Illi-
nois Experiment Station. These fillies were carried
tlirough two winters and one summer — from late in
the fall of the year in which they were foaled until
they were ready to be turned on grass as two-year-
olds.

"These fillies were fed home-grown rations. The
grain feeds were oats and corn, one-half of each by

txbibm:b rack for colt-feedixg in paddocks.— see article

BY TROF. EDMONDS.

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 567

weight. Grain was fed three times per day, except
when the fillies were on grass; then it was fed twice
per day. During the first winter the oats and corn
were ground. Alfalfa hay was the sole roughage
used; it was fed twice per day, except when the
fillies were on pasture, during a part of which time
no hay was fed; after the pasture became short hay
was fed once per day. More grain would have been
eaten than was fed. With the alfalfa hay, however,
the aim throughout the trial was to feed as much of
it as would be thoroughly cleaned up. Alfalfa, corn
and oats were the feeds selected, because it was de-
sired to obtain good results with farm feeds without
recourse to purchased mill feeds. The pasture, 8
acres in area, was bluegrass, with a slight mixture
of timothy, orchard grass and medium red and white
clover.

''During the first few weeks the fillies were
allowed as much grain and hay as they would readily
consume. This, although it resulted in good gains,
did not seem to be a profitable or entirely safe pro-
cedure, because of the high grain consumption. Ac-
cordingly the grain ration was gradually restricted
until it was reduced to an amount which insured the
consumption of a pound or more of alfalfa hay per
day to the hundredweight. Experience here would
seem to indicate that a liberal portion of well-cured
legume hay should be the foundation for feeding
young, growing horses. In addition to the legume
roughage, enough grain should be fed to produce
good growth. The feed sheets indicate that as the
individual becomes older, it is possible and desirable
to decrease the proportion of grain and increase the
proportion of hay and still obtain excellent results.
Alfalfa hay fed with corn and oats gave results of
a character which indicate that there is little or no

568 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

need of feeding bran or other purchased mill feeds
when a good quality of alfalfa hay can be grown on
the farm. Alfalfa hay, because of its high protein
and mineral content, especially calcium, is suited
to grow the heavy muscles and large, strong bones
which are necessary for the real drafter. A greener,
leafier quality of hay was fed to these fillies than
usuall}^ gives the best results when fed to hard-
worked horses. In the case of these growing fillies
it was not found necessary, as is the case with ma-
ture animals, to limit the amount of alfalfa hay
which was fed. Furthermore, when alfalfa hay is
the roughage used, a considerable proportion of the
grain ration, in this trial one-half by weight, may
be corn, the grain grown in greatest quantity in the
middle west.

"From this and similar trials it seems quite clear
that in addition to liberal grain-feeding to growing
drafters, which is admittedly necessaiy and import-
ant, the development of size and quality of bone is
also intimately associated with the grazing on pas-
ture of nutritious grasses and clovers, and the feed-
ing of good legume roughages during seasons when
such pasture is not available. In this test desirable
growth was made on pasture which w^as not fully
indicated by the weights of the fillies. On most
farms the use of more pasture than was available
in this trial would be of advantage. A grain feed
of approximately V2 of a pound of grain per day
to the hundredweight of filly seems to be enough
to produce proper development on pasture.

"Since, as the experiment showed, 45.35 bushels
of corn, 79.36 bushels of oats, 2.58 tons of alfalfa,
and % of an acre of good pasture kept an individual
of the kind used in thrifty and salable condition
from the fall of the year in which it was foaled

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 569

up to the time when it was two years of age, it
would seem worth while to grow out well-bred
young drafters properly. Thus we may obtain the
size and finish which experience has shown to be
necessary for the greatest remuneration.

' ' The accompanying table is of interest, because it
gives feed consumption and gains by seasons. The
table shows that the largest and quickest gain for
the feed consumed was made during the first winter.
During the first w^inter an average of 5.674 pounds
of grain and 4.266 pounds of hay were required per
pound of gain. The second winter-feeding period
required an average of 9.228 pounds of grain and
12.99 pounds of hay, the average grain requirement
per pound of gain being at this time almost twice as
much and the hay requirement slightly over three
times as much as it was during the first winter. The
table showing the results in detail follows.

"A study of these figures would seem to show the
fallacy of attempting to make good draft horses by
roughing weanlings through the winter, with stunted
yearlings as a result. Continued liberal feeding
through the summer and the succeeding winter made
big, growthy, two-year-old fillies that were much
nearer maturity than if they had been forced to sub-
sist on a ration too limited in either or both the
quantity and quality of the nutritients which it con-
tained. It is of particular advantage to have pure-
breds well growni at two years of age, because well-
grown individuals of both sexes are in good demand
at that age.

"The average weight of the lot at 12 months of
age was 1,112 pounds; at 24 months of age, 1,548
pounds. The average w^eight of 8 head (the two
youngest fillies being excluded) at corresponding
ages was 1,128 pounds and 1,578 pounds. The

570

A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

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SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 571

growtliiest filly of the lot weighed 1,260 pounds at
12 months of age and 1,775 pounds at 24 months.

"The three sets of prices used in obtaining the
feed costs of growing these fillies during the time
of the experiment were as follows: $86.88, when
afalfa was $16 per ton; corn, 56 cents per bushel;
oats, 40 cents per bushel; pasture, $2 per calendar
month per head. $105.50, when alfalfa w^as $14 per
ton; corn, 65 cents per bushel; oats, 40 cents per
bushel; pasture, $1.50 per 28 days per head. $108,49,
when alfalfa was $11 per ton; corn, 50 cents per
bushel; oats, 35 cents per bushel; pasture, $10 per
acre, for 8 acres."

Buying, Feeding, and Selling Draft Geldings. —
Mr. Mat Biers is known throughout the entire United
States as one of the most successful buyers and
feeders of the draft gelding. His long and success-
ful experience renders the following statement par-
ticularly valuable. He says:

"I was born and brought up on a farm in north-
central Illinois and began buying draft geldings
22 years ago. For 2 years I worked for a man
named Peterson, w^io bought and fed good draft
horses. I began to admire good horses while work-
ing with Peterson, and during the time when I was
feeding cattle and horses for him I occasionally
bought a good gelding, took it home and fed it out.
Peterson bought nothing but good grade draft
horses, the bigger the better.

"Shortly after I got married I began to trade in
draft horses and bought very good thin geldings.
These I fed out and sold. After about three years
I formed a partnership with Peterson and we
began to buy draft horses for Rosenberg. Horses
were extremely cheap then and we were buy-

572 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

ing on a commission of $5 per head. After we
had followed this plan for some time, we quit and
began to ship and feed for ourselves. We usually
shipped about 3 loads per week. This was some
15 years ago, and I have been located in Mendota,
111,, for the last 19 years. In more recent years

1 have been operating alone.

"The first and most important consideration in
feeding draft geldings is to buy the right kind at
a price that will permit a profit. A horse well
bought is well sold. It is unwise to buy a horse that
is too low in condition, it requires too much time
to get him in shape. I prefer to select only those
horses which can be sold at any time after purchase
at a. fair profit. I aim not to buy horses that will
not finish out satisfactorily within 60 days, as I
do not believe it pays a dealer to feed longer than

2 months. Horses that have to be fed 3 or 4 months
to get them in shape for market cost too mucli in
the way of feed.

' ' The second important point in making purchases
of draft geldings is to buy them at the right time.
The demand for drafters is a seasonable one. They
will not sell to good advantage except during the
late spring and early summer months and again in
the early fall months. I like to have my heavy geld-
ings ready to sell during the latter part of April or
early in May, or if I do not wish to market them
at this time I want geldings that I can turn off
late in August or early in September. There is
a relatively light demand for the very heavy draft
geldings at other times of the year, and many men
lose money on the draft geldings they purchase on
account of buying them at the wrong time of the
year. They are then compelled to sell them when
draft geldings are not in strong demand, or if they

fr

%

PIXK BRILLIANTE 57897— CHAMPION CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL, 1916.

HYSOPE, CHAJrPION MARE INTERNATIONAI, EXPOSITION, 1912.

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 573

do not sell tliem, they are obliged to carry them
so long that the profit is taken up in extra feed
bills.

"Farm chunks weighing from 1,200 to 1,500
pounds sell to the best advantage during the months
of December, January, and February, and there
is no market of any consequence for horses of any
kind during June. This, of course, has not been
true during the last two years, as the war demand
has been heaviest during the summer, but I am
speaking of the general commercial demand.

"In selecting heavy draft horses for feeding, I
aim to buy about 60 days before I want to place
the horses on the market. I look for a big horse,
preferably one standing from 16.2 to 18 hands high.
Of course, anything from 16.1 up can be made into
a big horse, if he has the right proportions and is
given the feed necessary to finish him out. Eighteen
hands is too high, unless the horse is well propor-
tioned. A good draft gelding should have depth of
chest equal to one-half his height, and have the
spread of rib, depth of flank and other parts in
proportion. In buying horses for the heavy gelding
trade, they should weigh from 1,600 to 1,650 pounds
to start with, and have the height mentioned. They
can be fed out to 1,900 or 2,000 pounds.

"My ideal horse to put on feed is one that stands
around 17 hands high and is well proportioned,
weighing about 1,650 pounds in moderate condition.
Sucli a horse on feed 60 days will increase at least
an inch in height on account of the fact that the
flesh fills up over the withers and the feet grow
out longer. I want a horse that has a good big-
head, clean-cut and wide between the eyes, with
well-set ears and reasonably long neck, clean-cut in
the throttle, with fairly sloping shoulders and a full

574 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

breast. I want my horse to be heavy through the
shoulders, deep through the heart, with a short
back, well-sprung rib, and good length of rib, so
as to give a deep middle. One should always buy
a horse with a big chest and should never select
one that is not short-coupled and heavily muscled
over the loin; he should be w^ide and heavily muscled
over the croup, thighs, and in the haunches, and
should be massively muscled in the stifles. I prefer
to have the croup slightly drooping rather than too
straight; horses that are very straight in their croup
are inclined to be narrow through the stifle and
thighs. The underpinning receives close attention,
as I want my horses to stand squarely on their legs
from front, side and rear. The pasterns should not
be too straight, nor do I want a horse that is down
too much on his pasterns ; a medium slope is desired.

''The feet should be of good size and medium in
height. Of the high-walled foot and the low-walled
foot I prefer the high-walled foot, although I like
to have a happy medium between the two. The
foot that is low-walled is apt to be flat and wide-
spread at the heels, and such feet go to pieces al-
together too rapidly in city service.

"A sickle hock or a curby-formed hock is ex-
tremely undesirable and should be avoided under all
circumstances, particularly in heavy geldings, be-
cause the heavy pulling that must be done is sure
to make such hocks curby. The hock should be
wide and clean-cut. I like to have geldings that
will measure about 13Mj inches of bone below the
hock. They should have heavy bone, with the ten-
dons standing well back in the forelegs. A little
hair on the legs is not objected to, but very much
feather is to be avoided. A little filling in the hocks
does not cut the price of a big gelding to any

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 575

extent, but large puffs or any indication of a bog
spavin must be avoided.

"A liorse should have a good, big eye, preferably
brown in color, and should be wide between the
eyes. The eye orbits should be prominent, so that
the eye sets well out on the side of the head. The
small, hog eye always is to be avoided; that kind
of an eye indicates a bad disposition and never
lasts so well as a big, open eye.

"Under no circumstances would I buy a horse
with a small sheath; such a one is usually light
in the middle and a poor feeder. Occasionally one
will get hold of a horse with apparently ideal con-
formation for feeding that has a small sheath.
While I cannot explain just why such horses are
poor feeders, I have always found that they are
poor doers. I always pay close attention to the
sheath in purchasing thin geldings for feeding pur-
poses.

''There are more good feeders among the grade
Percherons and Belgians than among those of other
breeding. I prefer geldings sired by Percheron and
Belgian sires. It is difficult to describe the kind
of thin horse that will grow out into a big horse of
the right kind, but above all, he must have height,
heavy bone, and the proper proportions in frame
work. If he does not have these, no amount of
feed will ever make the right kind of a horse out
of him.

"After buying the right kind of horses, I make it a
rule to have them vaccinated as soon as they are
brought in to town. They are treated with a hy-
podermic injection of any of the good polyvalent
bacterins before they are put into any liveiy stable
or allowed to stand around a stockpen. I have
found that if one can vaccinate horses before they

576 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

are exposed to shipping fever lie will have very
little trouble. In addition to this, I make it a rule
to keep a shipping fever medicine on hand, and if
the geldings show any symptoms of fever, I can usu-
ally break it within 24 hours by using this medicine.
I find that vaccination is a great help where I have
to bring horses in from all parts of the country
and put them in the same bam for feeding. I do
not physic a horse when it is starting on feed, un-
less it appears unhealthy, in which case I usually
give a physic ball once or twice at the beginning
of the feeding period.

**As soon as I start the horses on feed, I tie them
up in single stalls just wide enough so that they
may lie down comfortably. I tie my horses in the
stalls and never take them out from the time I put
them in until they are ready to market. We even
carry the water to them. A thin horse that has been
working steadily will begin swelling in the legs,
after being tied up in these single stalls and put
on heavy feed. In fact the legs swell up until a
man who did not know would think that the horses
were utterly ruined. This swelling starts a short
time after the horses are tied in, but will come down
within 2 or 3 weeks; no one should be disturbed
over this temporary swelling that occurs during the
feeding period,

"Long experience has convinced me that horses
will fatten a great deal more quickly when tied in
single stalls than when loose in box stalls or running
out in yards or sheds. I have paid enough for my
experience to satisfy me that there is no other
method of feeding horses which is so economical
and so conducive to quick results as keeping them
tied in single stalls and never moving them out
from the time they are started on feed. Not even

KEOTA INSIGHT 107242. RESERVE CIIAill'IOX STALLIOX BRED BY EXHIBITOR.
IOWA STATE FAIR, 1916.

PAIR HOPE 117379, AMEKK A.N-KlUiU lU;sKli.\ Jv JUMuU LH.\.\U'l<i.\
CHICAGO INTERNiAnONAI., 1916; SOIiD FOB $5,000.

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 577

should tliey be taken out to lead or show; moving
them even 100 yards when they are on this heavy
feed is apt to induce azoturia.

"First and foremost, one must see to it that the
horses are allowed plenty of salt, all the good fresh
water they can possibly use, and an abundance of
good hay. I always water ray horses before feed-
ing. They should never be watered immediately
after being fed. Our experience has been that the
water has a tendency to carry the feed through
before it is thoroughly digested.

"I prefer to feed five times a day, beginning at
6 o'clock in the morning, feeding again at 10 o'clock,
2 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock at night. They
should be fed at the same time every day. I con-
sider regularity in the feeding of the geldings al-
most as important as any other one thing. If they
are fed promptly, they will not fret and will do much
better than if any irregularity in their hours of
feeding is allowed.

"I like to keep salt before my geldings at all
times, to give them all the fresh water they can use,
and to feed all the hay that they will clean up. I
make it a rule to allow them all the grain that they
will clean up within 25 or 30 minutes. One should
not feed horses so much as to cause them to be
indifferent to the feed when it is placed before them
the next time. On the other hand, I aim to feed
just up to the limit, so that the horse is always
anxious for his feed at the next feeding period and
yet is receiving about all that he will clean up. I
prefer to feed ear corn, and with this I give bran
and oats, preferably crushed oats and dry bran.
I feed this in about equal proportions by measure.
I have, however, had good results by feeding corn
and oats in equal parts, and then giving the horse

578 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

a bran mash twice a week at the evening feed. I
use a little molasses in the wintertime, it hastens
the gains on the horses by increasing their ap-
petites and it also adds bloom to a horse's coat of
hair. It should be thinned with hot water, and
then sprinkled over the grain feed and over the
hay. Never feed molasses in the summertime, how-
ever, as it only attracts the flies, and one cannot
keep the feedboxes clean when using molasses.

' ' So far as hay is concerned, I prefer bright clover
hay, but clover and timothy mixed make excellent
feed. I do not like alfalfa for fattening geldings.
"While the first and second cuttings of alfalfa, if
properly cured, make very good horse feed, one can
never be sure w^hether he is obtaining the earlier
cuttings or the later cuttings. The last cuttings
are always too soft and cause too much work for the
kidneys, and my obsei-vation has been that one
is apt to have more trouble with the hocks filling
up w^ien alfalfa is used than when the other hays
are fed. Besides this, I have found that my horses
do not ship so well when fed alfalfa hay as when I
have used the bright clover or the clover and timothy
mixed. Do not use straight timothy, however; this
will bankrupt any man who undertakes to do it.
I never use timothy alone, even in preparing horses
for shipment or in shipping them, as it causes
them to appear light in the middle and cut up in
the hind flank.

' ' During the late summer and early fall I feed some
green corn, but it should be fed sparingly, as it is
too soft as a rule to feed to horses that have not been
on grain veiy long. Green com is a excellent feed,
however, on which to start thin horses; it tones up
the system and gets them in good condition to start
fattening. I have fed some silage and find it very

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 579

satisfactory, providing it lias been put in wlien
the corn is fairly well hardened and is good and
clean-smelling, without the acid condition that is
too often found in silage from corn that is not
suffciently matured. Extreme care must be exer-
cised, not to give any silage that contains the least
evidence of mold; moldy silage will kill horses as
quickly as any feed I know of.

"Be careful about using shredded fodder. If it
could be shredded before being rained on and after it
had become thoroughly cured, it would be excellent
feed, but it is almost impossible to get shredded fod-
der in that condition. I have found it veiy difficult to
avoid colic when shredded fodder is fed.

*'I like to feed a tablespoonful of ashes made
from ash or hickory wood twice a week, mixing
it in with the ordinary feeds, but I do not feed any
stockfoods or patent medicine tonics. I am afraid
of them and do not believe there is any advantage
in using them. If a man has bright clover hay and
gives plenty of salt and water, his horses will keep
in healthy condition and will not need tonics or
salts to keep them from becoming unduly consti-
pated.

"So far as the amount of feed to be given is
concerned , no hard and fast rules can be laid down.
This is a matter that must rest in the discretion
of the feeder, and the aim should be to give the
horses all the feed that they can stand without
overdoing it so as to cause them to lose their ap-
petites. Some horses will consume a great deal more
feed than others and will make much more rapid
gains. I have had horses that have gained as much
as 150 pounds in a month, but that is very unusual
and ordinarily we figure on a gain of about 3 pounds
a day on geldings being fed for the market.

580 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

"There are some incidentals that contribute to
success in feeding operations. Horses should be fed
on dirt floors, if possible. When a barn is well
drained and good dirt floors have been properly
built in the stalls, no better foundation can be ob-
tained. The stalls should be kept carefully cleaned
out, occasionally disinfected, and well bedded, so
that the horses will feel disposed to lie down and
rest frequently and for considerable periods.

"We do uot blanket our draft horses in the
winter, unless we are preparing them for some spe-
cial sale and want to get a little extra bloom on
their coats. In the summer we darken the stable,
have screen doors, and also use large fly traps so
as to keep the flies out of the bam as completely
as possible.

"I prefer open mangers, and would emphasize
the fact that it is very necessary to keep mangers
and feedboxes scrupulously clean. When our horses
are ready for shipment, we reduce the amount of
grain for the last 3 days before shipping and do
not feed any grain at all on the day we ship, depend-
ing simply on hay and water.

"I prefer to sell my horses at my own barns and
have always found it best to get the big eastern
buyers to come direct to my place whenever I have
a carload of good horses for sale. During the last
year it has been decidedly injudicious to ship geld-
ings to the large commercial markets. The tremen-
dous trade in war horses and the large amount of
shipping back and forth horses that did not pass
inspection has spread influenza and shipping fever.
If the geldings are taken directly from the barns
where they are fed to the point where they are to go
to work they are likely to get through in healthy
condition and without any trouble of any kind.

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 581

''So far as the trade is concerned, the chief de-
mand for good, big liorses comes from the eastern
states. The big packing companies of Cliicago are
about the only ones that will take first-class geldings,
as most of the Chicago trade is for a rather common
class of big horses which can be bought more
cheaply. The packing companies will not take a
horse that is in the least degree unsound, but a
small sidebone will pass the eastern buyers without
much objection, and some of the eastern buyers will
take a horse with a hock that is a trifle coarse,
providing he does not go lame on it. We do not
find many horses that are wrong in the wind, but can
sell a horse on the eastern market that is a little
off there if he will take a big load and walk along
at a reasonable gait and make no noise about it. But
if he does make a fuss, a $300 horse would bring not
more than $150.

' ' Geldings on feed will make much more satisfac-
tory progress if they are well curried every day, as
this loosens up their skins, cleans out the scurf and
makes them feel better. A stiff brush should be
used, with plenty of elbow grease put behind it.

''Never try to feed horses where there are chick-
ens, because with chickens there will be lice and
they will get on the horse in spite of everything
one can do. If you buy a horse that has lice, use
kerosene and lard, half and half; kill the lice just
as quickly as possible.

"Close attention should be given to the feet of
the horses that are on feed, particularly in the
smnmer, when the atmosphere is hot and dry. I
prefer to pack my horses' feet in packing clay, but
the ordinary kind of blue clay will serve the pur-
pose. Make a good paste and plaster it over the
horse's feet on the frosrs. It is well to use some

582 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

good hoof ointment. Eub it into the hoofs and the
coronets, as this tends to stimulate the growth of
the hoof and helps to keep it in good condition.

''Care shonld be taken to give the horses plenty
of fresh air. The barns or sheds should be well
ventilated. The bams must be kept clean and well
disinfected so that the stalls w^ill not betray stable
odors. Above all things get the horse to lie down
as much as possible. Keep his stall in such shape
and so well bedded that he Avill be encouraged to
lie down and rest. Good rye straw is the best kind
of bedding, and good wheat straw comes next.

"Good, big, draft geldings, well proportioned and
sound, will always bring a. good price if properly
fitted. Any farmer who has good com and oats
and first-class clover hay can well afford to feed
out the surplus geldings which he has for sale, as
it will add much more to their value than the cost
of feeding amounts to. In buying geldings for
feeding purposes, however, one must have at least
a $50 spread between purchase price and the price
he expects to get when they are sold in order to be
at all safe, and I prefer to have a little more than
this where possible. Whenever I buy a thin gelding
for feeding puiposes, I have a mental picture of the
kind of gelding he will look like when he is finished.
I usually try to have in mind the buyer who will
want just that kind of gelding, so that in my buy-
ing and feeding operations I am selecting horses for
certain specific purposes and certain particular buy-
ers. No fai*mer should undertake to buy geldings
for feeding purposes until he has had some exper-
ience in finishing out his own surplus horses, or
has acquired some familiarity with the task by feed-
ing out small bunches, say 2 or 4 horses. Experience
is a most valuable asset."

SELECTION, CxVRE AND MANAGEMENT 583

Permanent Marks For Percherons. — The success-
ful management of Percherons requires a method of
positive identification of the individual animals.
Satisfactory results can best be attained by perma-
nent marks. On this subject we quote from the fol-
lowing authorities :

W. S. Corsa says:

' ' I am convinced after years of trial of other sys-
tems that the only satisfactory solution is in brand-
ing the horses with plain figures on the neck. Prop-
erly branded, no scar results and the animals are
identified for life. I have within the past year
adopted this plan with all my horses, and I am
gratified with the resulting ease and certainty of
keeping my records. Hereafter I shall include the
brand for each individual as a part of the descrip-
tion in the pedigree. By this system all doubt is
removed, and in case of my death any administrator
can go in and handle my stud of Percherons with
the same certainty regarding each individual that
I have myself. It also removes the possibility of
error on the part of grooms in keeping service and
foaling records."

Lambert Ketfeler, with more than 60 Percherons,
states:

''I would not think of being without brands on
my Percherons. Each animal has its own number,
Avliich is embodied in the pedigree. Errors are made
impossible. ' '

U. L. Burdick says:

"I consider a set of branding irons indispensable.
It is a guarantee that the breeder's records are prop-
erly kept and that each animal is absolutely true to
pedigree. ' '

58-i A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

George Lane, owner of tlie largest stud of Perch-
erons in the world, says:

"Branding Percherons in plain figures, so that
each animal has its own distinguishing number, is
essential to any man who undertakes systematic
Percheron breeding. It is the best possible evidence
that the breeder is careful in his operations and that
the animal is bred as represented. For the benefit
of those not familiar with details of the work, I
am pleased to give the following instructions:

''The branding irons must be of copper. The
sample set shown in the illustration is correct in all
respects. The colts to be branded should be blind-
folded and the hair be clipped from the neck where
the brand is to be applied. If the skin seems dirty,
it should be Avashed clean and allowed to dry
thoroughly before the brand is applied. This will
result in a clear, plain brand. If you are in doubt
about being able to apply the brand in the correct
position, take a piece of chalk and lightly mark the
figures on the neck, then apply the brand on the
figure outlined. This will insure getting the brand
on straight. The hair must be clipped to permit of
clean, quick branding. Blindfold the colt and stand
him beside a fence or gate, so that he cannot crowd
away. The iron should be heated in a small char-
coal burner, or in any other small, clean fire. Keep
a coarse brush at hand, so that the face of the brand-
ing iron can be brushed off before applj^ing it. This
is done to make certain that there are no specks of
dirt or cinders adhering to the face of the brand
wdien it is applied. The presence of any such par-
ticle blurs the brand and spoils the results. The
copperhead should not be heated red hot, but should
be just turning from a bluish tinge to a faint red
when removed from the fire. It should be allowed

SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 585

to cool for at least a minute after this, and will still
be hot enough for use. Experienced branders do not
heat their irons even this hot. They heat them
until there is a bluish tinge running over the face
of the branding instrument, but beginners will have
to work as indicated. At the beginning it is best
to test the irons on some grade horses until you
have determined the proper heat and time. The
numbers are IV- inches high and the burning face
is barely Vk of an inch. The copper branding instru-
ments must be carefully handled; for when hot they
are very soft. If thrown down carelessly, or struck
against one another, they will be bent out of shape
and ruined.

"Step up beside the colt, and if you are a short
man step on a box, so that you will be up on a level
with the neck. Then apply the brand to the neck
on the spot desired with one straight movement,
making sure that all of the branding surface of the
iron comes in contact with the neck. If this is not
done, one part of the brand will be deep while the
other will be barely touched. It is sufficient to bring
the iron against the neck and take it away. A
second is all that is required. If the hair has been
clipped, a second's touch w^ith the hot brand will
burn the hair roots and turn the skin to a light-brown
color. Do not try to re-apply the brand; if /ou
do you will simply blur the figure and spoil the
mark. The chief danger with men who are inexper-
ienced in branding is that they have the iron too
hot, or apply it too long. This results in too deep
a bum, and in the case of such figures as 8 or 0
may burn out the entire center core, leaving a blotch
on the neck, so that the figure is indistinguishable.
If the irons are hot, as directed, a single straight
application for a second is sufficient to burn the hair

586 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

roots and turn the skin brown, and this is all that is
needed. The operation is so quickly done that the
colt or horse will not wince appreciably, and there is
no difficulty in doing the work.

"Probably the most satisfactory plan is for each
man to select some letter as his own, and then brand
from 1 to 1,000. Thus C 101 might stand for Corsa
101, indicating that this was an animal bred or
owned by Mr. Corsa and that the identification was
101. The breeders who adopt this system can num-
ber 999 animals, w^ithout using more than 4 charac-
ters, and as the figures are small the animals will
not be disfigured. Where it is preferred, the brands
may be applied under the mane and will not be at all
noticeable.

"I formerly used hoof brands, but since adopting
this system I would not depend on the other under
any consideration. With my present arrangement
I am absolutely certain at all times as to the identity
of any animal that I have. I might die and my
entire force might be swept out of existence, but
any stranger could step in and take the records and
the pedigrees and identify every Percheron that I
own. The individual neck brand is carried on the
pedigrees, on the produce cards, and in my record
books. It is also carried in my memorandum book,
so that I can at any time distinguish any animal in
pasture, barns or lots, and determine in a second
the registered name, number and breeding."

J. P. Gammon, with approximately 100 Perch e-
rons, says:

"Long experience has satisfied me that there is
no system for identifying Percherons equal to the
plan of branding each one in plain figures, so that
each animal has its individual mark. It does not

AMORITA eiai4. CHAMPION 1L\RE AT CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL, 1909.

HERAIINB 10219S (7613-4), CH.VMPION JIARE AT IOWA STATE FAIR, 1911.

SELECTION^ CARE AND MANAGEMENT 587

disfigure the animal, but is on tlie contrary a mark
of merit, as it is evidence as to the identity of the
breeder and the care used in his breeding opera-
tions.

'^Ahnost all the states have statutes governing
brands, providing for legal records of same, and stip-
ulating heavy penalties, usually a penitentiary sen-
tence, for those who seek to deface or alter brands.
Illinois has such statutes, and I see no reason why
the Percheron Society of America should not have
regulations providing that each breeder may adopt
and have registered in the records of the society
some specific brand which shall belong to him, and
which shall not be infringed upon by any other
breeder. John Brown might adopt the maple leaf
as his symbol, and use it, with numbers following,
to identify all his horses. In time the breeder of
good horses would find the brand to be a valuable
trademark, advertising him as the breeder wherever
the horses might be used or shown. The careful,
conscientious breeder has everything to gain by the
adoption of a distinguishing brand to mark animals
of his breeding. This, together with individual num-
bers for each Percheron, will make errors on the
part of grooms impossible, will eliminate doubt or
disputes as to the identity of animals, and will give
intending purchasers added confidence in purchas-
ing from a breeder who follows the system of brand-
ing all foals at weaning time in such manner as to
give each individual identification numbers which
are incorporated in the certificates of pedigree as a
part of the description. I have used the plan for
years, know it to be successful, and would not
think of depending on any other system. Every
breeder, for his own protection in dealing with
employes and for the protection of his estate in

588 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

case of his death, should adopt permanent marks
for his Percherons. There is no system equal to
copper branding irons, properly used."

CHAPTER XV.
BLOODLINES IN THE SHOWRING.

We come now to the matter of an examination
of the blood elements most largely represented in
the breeding of the leading prizewinners of recent
years at the two most important shows of France
and the United States. This was undertaken not
with a view to demonstrating the truth or falsity
of any particular proposition, but merely as the
presentation of the record as it actually exists. A
study of these tabulations and summaries should
prove of interest and value to present-day Percheron
breeders.

The Breeding" of Leading Winners. — The show-
ring is to Percherons what the racetrack has been to
Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds. It is the fiery
crucible wherein the gold is separated from the
alloy. When leading shows are considered, the win-
ners represent the highest type which Percheron
breeders have been able to produce. A Percheron
of surpassing excellence in type, conformation and
quality can no more escape the showring than a
race horse of extraordinary speed can escape the
racecourse, because hundreds of men are seeking out
the most excellent animals to prove their merit by
open competition in the showring. If successful,

589

590 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

their value is greatly enhanced and their opportu-
nities in the stud are widened. Sentiment among
breeders is so strong, alert and well informed that
the judging at the leading shows is in the long run
representative of the best thought of the breeders of
the period. Analysis of the showyard records and
of the breeding of the winners is of great interest
to all intelligent, thoughtful breeders.

An exhaustive study of the winning horses at the
shows held in the Perclie under the direction of the
Societe Hippique Percheronne de France from 1901
to 1910 inclusive discloses 1,418 which were awarded
prizes in the individual classes. The large number
is due to the French system of awarding several
third and fourth prizes in each class. Only one first
prize is awarded, but two second, two third, six
fourth, seven fifth, and fifteen sixth prizes, so called,
have sometimes been awarded. This is a scheme to
aid sales, and wholly unjustified.

The names and numbers of the prizewinning
horses at all these shows were tabulated, and op-
posite each was placed the name and numbers of
the sire, grandsire and great-grandsire in the pat-
ernal line. It was found that 476 stallions appeared
but once each in the 10 years as great-grandsires of
winners. These were therefore eliminated from
consideration. The 942 animals remaining trace to
only 80 different great-grandsires, some of which
appeared more frequently than others. The num-
ber of times each great-grandsire appeared during
the 10 years is shown by the following summary:

BLOODLINES IN THE SHOWRING

591

SUMMARY NO. 2 — 1901 TO 1910 INCLUSIVE.

RANK OP STALLIONS ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT THEY

APPEARED AS GRBAT-GRANDSIRES OF PRIZEWINNERS

DURING THE 10 YEARS.

1— Brilliant 3d (2919) 123 41-

2— Besigue (19602) 92 42-

3 — Villers (8081) 87 48-

4 — Fenelon (38) 71 44-

5 — Voltaire (443) 61 45-

6 — Jules (37987) 50 46-

7 — Marathon (10386) 38 47-

8— Briard (1630) 30 4S-

9 — Jupiter 4th (13001) 19 49-

10 — Lavater (14574) 18 50-

11 — Violoneux (37412) 16 51-

12 — Isolin (27498) 16 52-

13 — Lavrat (21169) 16 53-

14 — Lerida (6780) 14 54-

15 — Paros (14227) 14 55-

16— Cocardos (35219) 13 56-

17— Napolitain (43046) 13 57-

18 — Boule-D'Or (19129) 11 58-

19 — Sang-rado (22990) 10 59-

20 — Jean Nivelle (34195).... 9 60-

21 — Germanicus (7825) 8 61-

22 — Archimede (7222) S 62-

23 — Bontor (19590) 8 63-

24 — Blande (36577) 8 64-

25 — Jemmapes (51958) 8 65-

26 — Bambin (41034) 8 66-

27 — Visconti (20491) 7 67-

28 — Numero (18789) 7 68-

29— Champeaux (2248) 6 69-

30 — Sultan (4713) 6 70-

31— Buffalo (34952) 6 71-

32— Turco (8506) 6 72-

33 — Fernando (34038) 6 73-

34 — Florent 2d (5950) 5 74-

35 — Picador 3d (4815) 5 75-

36 — Gilbert (461) 4 76-

37 — La Grange (1334) 4 77-

38 — Pourquoi Pas (9989) 4 78-

39— Clisson (41222) 4 79-

40^Desonis (40794) 4 90-

-Monid (40349) 4

-Othello (42829) 4

-Bien-Eveille (2565) 4

-Mouille (35212) 4

-Morse (40383) 4

-Brilliant (755) 3

-Kadoudja (13245) 3

-Bernard (5501) 3

-Phebus (329) 3

-Waterloo (39313) 3

-Rustique (28646) 3

-Lyceen (42509) 3

-Cherbourg (43393) 3

-Rodomont (43006) 3

-Rochefort (14837) 2

-Compteur (7059) 2

-Major (626) 2

-Fier-a-Bras (13555) 2

-Conquerand (29963) 2

-Sullv (35491) 2

-Donon (37397) 2

-Robespierre (14737) 2

-Paradox (40254) 2

-Picador 1st (7330) 2

-Bavard (9495) 2

-Norbert (35763) 2

-Bon Espoir (213) 2

-Picador 2d (5606) 2

-Etretat (41715) 2

-Theudis (40871) 2

-Faust (42551) 2

-Cambronne (40813) 2

-Lerida 2d (32234) 2

-Louis (42916) 2

-Piron (42617) 2

-Jules (42009) 2

-Beaudole (34055) 2

-Matador (43400) 2

-Svlo (43344) 2

-Diog-ene (22663) 2

SYNOPSIS OF SUMMARY NO. 2

26 great-grandsires appear 2 times

9 great-grandsires appear 3 times

10 great-grandsires appear 4 times

2 great-grandsires appear 5 times

5 great-grandsires appear 6 times
2 great-grandsires appear 7 times

6 great-grandsires appear 8 times
1 great-grandsire appears 9 times
1 great-grandsire appears 10 times

1 great-grandsire appears 11 times

2 great-grandsires appear 13 times

2 great-grandsires appear 14 times

3 great-grandsires appear 16 times
1 great-grandsire appears IS times
1 great-grandsire appears 19 times

8 great-grandsires appear more than 20 times,

ranging from 30 to 123

592 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

Of the 80 great-grandsires that appeared two
times or more at any one show during the 10 years,
46, or 57 percent, were of Brilliant breeding.

Of the 1,418 animals at these shows, 942 trace
directly to these 80 great-grandsires through their
sire's line. The remaining 476 animals are unac-
counted for; they did not have a great-grandsire that
appeared more than once at that year's show.

Of the 942, 724, or 76.8 percent, carry Brilliant
blood. No doubt a great many of the animals
trace to Brilliant blood in the succeeding genera-
tions beyond their great-grandsires. It is true that
a great-grandsire might appear once at each show
during the entire 10 years and yet not receive credit
in this list.

The basis of this tabulation is the appearance of
a great-grandsire at least two times in one show.

An interesting feature, not disclosed by this sum-
mary, but shown by the more extended figures, is
that the stallion classes, while only slightly larger
in number, carry a much larger percentage of the
prominent bloodlines than do the mare classes.

Of the 8 stallions that ranked highest in the total
of 80 common progenitors, all are of Brilliant breed-
ing. To these particular great-grandsires stands the
credit of having 58 percent of the total number of
prizewinners whose great-grandsires are included in
this list of common progenitors.

Brilliant 3d's* right to premier rank as a sire is

* The sire referred to throughout the text as Brilliant 3d is
Brilliant III 11116 (2919).

BLOODLINES IN THE SHOWRING 593

abundantly proved by the sliowyard records. He
appears as the great-grandsire of 123 of the win-
ners, and his son Besigue stands second with 92 to
his credit. The high estimate placed on Villers is
also borne out by his appearance in third place, as
the great-grandsire of 87 prizewinners. Fenelon,
sire of Brilliant 3d, comes fourth, appearing as the
great-grandsire of 71 of the winners. All of the
first 8 horses appearing in this roll of honor are
sons, grandsons, or great-grandsons of Brilliant
1271 (755), the sire that joined with his own sire,
Brilliant 1899 (756), in founding the Brilliant strain,
dominating blood in the Percheron breed.

The most noted of these great ancestors did not
win their high rank by heavy winnings of their de-
scendants in any one or two years. On the contrary
they have appeared as great-grandsires of winners
year after year. This is shown by the following
summary:

'SUMMARY NO. 3—1901 TO 1910 INCLUSIVE

RANK OF STALLIONS ACCORDING TO NUMBER OF SHOWS AT WHICH THEY

APPEARBD MORE THAN ONCE AS GREAT-GRANDSIRES

OF PRIZEWINNING ANIMALS.

1. Brilliant Sd (2919), in '01, '02, '03, '04. '03, 'OG, '07, 'OS. '09, '10. .10

2. Villers (80S1), in '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, 'OG, '07, '08, '09, '10 10

3. Voltaire (443), in '01, '02, '03, '04, '03, '07, '08, '09, '10 9

4. Marathon (10386), in '01, '02, '03, '04, '03. '08, '09, '10 8

5. Fenelon (38). in '01, '02, '03, '04. '05, 'OG, '07 7

6. Cesigue (19602), in '04, '05, '06, '07, 'OS, '09, '10 7

7. Lavater (14574), in '01, '02, '03, '07, 'OS 3

8. Lavrat (21169), in '05, '07, '08, '09, '10 5

9. Cocardos (35210). in '04, '05. '07. '08, '00 5

10. Briard (1630), in '01, '02, '03, '04 4

11. Lerida (6780), in '05. '07. '08, '09 4

12. Jupiter 4th (13001), in '04, '08, '09, '10 4

13. Boule D'Or (19129), in '04, '06. '07. '10 4

14. Jules (37987), in *07, '08, '09, '10 4

594 A HISTORY OF ^HE PERCHERON HORSE

SUMMARY NO. 3—1901 TO 1910 INCLUSIVE (Continued).

15. Violoneux (37412), in '07, 'OS, '09, '10 4

IG. Ciiampeaux (2248), in '02, '03, '04 " ] ' 3

17. ArchimeJe (7222), in '05, '06, '07 ' | | ^ 3

IS. Germanicus (7S25), in '05, '06, '07 3

19. Pourquois Pas (99S9), in '05, '06, '10 '."' 3

20. Paros (14227), in '02, '03, '04 3

21. Numero (1S7S9), in '04, '05, '10 3

22. Isolin (274 9S), in '03, '04, '07 3

23. Blande (36577), in '04, '05, '10 3

24. Jean Nivelle (34195), in '06, 'OS, '09 3

25. Gilbert (461), in '01, '03 2

2G. La Grange (1334), in '01, '03 o

27. Sultan (4713), in '09, '10 2

28. Picador 3d (4S15), in '01, '02 2

29. Bontor (10590), in '02, '09 2

30. Visconti (20491), in '03, '04 2

31. Sang-rado (22990), in '09, '10 2

32. Buffalo (34952), in '06, '07 2

33. Fernando (3403S), in '08, '09 2

34. Jemmapes (41958), in '07, 'OS C

35. Clisson (41222), in 'OS, '09 2

36. Desouis (40794), 'OS, '09 2

37. Bambin (41034), in '09, '10 2

3S. Napolitain (43046), in '09, '10 2

39. Monid (40349), in '09, '10 2

40. Othello (42S29), in '09, '10 2

Breeding of Prizewinners at French Shows. —

For the benefit of stu(3ents of animal breeding, the
first-prize winners at the shows held nnder the aus-
pices of the Percheron Society of France from 1901
to 1910, inclusive, were selected and their breeding
traced out in detail to the eighth generation, or,
where the breeding did not extend so far, to its
nttermost limits. There were three stallions and
four mare classes at each of these shows.

The detailed breeding of the seventy animals in
question Avas submitted to Prof. E. IST. Wentworth,
of the Kansas Agricultural College, for analysis as
to the percentages of blood of the leading strains
represented, the total shown on each pedigree being

BLOODLINES IN THE SHOWRINa 595

taken as 100 percent. This is not absolutely ac-
curate, but is near enough for all practical purposes.
In computing' the proportion of blood of the lead-
ing sires, duplications were avoided, and where, as
in the first instance given, a pedigree is said to
contain 12.5 percent of the blood of Brilliant 1271
(756) and 18.75 percent of the blood of Brilliant
1899 (755), we mean that the particular animal
involved carries 18.75 percent of the blood of Bril-
liant 1899 (755) through other lines than Brilliant
1271 (756). Where Coco 2d (714) is listed, his
blood comes down through other strains than the
Brilliant, every precaution being taken to avoid
duplications in these calculations. The figures show
the percentage of the blood of leading sires carried:

TABLE L — ^WINNERS AT THE 1901 SHOW.

Class 1. — Stallions. Class 1. — ^Mares.

CHAMBELLAN 27349 (46787). EGLANTINE 30011 (48070).

Percent Percent

^ .,,. ^ ,„„, ,^-,, ,or Brilliant 1271 (756) .. 20.3125

Brilliant 1271 (756) ... .12.5 Brilliant 1899 (755).. 9.375

Brilliant 1899 (755) ... .18.75 Coco 2d (714) 78125

Coco 2d (714) 6.25 Favori 1st (711)!..'.!! 7!o3125

Favori 1st (711) 7.8125 ^^^^^ 2.-Mares.

Class 2. — Stallions. DOCILE (35823).

SCIPION 27123 (43667). Brilliant 1271 (756) . . . 12'!or"'

Percent ^^ „ ..

Brilliant 1271 (756) ... 21.875 r,r,j^r, hsoLt^ ^''^^'
Brilliant 1899 (755)... 6.25 ^^-^-^^ <• o^^^j. percent

Coco 2d (714) 3.125 Brilliant 1271 (756)... 12. 5

Favori 1st (711) 1.5625 Brilliant 1899 (755)... 9.375

Coco 2d (714) 7.03125

Class 3. — Stallions. French Monarch (734) 4.6875

ORANGISTE 29606 (45088). Favori 1st (711) 3.5156

Percent Class 4. — -Mares.

Brilliant 1899 (755).. 6.25 TENEBREUSE 30013 (45G15).

Brilliant 1271 (756)... 3.125 Percent

Favori 1st (711) 3.90625 Brilliant 1899 (755) 12.5

Favori 1st (711) 7.8125

Brilliant 1271 (756).... 6.25

Champeaux (2248) 6.25

Coco 2d (714) 1.5625

596

A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE-

TABLE II. — WINNERS AT THE 1902 SHOW.
Class 1. — ^StalUons. Class 1. — Mares.

PYRRHUS 29563 (44643). EGLANTINE 30011 (48070).

Percent See Table I.

Brilliant 1271 (756).. 3.6S75 p., o a/t

Coco 2d (714) 3.515625 ^^^^^ ^.— Mares.

Brilliant 1899 (755).. 3.125 DOCILE (35823).

Favori 1st (711) 3.125 See Table I.

Class 2.-Stallions. Class 3.-Marcs.

ORANGISTE 29606 (45088). TENEBREUSE 31501 (4S069)^.^^

See Table I. Champeaux (2248) 6.25

Class 3.— Stallions. Favori 1st (711) 4.6875

PAUL 29885 (47477). C°°o 2d (714) 1.5625

Percent Brilliant 1271 (756) 1.5625

Brilliant 1271 (756) 15.625 Class 4 —Mares

B:uSnt1s5r;j55;:::: elf' OMBRELIE 30010 ^50329)^

Coco 2d (714) 4.6875 champeaux (2248) "T

Brilliant 1271 (756) 4.6875

Brilliant 1899 (755) 3.125

Favori 1st (711) 3.125

TABLE III. — WINNERS AT THE 1903 SHOW.

Class 1. — Stallions. Class 1. — Mares.

TELEMAQUE 34104 (44762). DOCILE (35823).

Percent See Table I.

Champeaux (2248) .. .18.75 Class 2 Mares

ST" IV^VV^^.-^-'lil''"' CASTILLE 34488 (47121).

Brilliant 12il (i56).. 6.25 „

Brilliant 1899 (755).. 3.125 T3^,,n.,„t iqqq ^'-t;^^ is7r:

o ior Brilliant 1899 (< 55) .... 18.75

Coco 2d (714) 3.125 ^^^^^. j^^ („^^) j^0625

Class 2.-Stallions. Brilliant 1271 (756) .... 9.375

, „„„, Coco 2d (714) 7.S125

UNIVERS 33977 (47622).

Percent Class 3. — Mares.

Brilliant 1899 (755).. 18.75 FAISANT 41215 (46330).

Brilliant 1271 (756) . .15.625 Percent

Favori 1st (711) 14.84375 Favori 1st (711)... 6.25

Coco 2d (714) 390625 Brilliant 1899 (755) 6.25

Coco 2d (714) 5.4-6875

Class 3.— Stallions. Brilliant 1271 (756) 3.125

CASCADEUR 33977 (53120). French Monarch (734) .73415625
Percent

Coco 2d (714) 11.71875 Class 4.— Mares.

Brilliant 1271 (756).. 6.25 BRMANTRUDB 41203 (51827).

Brilliant 1899 (755).. 6.25 Percent

Favori 1st (711) 5.859375 Brilliant 1271 (756).. 4.6875

French Monarch (734) 1.5625 Favori 1st (711) 390625

BLOODLINES IN THE SHOWRING

597

TABLE IV. — ^WINNERS
Class 1. — Stallions.
ELECTEUR 412G4 (46264).

Percent
Brilliant 1899 (755). . .12.5
Brilliant 1271 (756) . . .12.5

Coco 2d (714) 6.25

Favori 1st (711) 3.90625

Class 2. — Stallions.
VICTOR HUGO (52791).

Percent
Brilliant 1271 (756) . .20.3125
Brilliant 1899 (755) .. 15.625

Favori 1st (711) 9.765825

"Coco 2d (714) 6.640625

Class 3. — Stallions.

CHICHI (54591).

Percent

Brilliant 1271 (756) . .10.4375

Brilliant 1899 (755).. 9.375

Coco 2d (714) 5.46875

Favori 1st (711) 3.515625

French Monarch (734) 1.5625

TABLE V. — WINNERS
Class 1. — Stallions.
RAVISSANTE (46514)

Brilliant 1899 (755).
Brilliant 1271 (756)

Favori 1st (711)

Coco 2d (714)

Percent
12.5
. 6.25

5.46S75
3.125

Class 2. — Stallions.

FLAMBART (54628).

Percent
Brilliant 1271 ( 756 ).... 15.625

Champeaux (734) 6.25

Brilliant 1899 (75) 3.125

Favori 1st (711) 3.125

Coco 2d (714) 3.125

Class 3. — Stallions.

MONACO 45896 (58631).

Percent
Brilliant 1899 (755)... 9.375

Favori 1st (711) 9.375

Coco 2d (714) 9.375

Brilliant 1271 (756) 9.375

AT THE 1904 SHOW.

Class 1. — Mares.

ROSETTE 52054 (48054).

Percent

Brilliant 1271 (756) 9.375

French Monarch (734).. 9.375

Brilliant 1899 (755) 6.25

Favori 1st (711) 6.25

Coco 2d (714) 3.125

Class 2. — Mares.

DOCILE (35823).
See Table I.

Class 3. — Mares.

BLANCHETTE (51576).

Percent
Brilliant 1271 (756).. 4.6875

Coco 2d (714) 3.515625

Brilliant 1899 (755) . . 3.125

Favori 1st (711) 1.953125

Class 4. — Mares.
XERES (54751).

Percent
Brilliant 1271 (756) . .24.21875
Brilliant 1899 (755).. 7.8125

Favori 1st (711) 4.296875

Coco 2d (714) 2.34375

AT THE 1905 SHOW.

Class 1. — Mares.
FOSSETTE 46039 (45225).

Percent
Brilliant 1271 (756) ... 10.9375

Favori 1st (711) 10.15625

Brilliant 1899 (755) . .. 9.375

Coco 2d (714) 6.25

French Monarch (734) 3.125
Class 2. — Mares.

PAQUERETTE (48593).

Percent

French Monarch (734). 6.25

Brilliant 1271 (756)... 4.6875

Brilliant 1899 (755). .. 3.125

Favori 1st (711) 3.125

Coco 2d (714) 1.5625

Class 3.— Mares.

XIMENES (55074).

Percent
Brilliant 1899 (755) .14.0625
Brilliant 1271 (756). 9.375

Favori 1st (711) 6.8359375

Coco 2d (714) 2.34375

Class 4. — Mares.

LISETTE 85118 (58368).

Percent
Brilliant 1271 (756)... 4.6875

Brilliant 1899 (75) 6.25

Favori 1st (711) 6.25

598

A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE

TABLE VI. — WINNERS AT THE 1906 SHOW.

Class 1. — Stallions.

BIBI 95697 (52612).

Percent
Brilliant 1271 (756) . .10.9375

Favori 1st (711) 9.375

Coco 2cl (714) 8.59375

Brilliant 1899 (755). . 6.25

Class 2. — Stallions.

DIMITRI (58251).

Percent
Brilliant 1271 (756) . .14.84375

Favori 1st (711) 12.109375

Brilliant 1899 (755) . .10.9375
Coco 2d (714) 78125

Class 3. — Stallions.

GUERIDON (64253).

Percent

Brilliant 1899 (755) . .15.625

Brilliant 1271 (756 K . 11.71875

Favori 1st (711) 6.640625

Coco 2d (714) 2.34375

Class 1. — Mares.
MARTHA (43811).

Percent
Brilliant 1271 (756).. 3.125

Favori 1st (711) 2.34375

Class 2. — Mares.
BICHE (50061).

Percent

Champeaux (734) 12.5

Brilliant 1271 (756).. 9.375

Favori 1st (711) 7.03125

Brilliant 1899 (755)... 6.25
Coco 2d (714) 1.5625

Class 3. — Mares.
DEMOISELLE 46228 (58468).

Percent
Brilliant 1271 (756) . .22.65625
Brilliant 1899 (755) . .20.3125

Favori 1st (711) 8.54375

Coco 2d (714) 6.640625

Class 4. — Mares.
ETONNANTE 46233 (63090).

Percent
Brilliant 1899 (755).. 18. 75
Brilliant 1271 (756) .. 17.1875

Coco 2d <714) 9.765625

Favori 1st (711) 9.375

TABLE VII.— WINNERS AT THE 1907 SHOW.

Class 1. — Stallions.

COCO 83035 (60171).

Percent
Brilliant 1271 (756) . . 6.25
Coco 2d (714) 1.171875

Class 2. — Stallions.

MYLORD 54216 (64236).

Percent
Brilliant. 1899 (755) .. 21.875
Brilliant 1271 (756) .. 15.625

Favori 1st (711) 9.765625

Coco 2d (714) 2.34375

Class 3. — Stallions.
AVOCAT (66303).

Percent

Favori 1st (711) 7.2265625

Coco 2d (714) 4.296875

French Monarch (734) 1.5625

Brilliant 1899 (755) 1.5625

Brilliant 1271 (756) 1.5625

Class 1. — Mares.
BICHE (50061).
See Table VI.

Class 2. — ^Mares.
ROSETTE 52054 (4S054).
See Table IV.

Class 3. — Mares.

COQUETTE (69196>.

Percent

Favori 1st (711) 7.421875

Coco 2d (714) 2.34375

Brilliant 1271 (756).. 1.5625
Class 4. — Mares.

MIRZA 51S79 (67199).

Percent

Brilliant 1271 (756) .. 14.625

Brilliant 1899 (755) . . 9.375

Favori 1st (711) 6.640625

Coco 2d (714) 6.640625

French Monarch (734) 5.46875

BLOODLINES IN THE SHOWRING

599

TABLE VIII. — WINNERS AT THE 1908 SHOW.

Class 1. — Stallions. Class 2. — Mares.

ETTJDIANT 70S02 (59291). XANTHOUETTE (55429).

Percent Percent

Brilliant 1899 (755) .10.9375 Favori 1st (711) 8.59375

Brilliant 1271 (756). 8.59375 Champeaux (734) 6.25

Favori 1st (711).... 4.4921875 Brilliant 1899 (755).. 3.125

Coco 2d (714) 1.953125 Brilliant 1271 (756)... 3.125

Class 2.— Stallions. Coco 2d (714) 1.5625

AVOCAT (66303). Class 3.— Mares.

See Table VIL LEVRETTE (68225).

Favor, Is, ,71.) . . . . i.llV.T, ^^»^ Sn.S ' ,■ 73 4 J f'^aUS

Picador 1st (7330).. 3.125 t> u ,^o^^ Jn — X Tr^or

n^r.r. 0/1 t-11^ 9 ciQqncoi: Brilliant 1899 (7oo).. 1.5625

Coco 2d (,14) 2.5390625 „ ^ ,„ . •?Q0fi2T

Brilliant 1271 (756). 2.34375 ^°^^ -^ ^'^*^ ^90bJo

Brilliant 1899 (755) 1.625 Class 4. — Mares.

French Monarch (734) 1.625 GAULOIS 55284 (75180).

Class 1. — Mares. Percent

MAUDE (51487). ^"J!!!^"* llll illVr HI-''

Percent Brilliant 1899 (755). 6.25

Favori 1st (711) 10.15625 Favori 1st (711).... 5.6640625

Brilliant 1271 (756)... 3.125 French Monarch (734) 4.6875

Coco 2d (714) 78125 Coco 2d (714) 3.515625

TABLE IX.— WINNERS AT THE 1909 SHOW.

Class 1. — Stallions. Class 1. — Mares.

ETUDIANT (70802) (59291). HERMINE 619S7 ^'''^'^^'^^ ■ -p^^^^^

See Table VIIL Brilliant 1271 (756) .25.7812.3

Class 2— Stallions Favori 1st (711).... 9.1796875

Class J. btauions. Brilliant 1899 (755) 7.8125

GALOP (69888). Coco 2d (714) 1.953125

Percent French Monarch (734) .78125

Brilliant ISf (755). 3.90625 ^^^^^ 2.-Mares.

Coco 2d 714) ■ 3. 15625 g^uLOIS 61979 (75176).

Favori 1st (711) 3.3203125 Percent

Brilliant 1271 (756). 2.34375 Brilliant 1271 (756) .10.9375

Picador 1st (7330).. 1.5625 Brilliant 1899 (755). 6.25

Favori 1st (711) 5.078125

Class 3. — Stallions. Coco 2d (714) 4.1015625

HONORABLE 64381 (74813). Picador 1st (7330).. 3.125

Percent Champeax (734).... 3.125

Favori 1st (711)... 6.73828125 Class 3.— Mares.

Brilliant 1271 (756) 6.25 ERICA (68318).

French Monarch Percent

(734) 5.46875 Brilliant 1271 (756).. 4.6875

Brilliant 1899 (755) 4.6875 Favori 1st (711) 3.125

Coco 2d (714) 1.7578125 ^'■""%"| 1!^!) (755).. 1.5625

Coco 2d (714) 78125

French Monarch (734) .390625
Class 4. — Mares.
DOCILE (69234)

Percent
Picador 1st (7330) 6.25

600

A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE

TABLE X. — WINNERS AT THE 1910 SHOW.

Class 1. — Stallions.
FIER-A-BRAS (65250).

Percent

Coco 2d (714) 8.0478125

Brilliant 1271 (756). 5.45425
Brilliant 1899 (755). 4.6875

Favori 1st (711) 4.296875

Class 2. — 'Stallions.
HELIX 70340 (75752).

Percent

Favori 1st (711) 6.640625

Brilliant 1899 (755).. .5.46875
Brilliant 1271 (756).. 3.125

Coco 2d. (714) 78125

Class 3. — S'tallions.
INCOMPRISS 78960 (79751).

Percent

Coco 2d (714) 7.8125

Favori 1st (711) 6.4453125

Brilliant 1271 (756). 3.90625
French Monarch (734) 3.515625
Brilliant 1899 (755). 3.125
Class 1. — Mares.
INFRANCHISSABLE 70267
(82233).

Picador 1st (7330) .
Brilliant 1271 (756)
Favori 1st (711) .. .
Brilliant 1899 (755). 2.34375
Coco 2d (714) 78125

Percent
6.25

3.515625
2.9296875

Class 2. — Mares.
HOCHETTE 70479 (75519).

Percent
Brilliant 1271 (756) 8.59375
Brilliant 1899 (755) 7.8125

Coco 2d (714) 7.03125

Favori 1st (711)... 5.46875
French Monarch

(734) 73446875

Class 3. — Mares.

FAVORITE 70281 (87784).

Percent
Brilliant 1899 (755) .17.1875

Coco 2d (714) 10.7421875

Birilliant 1271 (756) . 9.375
Favori 1st (711) 7.03125

Class 4. — Mares.

ALISE 79311 (58009).

Percent

Brilliant 1899 (755) 7.8125

Brilliant 1271 (756) 7.8125
French Monarch

(734) 7.8125

Favori 1st (711)... 6.4453125

Coco 2d (714) 1.97265625

Breeding of International Prizewinners. — The

breeding of tlie imported horses that appear as prize-
winners at the International Live Stock Exposition
from 1900 to 1910 inclusive corresponds so closely
to the French records just discussed as to require
no further comment. An analysis has been made,
however, of the breeding of all American-bred horses
winning prizes at these International shows, and as
a matter of interest the sires, grandsires, and great-
grandsires appearing two or more times in the pedi-
grees of the winners are given, with the number of
prizes won by descendants. It ^\411 be noted that
the ranking sire is by the ranking grandsire, and he
by the ranking great-grandsire, and that the second

JALAP 80583 (85614)— CHAMPION AT 1915 IOWA SPUING STAMJON SHOW;
PROGENY WON GET-OF-SIRB PRIZE AT PANAMA-PACIFIC INTERNATTONAIi
EXPOSITION, 1915.

BLOODLINES IN THE SHOWRING

601

highest sire of winners is by tiie second liighest
grandsire. Here the consistency ends, however, as
Marathon is the second highest great-grandsire, but
is not the sire of Highland Chief.

Prizes won by
American-bred
Sires descendants

Calypso 25017 (44577) 38

Superior 40605 15

Salvanos 10827 (20922) 12

Rhum Jr. 21627 9

Cadmus 2162 (929) 8

Boer 24267 (44611) 7

Aride 25056 (45424) 7

Villers 13169 (SOSl) 6

Picador 27370 (4S373) 6

Olbert 42315 (53109) 5

Brunelles 11415 (12162) 5

Volag-e 4S57S (55179) 5

King of Highland 16341 5

Ali 20012 5

Putnam 23211 5

Pink 247C5 (47513) 4

Constantin 35228 (4SS90) 4

Hercules 21504 3

Morse 22714 (403S3) 3

Saphir 32S34 (4G498) 3

Lamv 4G057 (5G473) 3

Brilliant 1271 (755) 2

Fils de Jupiter 11413 (9992).. 2

Sansonnet 4300 (1990) 2

La Grange 20372 2

Invincible 22715 (38107) 2

Highland Monarch 40607 2

Soldat 310S4 (47533) 2

Hyacinthe 26723 (4S3S6) 2

Kimberly 25726 (44616) 2

Villageois 27423 (44898) 2

Kabyle 24761 (44167) 2

Artiste 31529 (47528) 2

Paquebot 35048 (47609) 2

Armor 46682 2

Pusso 45802 (61861) 2

Brocanteur 30393 (51632) 2

Breslie 43904 (59812) 2

Grandsires

Theudis 25013 (40871) 40

Highland Chief 23744 15

Fernando (34038) 14

Grevin 6846 (6892) 12

Rhum 11288 (13173) 9

Victoria 24449 (42905) 9

Brilliant 1271 (755) 8

Besigue (19602) 8

Dominant 5146 (2017) 6

Briard 5317 (1630) 6

Brutus (34739) 6

Aiglon 13145 (8187) 5

Scheret 8948 (15793) 5

Han Brlon 10708 (19918) 5

Blande 29259 (36577) 5

Artilleur 27348 (46769) 5

Prizes won by
American-bred
Grandsires descendants

Orpin 24388 (43279) 4

Confident 3647 (397) 3

Mirabeau (34778) 3

Napolitain 22SS2 (43046) 3

Charlemagne 22713 (40167)... 3

Brilliant 1899 (756) 2

Jupiter 4301 (2243)...- 2

Sultan (4713) 2

Producteur 1st (7657) 2

Porthos 6823 (10594) 2

Parfait 3d 10727 (12939) 2

Baccarat 11326 (18639) 2

Black Diamond 26279 2

Myron (20G90) 2

Beaudole (34055) 2

Diogene (41294) 2

Casino 405S0 (46875) 2

Raphael 25047 (43483) 2

Olga 22736 (43283) 2

Rivoli 33848 (46722) 2

Rayon D'Or (44266) 2

Great-grandsires

Besigue (19G02) C2

Marathon (10386) 16

Sensation 22544 15

Brilliant 3d (2919) 13

Brilliant 1271 (755) 13

La Grange 3065 (1334) 12

Chicago 6947 (7485) 9

Bienfaisant (1397) 6

Monarque 5149 (242S) 6

Brilliant 1899 (756) 6

Germanicus (7825) 6

Gilbert (461) 5

King of Pcrche 4975 (G73S).. 5

Nev (40287) 4

Juies (37987) 4

Saint Germain 6252 (4315)... 3

Donon (37397) 3

Malakoff 15753 (29888) 3

Rochambeau (1382) 2

Vaillant (404) 2

Coco 2d (714) 2

Jean Bart (716) 2

Favora 1542 (7C5) 2

Bayard (9495) 2

Cheri 6024 (6903) 2

Fils de Jupiter 11413 (9992).. 2

Parfait 3d 10727 (12939) 2

Patache (42261) 2

Charlemagne 22713 (40167)... 2

Mery (29834) 2

Paumier (24581) 2

Victoria 24449 (42905) 2

602 A HISTORY OF THE PEECHERON HORSE

This table shows the rank of the sires, grandsires
and great-grandsires of the American-bred Perche-
rons winning prizes at the International from 1900
to 1910 inclusive. Group awards are not included
in this list. This calculation takes into account
every sire, grandsire or great-grandsire that
appeared more than once in the pedigree of an
American-bred International winner during the 10
years. The number opposite each name represents
the number of prizes awarded to sons or daughters,
grandsons or granddaughters, or great-grandsons or
great-granddaughters of the stallion in question.