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THE LIBRARY

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

PRESENTED BY

PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND
MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID

HORSE-BREEDING

RECOLLECTIONS

G. ^LEHNDORFF.

PHILADELPHIA :
PORTER & COATES

1887.

l-7

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGK

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS 7

CHAPTER II.
IN-BREEDING—OUT-CROSSING .44

NOTES

BREEDING RACEHORSES.

CHAPTER I.
GENEEAL OBSERVATIONS.

THE principal requisite in a good racehorse is soundness,
again soundness, and nothing but soundness; and the object
of the thoroughbred is to imbue the limbs, the constitution,
and the nerves of the half-bred horse with that essential
quality, and thereby enhance its capabilities.

The thoroughbred can, however, fulfil its mission only pro-
vided the yearly produce be continually subjected to severe
trials in public. The only appropriate test, proved by the
experience of two centuries, is the racecourse, although its
adversaries oppose it as too one-sided, and propose in its
stead others of more or less impracticability. The last strug-
gle for victory, in which culminates the exertion of the race,
results from the co-operation of the intellectual, the physical,
and the mechanical qualities of the horse, the development of
which combined power is higher and more reliable than any
that can be obtained in the same animal by other means. The
combination of those three qualities forms the value of the
horse destined for fast work : the mechanical, in respect to
the outward shape and construction ; the physical, as regards
the soundness and normal development of the digestive organs
and motive power ; the intellectual, or the will and the energy
to put the other two into motion and persevere to the utmost.
The attained speed is not the aim, but only the gauge, of the
performance.

8 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

The grand ideal principle which places this test so incom-
parably higher than any other based upon the individual
opinion of one or more judges is the absolute and blind
justice, personified in the inflexible winning-post, which alone
decides on the racecourse, and the irrefutable certainty that
neither fashion nor fancy, neither favor nor hatred, neither
personal prejudice nor time-serving — frequently observable in
the awards at horse-shows — has biassed the decision of hotly-
contested struggles as recorded in the Racing Calendar for the
space of one hundred and seventy years. This it is that gives
to the English thoroughbred horse a value for breeding pur-
poses unequalled and looked for in vain in any other species
of animal creation.

I apprehend great danger from the endeavor to improve
horse-racing — like any other human institution, not without
its shortcomings — by corrective measures, which might inter-
fere with that principle of blind justice ; its fundamental laws
would thereby become undermined, and the building, which it
took centuries to erect, fall to ruins.

Nothing but the framing of the racing propositions ought to
serve as indicator of what is required of the thoroughbred ;
every state in need of an efficient cavalry should be careful
how to place authority for that purpose in experienced hands,
and see it used leniently, but on clearly-established principles.
As for the rest, it should be left to the immutable laws of
Nature to gradually mould, in outward form and inward com-
position, that horse which best answers those requirements.

The centre of gravity in all trials of strength and endurance
is to be found on the racecourse : the straighter the running-
track the more infallible the result ; the longer and steeper the
gradient the severer the test.

As to the distances to be run over, I would recommend for
three-year-olds and upwards from one mile to two miles at the
scale of weights adopted in the rules of racing at present in
force in Prussia, which is about ten pounds above English
weights.

Two-year-olds should — due regard being had to the time of

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

year and the state of the ground — never run less than four and
a half nor more than seven furlongs ; shorter races ruin their
temper more than those over longer distances, in which the
pace from the beginning is not so severe nor the start of so
much consequence.

Whoever has had frequent opportunities for observing in a
racing-stable the development of two-year-old horses will, as
a rule, have noticed an evident change about the middle of
summer. They quite suddenly lose their foal-like appearance
and become young horses. In general this alteration takes
place at the same time as the shedding of the two middle teeth ;
all at once the youngsters are better able to resist the wear and
tear of training and improve as the work agrees with them.
Of course this change does not occur simultaneously in all two-
year-olds, although they may be equally well reared ; neverthe-
less I have noticed at this period a greater degree of evenness
in the development of late and earlier foals than seemed war-
ranted, considering the difference in their respective ages.

As, however, at midsummer the ground frequently is too
hard to admit of good work being done with two-y ear-olds
without danger to their legs, I would advocate that the princi-
pal races for horses of that age should not take place before the
autumn, when owners who have judiciously saved their young
animals during the summer may indemnify themselves through
richer prizes than were offered for competition in the earlier
part of the season.

In principle I do not disapprove of running two-year-olds ;
on the contrary, I take it, if done in moderation, to be an un-
erring means to ascertain the soundness of the constitution.
From midsummer — say first of August — I look upon such
races, according to the degree of development in the individual
horses, as useful ; care must, however, be taken not to overdo
it, especially with fillies, whose temper is more excitable than
that of colts. I have generally noticed that mares which cred-
itably stood the test of two-year-old training also proved them-
selves superior at the stud. Taking, for instance, the most suc-
cessful brood-mares during the twenty years from 1860 to 1879,

10 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

— that is to say, the dams of the winners of the four classic
races, Two Thousand Guineas, Derby, Oaks, and Leger, of
that period — we find, upon examination of their earlier career,
that of those eighty, or rather eighty-two, mares — two races
resulted in dead heats, which were not run off— only thirty did
not run as two-year-olds. That early ripeness in a racehorse
may be regarded as a proof of health, even with regard to later
usefulness at the stud, is further corroborated by Little Lady,
the dam of the Two Thousand Guineas winner, Camballo, hav-
ing carried off the Anglesey stakes for yearlings at Shrewsbury
in 1859 — the only race of the sort ever run. I mention this
circumstance, however, by no means in support of yearlings'
races ; on the contrary, I look upon them as senseless institu-
tions, which, fortunately, twenty years ago were abolished in
England, the only country where they ever existed.

The severe training and repeated trials of yearlings, more-
over, I take to be dangerous in Germany, where the winter
generally sets in and puts a stop to all training operations
about the middle of November. In England, and especially in
France, where, as a rule, yearlings can be tried about Christ-
mas-time, it may be done without detriment to their health ;
the more so, as in those favored climates their development is
less retarded by the cold, and young horses acquire earlier than
in Germany the power which is necessary to bear the strain of
training.

I consider the test by hurdle-racing, and especially by steeple-
chasing, rather one of acquired cleverness than of consequence
for breeding. The principal race across country in England,
the Liverpool Grand National, has repeatedly been won (for
instance, in 1863 by Emblem, and in the following year by her
own sister, Emblematic, by Teddington out of Miss Batty) by
animals not possessed of sufficient staying power to run a mile
creditably in even moderate company. This applies more par-
ticularly to the younger sister, Emblematic. It is not so much
length of distance that constitutes a criterion of endurance as
the pace at which it is run. In a steeplechase this is generally
so slow that a horse able to race half a mile is never for a mo-

GENERAL, OBSERVATIONS. 11

ment extended ; if with such speed he combines a quiet temper,
so as not to take more out of himself than is required by his
rider, he may, in an ordinary race of that description, gallop
a long time without being distressed, and, having thus hus-
banded his strength, have sufficient left in him to enable him
to win the race.

Jumping is more a question of agility than of power, except
in young and unpractised horses, that tire more through their
awkwardness in leaping than through galloping; schooled
chasers, however, are required to put forth additional energy
only when the race is run at an inconveniently fast pace diffi-
cult for them to continue.

To the practised jumper, on the contrary, the leap over a
fence of not extraordinary proportions, if taken at a moderate
pace, rather affords him time to recover his breath than causes
the waste of additional strength. Since the speedier horse
jumps at a slower pace than the slower stayer in proportion
to their respective degrees of speed, the former, equal cleverness
in jumping taken for granted, must necessarily consume less
strength than the latter.

The steeplechase course, therefore, favors, cceteris paribus, the
speedy horse as compared to the slower stayer, and practice
daily shows us instances of horses that as non-stayers were use-
less on the flat become successful chasers, and, vice versd, stayers
on the flat which over a country fail to gain distinction.

Intending regenerators of racing on what they consider more
rational principles, therefore, show a lamentable ignorance of
the nature of the horse when advocating the adoption of the
steeplechase as the test by which to gauge the capabilities of
the thoroughbred, and would, if they succeeded in their en-
deavors, attain only the exact reverse of what they aim at.
I would recommend those who still insist that steeplechasing
is more reliable than racing on the flat for the purpose of
ascertaining power and soundness in a horse to look round the
large steeplechase establishments in England, France, or even
Germany, and examine the legs of the horses kept for that
kind of work. The numerous patched-up screws that run and

12 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHOESES.

win races year after year would not stand for a month the
preparation for a flat race, much less the race itself; and,
finally, as to the excellence at the stud of stallions celebrated
as steeplechasers, experience teaches that none such exist who
subsequently made a name as sires of racehorses, whereas stal-
lions that on the turf belonged to the first class frequently sired
superior chasers. As a touchstone for mares intended for
breeding purposes, steeplechasing, independent of other con-
siderations, is unsuitable, inasmuch as horses are qualified for
such work at a more advanced age only. Whereas, therefore,
the brood-mare is kept from her vocation longer than is desira-
ble in the interest of breeding, her fitness as a matron suffers
proportionately by long-protracted training.

As far as I know, there is in the whole stud book not a single
steeplechase mare that has made for herself a great name as the
dam of winners on the flat.

A cardinal point, which continually maintains and regener-
ates the thoroughbred as a source of power and soundness, and
places it, with regard to certainty of propagation, far above all
other breeds of the equine race, is the circumstance that the
thoroughbred is tried before it is sent to the stud, whereas of
the half-bred such individuals only as are unfit for breeding
purposes are put to the test. Half-breds at the stud, more
especially stallions, from the day they are foaled to that of
their death, lead an existence of sluggish idleness, generation
after generation, without interruption. However useful cart-
mares may be in the plough or other kind of slow work, a half-
bred brood-mare is never subjected to a real trial of her capa-
bilities, and, as an extremely rare occurrence, such a mare
returns to the stud on account of an excellence accidentally
brought to light ; but if, however, done so, it will probably be
too late for any use for breeding.

What would become of the usefulness of our half-breds, what
of our cavalry, without a continuance of crosses with stallions
of pure blood, bred for stoutness and chosen on account of their
proper excellent qualities, so as to constantly renew the neces-
sary steel in the breed?

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 13

The thoroughbred is in a much lesser degree the produce of
any particular locality than the cart-horse or even the half-
bred ; it is rather one of an artificial nature, better able to
withstand external influences, and capable of being trans-
planted to all parts of the globe and continued without es-
sential deterioration as long as the elementary principle is not
lost sight of— that is to say, as long as its capabilities are tried
in public, and as long as the best-tried animals are in prefer-
ence used for reproduction. The thoroughbred stands to the
half-bred in the same position as the plantation tree to the wild
tree of the forest : the former thrives in any locality where trees
grow ; the latter feels at home only where it first struck root,
for, having never been transplanted, it wants those fibres by
means of which to take hold of and draw sustenance from the
new soil.

I do not, however, mean to say that thoroughbred mares are
in no way influenced by translocation to other countries and
climates ; on the contrary, I am of opinion that greater safety
will be insured by breeding from mares bred at home than
from imported ones. I merely assert that in the thoroughbred
the power of resistance to local and climatic influences is in-
finitely higher than in the half-bred, etc.

For this reason the establishment of a stud for thoroughbreds
in Germany is less difficult than one intended for the baser
breed, provided the locality be adapted to the purpose and the
requisite means available. I do not mean to say that faultless
brood-mares of the first class are easily obtainable in England ;
but since the price of such mares is eventually almost unlimited
in comparison to what half-bred brood-mares will command in
the market, and as, in numerous instances, owners of eminent
mares which did them good service on the turf prefer breeding
from them in public establishments to selling them to the more
extensive breeder, in England the fluctuation in the thorough-
bred material is influenced in a higher degree by the change of
circumstances than that in our half-breds. The chances of a
foreigner making a favorable investment, therefore, rise in pro-
portion, provided he is at home in the Racing Calendar, the

14 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

Stud Book, and last, but not least, the personal concerns of
English breeders.

This brings us to the practical question, What must be the
aim of the breeder in the selection of brood-mares ; or, as ap-
plied to us, what principles must guide us in the importation of
brood-mares from England or France, or when choosing from
those bred at home ?

I believe, if strictly adhered to, the following hints may be
depended on as offering the greatest amount of safety in the
choice of brood-mares : —

1. To buy, without exception, mares from the best strains of
blood only, more regard being had to the dam even than to the
sire.

2. To bear in mind that a good pedigree alone is not suf-
ficient, because the best-bred mare may be unsound (I thought
that by the acquisition of the own sisters to Gladiateur and
Vermout, although neither had done anything remarkable on
the turf, I had made sure of an enormous success ; but both
turned out unsound and worthless at the stud) ; to be, there-
fore, particular to buy from the best strains of blood such
mares only as have

(a) Themselves exhibited some form on the turf, and only
on account of insufficient age not yet been tried at the
stud, or have

(6) Already bred winners, and thereby proved themselves
sound dams and fit to propagate the excellent qualities
of their respective families.

As a matter of course, of the mares coming within the limits
of the foregoing conditions the most powerful and truthfully
made will be preferred ; but no consideration of the exterior,
however prepossessing it may be, if not accompanied by those
requisite attributes, should be allowed to prevail — for there is
no more baneful, no more certain, hereditary evil than un-
soundness — especially rheumatic or scrofulous disorders.

I am well aware that with regard to No. 2, and especially
subdivision (a), I shall meet with vehement opposition, and
that a number of instances to the contrary will be cited. They

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 15

are not unknown to me, but I adhere to my opinion for the
following reasons:

When I require in a young mare intended for stud purposes
individual performances, I do not mean to say that I would not
buy one that had not, on a given number of occasions, been
first past the post.

Although I value racing form, as such, very highly, yet do
I consider it of still greater importance that a mare should
have proved, by repeated running, even if not attended by
eminent success, that no unsoundness of limbs, no organic dis-
ease or defect of temper, prevented her bearing the strain of
training and racing.

I know perfectly well that in numerous instances thoroughly
sound animals with a good temper and all the necessary qual-
ities for racing, through no fault of theirs, but in consequence
of a mere accident, have been kept from appearing in public
(absolute certainty in that respect can, however, only be ac-
quired by personal superintendence of their training) ; but
I know equally well that in nine cases in every ten unsound-
iiess, weakness, or temper has been the cause. It is advisable
to rely on the Kacing Calendar alone, and not believe a word
of the fictitious marvels told of the innumerable mares without
public form, and which tales are spread about by the owners of
those animals. If only one-tenth of them were true there
would have been every year at the least a dozen winners of
the One Thousand Guineas, the Oaks, or the Prix de Diane —
if one accident or another had not happened.

The affirmation on the part of owners that the mare for
sale had never been trained, was not even broken, likewise fre-
quently differs from the truth, and is solely intended to make
the purchaser believe that she would in all probability have
done wonders if she had been put into training. But, in
reality, this ought to be considered as a drawback, as, those
of a few eccentric breeders excepted, nearly every thoroughbred
in England, if sound, well developed, and sufficiently well bred,
is sent to be trained ; only when too small, unsound, or cripples
are they thought not worth the trouble and expense, and con-

16 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

sequently kept at home at grass. I am deterred by the expres-
sion " never been in training " or " never been broken," when
applied to a young mare, even more than by an injured leg,
which tells its own unvarnished tale of the reason of her non-
appearance in public. The wisest plan is to keep aloof from
both until they have by their progeny proved their soundness
as dams.

A look round the select studs of owners who breed their own
racehorses in England and France (Lord Falmouth, Duke of
Westminster, Mr. Lefevre, etc.) will show that nearly all their
brood-mares have themselves been winners or are the dams of
winners, with the exception of only now and then a mare of
their own breeding, or from their racing-stables, sent to the
stud on trial, of whose internal soundness the owner is perfectly
satisfied, and who has only in consequence of an accident been
prevented from running on the turf. Mares with high-sounding
pedigrees, but without any pretensions to individual goodness,
form the staple of a good many studs breeding for sale over
which a few matrons of sterling worth — bought, if possible, for
large sums at public sales — serve to throw a kind of halo.
Mares without fashionable pedigrees or previous excellence,
which in England are to be had by the dozen for less money
than that for which half-bred ones can be purchased on the
Continent, are owned by needy people, who wait for a lucky
chance, or by second- and third-rate breeders, who speculate on
selling them to the flats from abroad.

Sir Tatton Sykes, quantitatively one of the most extensive
breeders of modern times, sold only his colts, while he allowed
the fillies to grow up wild and untried, and kept those he liked
best to breed from. The upshot was a stupendous failure, which
must have ruined any man less wealthy than the Yorkshire
baronet. He had peculiar ideas, and, I think, believed in the
soundness of his principle. Had it been any one else, I should
have put him down as a very knowing manager ; for in a stud
breeding for sale a considerable saving may no doubt be
effected by substituting for brood-mares of well-established
reputation, that cannot be had without the outlay of large

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 17

sums of money, young and perfectly untried animals which
have cost very little to keep and nothing at all to train. The
only difficulty is to make the public, or even a small section of
it, share the apparent belief of the owner and induce them to
pay for the yearling colts in proportion to their credulity.

If Sir Tatton had been obliged to put all his colts into train-
ing, instead of disposing of them to the highest bidder, even for
a mere song, as was toward the end the case, he would, I am
convinced, in spite of his eccentric obstinacy, soon have changed
his mind and principle of breeding. I could continue the sub-
ject, and make similar remarks with regard to some studs of
the present day largely breeding for sale from untried mares.
It is thus not surprising to see such breeders on speculation
amongst the foremost champions of that theory. Any attempt
to get from the same men — who invariably have a large stock
of rubbish on hand for sale to the unwary, stranger — one of
those mares with racing performances (of which, as I explained
before, they keep a small number), will be met with the de-
mand of an absurd price or the stereotyped "not for sale."
Should, however, an exception be made and a reasonable sum
asked, it is ten to one that there is something wrong about the
mare.

On the other hand, it is evident that in England latterly
a wholesome reaction has commenced to prevail ; not so in
France, where the thoroughbred is at present in danger of
suffering from the pernicious wholesale production from un-
tried mares in studs breeding for sale.

In support of the assertions of those fanatics who ridicule
individual racing form as not hereditary, and look for the
probability of propagation of such qualities in the breed only,
without taking into account the propagating individual, Poca-
hontas (the dam of Stockwell, Rataplan, King Tom, etc.) is
frequently quoted as the irrefutable proof of the correctness of
their theory. They copy from one another, and rely on the
public taking as little trouble as themselves to refer to the
Racing Calendar for the old mare's performances. For the
benefit of those who not only look for examples to prove their

18 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

ready-made theories, but are anxious for real facts from which
to draw instruction, I will detail the racing career of Pocahon-
tas, in order to show that she comes up to my standard of a
good brood-mare. Pocahontas, though she was a roarer, by
her racing during four seasons proved herself possessed of a
good constitution ; her form, moreover, was not so inferior as
.many pretend it to have been. If she had run in races of
minor importance, she would probably have had more than
one winning-bracket to her name.

Pocahontas, bred 1837, by Glencoe out of Marpessa (dam
of Jeremy Diddler and Boarding School Miss), when two years
old ran only in the Criterion, unplaced to Crucifix.

As a three-year-old she ran twice, also unplaced: in the
Oaks, won by Crucifix, and in the Goodwood Cup, won -by
Beggarman, in which race Lanercost was second and Hetman
Platoff third.

At four years of age she ran three times unplaced : in the
Goodwood Cup, the Cesarewitch, and the Cambridgeshire.

In the following year, at Goodwood, she won the first heat
of a race finally won by Currier. At Brighton she also won
the first heat of a race ultimately won by Miss Heathcote. She
made her last appearance on the turf in a mile race heats at
Rochester and Chatham, where in a field of nine horses she
won the first heat and in the other two ran second to
Patchwork.

To see mares celebrated on the turf — like Marie Stuart,
Fraulein, etc. — turn out indifferent at the stud may at least
partially be accounted for by their too arduous and too pro-
tracted racing careers.

Lord Falmouth's mares, whose racing careers invariably
close with the end of their fourth year, rarely suffer in a
like manner. In support of the correctness of this and other
assertions advanced by me, I give the list of that nobleman's
entire stud at Mereworth as it existed in 1880. It was com-
posed of the following twenty-four mares :

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

BKOOD MAKES AT MEKEWOETH IN 1880.

Names printed in black letters are those of winners of one or more of the four classic
races — Two Thousand Guineas, Derby, Oaks, and St. Leger.

Own Performances.

•0

Bred the

Name.

Pedigree.

"Vrtrt*.

* Of which

following
Winners.

Year.

Important Races.

1858

SlLVERHAIR..

Bv Kingston out
of England's
Beauty (dam

1860
1861

1862

3
5
3

2
1

Eglinton Stakes.

Silvester.
Silver Ring.
Periwig.

of the win-

—

Garterly Bell.

ners:

Fetterlock.

Attraction,

Silvio.

The liake).

Apollo.

1870

SILVER RING

By Blair Athol
out of Silver-

1872
1873

7
7

5
1

Bretby Stakes.

Ringleader.

hair (dam of

the winners:

Silvester,

Periwig,

Garterly Bell,

Fetterlock,

Silvio,

Apollo).

1859

HURRICANE...

By Wild Day-

1861

1000 Guineas.

Stromboli.

rell out of

1862

Atlantis.

Midia (dam

1863

Atlantic.

of the win-

—

Cataclysm.

ners :

Whirlwind.

Cynricus,

Avalanche,

Tornado,

Sydmonton).

1867

ATLANTIS

By Thormanby
out of Hurri-
cane (dam of

1869
1870

9
2

Clearwell Stakes.
Prendergast
Stakes.

Henry II.

the winners :

Stromboli,

Atlantic,

Cataclysm,

Whirlwind).

1867

GERTRUDE....

By Saunterer

1869

King Clovis.

out of Queen

1870

Yorkshire Oaks,

Childeric.

Bertha (dam

Great York-

Charibert.

of the win-

shire Stakes.

ners:

Queen's Mes-

1871

senger,

^_^

Spinaway.
Wheel of For-

tune.
Great Carle).

20 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

BROOD MARES AT MEREWORTH IN 1880— continued.

Name.

Pedigree.

Own Performances.

Bred the
following
Winners.

Year.

Of which
Important Kaces.

1860

Queen
X Bertha

By Kingston out
of Flax (dam

1862
1863

4
5

1
2

Oaks.

Gertrude.
Queen's Mes-

of the win-

1864

senger.

ners:

—

Spin a way.

Reginella,

Wheel of For-

Court Mantle,

tune.

Linsey Wool-

Great Carle.

say).

1872

Spinaway

By Macaroni
out of Queen
Bertha (dam
of the win-

1874
1875

3
13.

1
10

1000 Guineas,
Oaks, Nassau
Stakes, York-

Merr y-go-
Round.
Darnaway.

ners:

shire Oaks,

Gertrude,

York Cup,

Queen's Mes-

Doncaster

senger,

Stakes, Royal

Wheel of For-

Stakes, New-

tune,

Market Oaks.

Great Carle).

1876

Wheel of

By Adventurer,

1878

Richmond

Fortune

out of Queen
Bertha (dam

Stakes, Buck-
enham Stakes,

of the win-

Dewhurst

ners :

Plate.

Gertrude,

1879

1000 Guineas,

Queen's Mes-
senger,

Oaks, Prince
of Wales's

Spinawav,

Great Carle).

Stakes Ascot,
Yorkshire

Oaks.

1865

LADY COVEN-
TRY

By Thormanby
out of Lady

1867
1868

1
6

Peeping Tom.
Yorkshire

Eoden (dam

—

Bride.

of the win-

Farnese.

ners:

Lady Golight-

Ma Belle,

ly.

Liddington,

Placentia.

Mirella), by

Earl Godwin.

West Australian

out 'of Saun-

terer and Loi-

terer's dam.

1875

LADY OF

By Blair Athol

1877

MERCIA

out of Lady

Coventry

(dam of the

winners :

Peeping Tom,
Yorkshire Bride

Farnese,

Lady Golightly,

Placentia,

Earl Godwin).

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 21

BROOD MARES AT MEREWORTH IN 1880— continued.

Name.

Pedigree.

Year.

Own Performances.

Bred the
following
Winners.

Of which
Important Races.

1874

LADY GO-
LIGHTLY

By King Tom
out of Lady

1876
1877

8
15

5
10

Champagne

Stakes.

Coventry (dam
of the win-

Nassau Stakes,
Yorkshire

ners:

Oaks, Great

Peeping Tom,
Yorkshire Bride,

Yorkshire
Stakes, Don-

Faruese,

caster Stakes,

Placentia,

Newmarket

Earl Godwin).

Oaks, New-

market Derby,

1878

11. in St. Leger.
York Cup.

1876

PLACENTIA ...

By Parmesan out

1878

of Lady Cov-

1879

...

entry (dam of

—

the winners:

Peeping Tom.

Yorkshire Bride,

Farnese,

Lady Golightly,

Earl Godwin).

1867

WHEAT-EAR..

By Young Mel-
bourne out of

1869
1870

6
9

3
4

Ascot Biennial.

Skylark.
Fieldfare.

Swallow (own
sister to Stil-
ton and dam

1871

4
19

Newmarket Bi-
ennial.

Redwing.
Leap- Year.

of the win-

ners:

Whitebait,

Lady Bugle Eye,

Nightjar,

Ortolan,

Germania

Merlin).

1874

KITTY

By Rosicrucian

1876

SPRIGHTLY

or Young
Dutchman

1877

out of Nike

(dam of the

winners:

Juvenis,

Dreadnought,

Hydromel,

Adjutant,

Spring Captain,
Best and Brav-

est,

Britomartis).

22 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

BROOD MARES AT MEREWORTH IN 1880 -continued.

Name.

Pedigree.

Own Performances.

Bred the
following
Winners.

Year.

Of which
Important Races.

1875

KEDWING

By Blair Athol

1877

Hurstbourne

out of Wheat-

Stakes, Astley

ear (dam of

Stakes, Conviv-

the winners :

ial Stakes.

Skylark,

1878

Coronation

Fieldfare,

Stakes.

Leap-Year).

1876

LEAP- YEAR ..

By Kingcraft

1878

C hesterfield

out of Wheat-

Stakes, Pren-

ear (dam of
the winners :
Skylark, "

1879

dergast Stakes.

Fieldfare,

Redwing).

1864

NIKE

By Orlando out
of Ayacanora
(dam of the

1866
1867
1868

11
9
6

3
3
3

Juvenis.
Dreadnought.
Kitty

winners :
Cachuca,

Sprightly.
Hvdromel.

Chattanooga,

Adjutant.

Cestus), by Bird-
catcher out of

Spring Cap-
tain.

Pocahontas.

Best and

Bravest.

Britomartis.

1869

LILIAN

By Wingrave

1871

out of Lady

1872

Newmarket

Blanche (dam

Oaks.

of the win-

1873

Brighton Stakes.

ners:
Miss Gratwicke,

1874

Brighton Cup,
Warwick Cup.

Parmesina,

1875

Zee), by Vol-

1876

Great Ebor

tigeur.

Handicap.

1877

109

and 29 Queen's

Plates.

1870

CANTINIBEE.

By Stockwell
outofCantine

1872

Woodcote Stakes,
Ascot Biennial,

Forager.
Bal-Gal.

(dam of the

Hurstbourne

Dutch Oren.

winners :

Stakes, Ches-

Picnic,

terfield Stakes,

Aventuriere),by

Lavant Stakes,

Orlando out

Fiudon Stakes.

of Vivan-

diere (own
sister to Vol-

tigeur).

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 23

BROOD MARES AT MEREWORTH IN 1880— continued.

Own Performances.

•

Bred the

Name.

Pedigree.

Year.

Of which
Important Races.

following
Winners.

1868

CHE vi-

By Stockwell

1879

Jannette.

S AUNCE

out of Para-

Muriel.

(owu sister

digm (dam of

to Lord

the winners :

Lyon and
Achieve-

King at Arms,
Man at Arms,

ment)

Rouge Dragon,
Blue Mantle,

Gardevisure,

Lord Lyon,

Achievement,

Paraffin).

1875

Jannette

By Lord Clifden

1877

Criterion Stakes,

out of Chevi-

Richmond

saunce (own

Stakes, Clear-

sister to Lord

well Stakes,

Lyon and
Achievement.

1878

Bretby Stakes.
Oaks, Midsum-

mer Stakes,

Yorkshire

Oaks.St.Leger,

Park Hill

Stakes, Cham-

pion Stakes,

Newmarket

Oaks.

1879

Jockey Club Cup.

1870

CECILIA

By Blair Athol

1872

Olivette.

out of Siberia

1873

1000 Guineas.

(winner of the

—

1000 Guineas,

and dam of

the winners:

Patriarch,

Dandelion).

1874

MAVIS

By Macaroni out

1876

Gaillard.

of Merlette,

1877

by The Baron

out of Cuc-

koo.

1874

PALMFLOWER

By The Palmer

1876

Hurstbourne

out of Jenny

1877

Stakes.

Diver (dam of

1878

the winners :

111

Oasis,

Jenny Howlet),

by Buccaneer.

24 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

On examination of the foregoing table of the twenty-four
matrons, of which that celebrated stud is composed, it will be
seen that

1. It contains not a single mare that has riot been on the

Turf, and only one (Lady of Mercia) that has not won
a race. She was the best-tried yearling in the stable and
of enormous size, but she caught influenza, and became a
roarer. Further, that

2. There is not one amongst them that did not run at two

years of age, or

3. Remained on the Turf longer than four years old, except

Lilian, who during her racing career belonged to Mr.
Savile, and was not purchased by Lord Falmouth till
after its close; or

4. Whose dam had not bred other winners besides herself.

It may be said that breeding from tried and successful mares
is only a hobby of Lord Falmouth's, and that the same result
might be obtained by other means. It is difficult to deny this
with absolute certainty. The following tables, showing the
performances of the dams of the winners of the four classic
races — Two Thousand Guineas, Derby, Oaks and St. Leger —
for the twenty years from 1860 to 1879, compiled for that pur-
pose, however, will at least prove that a greater probability of
success is secured by acting on that principle.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS.

Dam of

Winner.

in.

Name.

2 years
old.

3 years
and up-
wards.

Won.

I860

The Wizard

The Cure mare

1861

Equation » .

1862

The Marquis

Cinizelli

1863

Jocose

1864

General Peel

Orlando mare .

1865

Miss Gladiator

1866

1867

Palm

Besika

7 ,

- 26

1868

Eller

1869

Pretender. ..:....

Ferina

1870

Necklace

1871

Bothwell

Katherine Logie ....

1872
1873
1874

Prince Charlie
Gang Forward
Atlantic

Eastern Princess ....
Lady Mary
Hurricane

6
4

36
12

7
5

1875

< 'amballo

Little Lady

18*

1876

Petrarch

Laura . . .

1877

Chamant

Araucaria

1878

Lady Audley

1879

Charibert .

Gertrude . '.

DEKBY.

Year.

Winner.

Dam of Winner.

Name.

Kan.

Won.

2 years
old.

3 years
and up-
wards.

1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
186o
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
1871
1872
1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879

Thormanby

Alice Hawthorn ....
Hybla

3
1
11

2
6
1

8
5
4

8
8
5
3
1
6

4
9

9
4
14
1
7
13
8
1

49*

2
14

2
3

5
1
2
4
3
1

Kettledrum

Caractacus
Macaroni

Defenceless . ....

Jocose
Blink Bonny

Blair Athol
Gladiateur

Miss Gladiator

Lord Lyon

Paradigm

Hermit

Bas Bleu . . .

Pretender
Kingcraft

Ferina

Favonius

Zephyr
Rigolboche

Cremorne
Don caster

Marigold

George Frederick ....
Galopin . . .

Princess of Wales . . .
Flying Duchess ....
Mineral

Kisber

Silvio

Silverhair . . .

Sefton

Liverpool's dam ....

Sir Bevys

* Of which once as a yearling.

NOTES ON BREEDING KACEHOESES.

OAKS.

Dana of "

Winner.

Year

Winner

n. ]

Name.

2 years
old.

o years
and up-
wards.

Won

1860

Butterfly

Catherine

1861

Brown Duchess

Espoir .

1862

Feu de Joie

Jeu d'Esprit .

1863

Flax

1864

Fille de 1'Air

Pauline

1865

Regalia

The Gem

1866

Torment . .

1867

Hippia

Daughter of the Star

1868

Eller

1869

Brigantine

Lady Macdonald

1870

Gamos

Bess Lyon

1871

Mentmore Lass

1872

Heine

Fille de 1'Air

1873
1874*

Marie Stuart

Morgan la Faye .

1875

Spinaway

Queen Bertha

f Enguerrande

Deliane

1876

1 Camelia

Araucaria

1877

Placida . . .

Pietas (late Faith)

1878

Jannette

Chevisaunce

1879

Wheel of Fortune . . .

Queen Bertha

ST. LEGEK.

Dam of

Winner.

Vwir

Winner

Name.

2 years
old.

3 years
and up-
wards.

Won.

1860

St Albans

Bribery

1861

Caller Ou

Haricot

1862

The Marquis ....

Cinizelli

1863

Lord Clifdeii

The Slave . . .

18fi4

Blair Athol

Blink Bonny

1865

Gladiateur . .

Miss Gladiator

1866

Lord Lyon

Paradigm

18fi7

1868

Eller

1869

Pero Gomez

Salamanca

1870

Hawthornden ....

Bonny Blink

1871

Hannah

Mentmore Lass ....

1872

Wenlock

Mineral

1873

1874

Marie Stuart

Morgan la Faye ....
Mandragora . .

1875

Miss Roland

10-

1876

Petrarch

Laura

1877

Silvio

Silverhair

1878

Jannette

1879

Rayon d'Or

Araucaria

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 27

The foregoing tables show, that of these eighty-two (in 1868
the Two Thousand Guineas, and in 1876 the Oaks, resulted in
a dead heat, the stakes in each case being divided) dams of the
winners of these great races only eleven, or about 13 per cent.,
had not been on the Turf, and that of the remaining seventy-
one tried mares only nineteen had not run as two year olds.
Taking, moreover, into consideration that of the mares figuring
in the English Stud Book and used* for stud purposes, those
without public trial are in an overwhelming majority against
those which have been on the Turf, it cannot be denied that the
chances of breeding a winner of one of the four classic races are
incomparably better with the latter than with the former.

It is frequently laid down as a rule that, in order to benefit
the breed of horses in general, no thoroughbred animal affected
with hereditary defects ought to be used at the stud. It is but
just that those who clamor for this condition — that is, the
breeders of half-breds — should set the example, which, how-
ever, they frequently omit ; and I myself should not object to
adopt a similar principle for the thoroughbred. It depends
only on what is understood by the term hereditary defects.
I take weakness and infirmities of the constitution to be the
most hereditary defects, and believe that the ideal station on
which the thoroughbred would be enabled to fulfil its high
mission can be reached only if no unsound mares are allowed
to be used for stud purposes. The only practical test of sound-
ness of limbs, digestive organs, nerves and temper, remains —
until a more perfect system is discovered — the public trial on
the racecourse.

A mare, which in her second and third year, when perfectly
well and fit, is repeatedly brought out, and honestly perseveres,
even if only with moderate success, may in all probability be
looked upon as sound, and from such sound mares, if no misfor-
tune intervenes, sound progeny may be expected. Exceptions to
this, as to any other rule, of course do occur. So may we some-
times see mares, after standing the wear and tear of a Turf ca-
reer without detriment to their constitution, in the end become
unsound dams, that is, bring unsound foals or none at all ; but in

28 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHOKSES.

that case it is generally in consequence of being kept too long
on the turf; for mares like Alice Hawthorn and Beeswing to

race till their eighth and ninth year and then bring sound
foals, adapted for racing, are rare exceptions indeed. I do not
like to buy mares that remained on the turf longer than, at
the most, their fifth year.

The animal living in a primitive state, and acknowledging
Dame Nature as the only authority with regard to its sexual
instincts, satisfies the longing as soon as it makes itself felt.
There is not much difference in our domestic animals, such as
cattle, sheep, pigs ; with them but a comparatively short time
passes between the desire being awakened and appeased. In the
young mare only that satisfaction is postponed from month to
month, from year to year, until hysterics and similar disorders
ultimately culminate in absolute sterility, consequences easy of
comprehension, if it is taken into consideration that nature de-
nied to the mare that salutary cleansing process, menstruation.

For this reason I prefer for stud purposes mares which
during the period of training are never in use. I have fre-
quently known such mares, of which on that very account fears
of perfect uselessness for breeding purposes were entertained,
on being sent to the stud, take the horse at the proper moment,
be stinted the first or second time of covering, and retain this
very valuable habit during the whole of their stud career.

I am well aware that it would be as difficult to carry out
the exclusion from the stud of every untried or unsound mare,
as it is to prevent others affected with visible defects or imper-
fections being used. I merely mean to say that the breeding
from so many untried or unsound mares is the principal ob-
stacle to the complete attainment by the thoroughbred horse
of its ideal destination.

The buying of brood mares, if pursued not only with the pos-
sibility, but the probability also of success, is indeed no easy
task. By deducting all mares which never showed any racing
form, nor ever bred a winner, the sum of those remaining avail-
able will be reduced by 90 per cent, on those offered. This,
however, by no means guards against bitter disappointment;

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 29

and in order to insure the greatest possible safety in choosing
from among the so reduced number, the intending purchaser
will do well to pay particular attention to the following
points : —

1. With young mares, to be careful that habitually they be

neither too gross nor too poor ; either extreme is inim-
ical to a healthy progeny.

2. If dam and granddam have bred other winners, it will

greatly enhance the value of the mare under inspec-
tion ; the more superior, and especially sound, race-
horses amongst her immediate relations the better. Is
she, on the contrary, of a great number of brothers and
sisters the only good performer, her acquisition will by
no means be so desirable as at first sight her individual
excellence seemed to warrant.

3. The peculiarities or weaknesses with regard to temper,

organs of respiration and digestion, feet, bad habits,
such as wind-sucking or crib-biting, nerves, etc., should
be taken into account ; likewise the strong or weak
points which characterize the respective families must
not be overlooked.

4. Before buying mares which have already bred foals, one

should be satisfied as to the state of the sheath. From
outward signs of rupture or a blubbering noise in trot
or canter, may be inferred rupture or extension in its in-
ternal parts. I cannot too energetically caution against
the purchase of such a mare ; she would be too dear at
any price.

5. An examination of the udder should not be omitted, its

development, and whether on both sides equally prac-
ticable. The state of nurture of the last foal will show
what nourishment it received from its dam ; in whole-
some mother's milk frequently lies the decision of the
whole question whether a foal will grow into a race-
horse or become a miserable weakling. Insignificant
foals frequently develop with incredible rapidity at

30 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

foot of a dam with exceptionally good milk, as other
mares will, season after season, throw magnificent foals,
Which during suckling time collapse^and melt away like
butter in the sun. It is advisable to take away from
such dams the foals soon after they are dropped, and
get nurses for them if they are to be had.*

6. It is better to abstain from purchasing mares which, ac-

cording to the Stud Book, have repeatedly slipped their
foals, frequently remained barren, or bred twins.

7. The first requisite in a mare is that she should be long,

deep, and roomy, in order to afford the foal sufficient
space for its development ; leggy and short mares can-
not be expected to throw big foals. Many imperfec-
tions may be overlooked rather than these two.

8. I do not like in a brood mare a too luxuriant growth of

hair, nor, especially, tails full and bushy at the root.
Foals from mares, and stallions, too, thus affected, are
generally wanting in energy and quality. A rat tail
is a great eyesore ; but how rare is a bad horse with
a rat tail?

9. From a sharply-marked expression in muscles and limbs

in every animal, from which it is intended to breed,
may be inferred that its progeny will be similarly dis-
tinguished. The generic character, especially, must be
unmistakably expressed in either sex. I dislike mares
resembling in shape and manners stallions as much as
I do entire horses, a minute inspection of which is
necessary to convince one that they are not mares or

* Particularly sensitive inares will not easily submit to the exchange,
but with the necessary precaution and patience it generally succeeds.
The mare knows her foal by the smell principally, as may be ascertained
when collected in greater numbers. A little aniseed oil rubbed into the
coats of the foals to be exchanged, for a few days, until the mares have
got accustomed to it, prepares the deception. The mares are then re-
moved from their boxes for a time sufficient to allow the pressure of the
milk in the udder to become inconvenient, when, the foals being ex-
changed in the meantime, the mares are brought back, and the impo-
sition is accomplished.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 31

geldings. The more quality the mare possesses, the
more marked must be the expression of her sex. The
charm of feminity, if I may say so, ought to pervade
her whole appearance.

To enumerate every possible rock on which the purchaser of
brood mares may get wrecked is almost impossible. It requires
the practical eye of the breeder, experienced in all the difficul-
ties besetting his calling, to detect them and to protect him
from its danger.

I do not venture even approximately to determine at what
age the brood Nmare attains the climax of her propagating
power. The most celebrated of their kind exhibit in this re-
spect the greatest varieties, although a certain distrust against
the produce of very old mares may appear justified. But even
here exceptions are not wanting : for instance, Araucaria, dam
of Stephanotis, Wellingtonia, Catalpa, Camelia, Chamant, and
Rayon d'Or, was bred in Pocahontas, her dam's twenty-fifth
year, whereas Pocahontas was Marpessa's first foal, the latter
also being the first foal of Clare. On the other hand, it is sur-
prising that of the winners of the four classic races few were
first foals ; of the Derby during a century only three — 1795,
Spread Eagle ; 1852, Daniel o'Rourke ; and 1855, Wild Day-
rell. A singular fact, also, is that the Two Thousand Guineas
in 1823 was won by one of twins, Nicolo, by Selim.

Of all the celebrated matrons in the Stud Book, Queen Mary
and Haricot, her daughter, stand forth as descended from dams
of the most tender age. The mare by Plenipotentiary out of
Myrrha, by Whalebone, foaled in 1840, was covered when not
more than two years old, and bred in 1843 the famous Queen
Mary, who, after running but once as a two-year-old, was dis-
abled by an accident. She was covered when three years of
age, and bred in the year following Haricot. In those two
mares, Queen Mary and her dam, early impregnation seems to
have been attended with unusual individual potency.

In general, let the breeder of thoroughbreds never adopt the
principle that quantity better than quality will succeed.

32 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

Breeding can be profitable only when in conjunction with the
very best material obtainable, and when in the produce nothing
is spared to contribute to success. Although a few isolated in-
stances, like the late Mr. W. Blenkiron, of Middle Park and
Waltham Cross, have of late years proved that wholesale pro-
duction of the thoroughbred may pay, yet I am doubtful
whether Mr. Blenkiron did not die at precisely the right mo-
ment, and whether, without the enormous prices realized after
his death at the sale of his too numerous stud, the business
would ever again have been able to show an equally favorable
balance-sheet. Mr. Blenkiron was an unusually clever man-
ager ; he had closely studied and completely grasped the differ-
ent phases of the thoroughbred market. On the one side
breeding from a lot of untried mares, he at public auctions
occasionally threw away, apparently without an object, large
sums of money, but in reality in order to strengthen in the
public the conviction that he was concentrating in Middle Park
the quintessence of the English Stud Book, and to familiarize
purchasers with the idea of the vastly enhanced value of the
best class of its produce. The actual successes of the latter,
independent of the prices realized at the sale, however, were,
in comparison to the quantity, but moderate, and would, if all
the horses bred by Mr. Blenkiron had been trained and raced
for his .own account, unquestionably have ended in his ruin.

As it is not likely that there will ever again be, in Europe at
least, so large a breeding establishment as that sold at Middle
Park in 1872, it may be in the interest of the history of the
thoroughbred that the figures of that ever memorable sale be
not lost in oblivion. I therefore recapitulate them in this place.

During six days in the months of June and July of that
year, Messrs. Tattersall sold in the Middle Park Paddocks

Brood mares 198

Foals 119

Stallions (including Blair Athol for 12,500 gs., Breadal-

bane 6000 gs., Gladiateur 7000 gs.) 12

Yearlings 101

430

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 33

for the sum of 130,704 so vs., or at an average of nearly 304
so vs.

In half-breds the profit to be obtained from individual ani-
mals is narrowly limited. A numerical extension, therefore,
may help to distribute the general expenditure over' a greater
number, and thereby reduce the average cost. In the thorough-,
bred, on the other hand, the value of a successful brood mare i$
almost illimitable, and repays ma»ifold for years of fruitless
labor. The late Mr. W. I'Anson grew rich by the sale of
Queen Mary's sons and grandsons. Mr. Jackson paid him for
Blair Athol alone, shortly before the St. Leger, consequently
after the son of Blink Bonny had won for his breeder the
Derby, not less than 7000/.; and Breadalbane, Broomielaw,
Blinkhoolie, etc., also considerably swelled his receipts from
the male line. With the female progeny of Queen Mary Mr.
I'Anson founded a breeding stud, whose yearling produce, from
nine to ten in number, realized at Doncaster, as late as 1880, an
average of 900 gs.

What incalculable value is not represented by a mare like
Pocahontas, whose direct descendants won the four classic races
of England on no less than forty-five occasions ! Pocahontas,
bred 1837. reached the advanced age of thirty-three years;
she bred fifteen foals, amongst which the stallions Stockwell,
Rataplan, and King Tom, and, in a lesser degree, Knight of
Kars and Knight of St. Patrick, shine as stars of the first mag-
nitude. When twenty-five years of age, Pocahontas bred her
last foal, Araucaria ; and how potent remained in her that vital
power with which she endowed her last offspring is shown by
the achievements of the latter's progeny — Stephanotis, Welling-
tonia, Camelia (winner of the Oaks), Chamant (winner of the
Middle Park and Dewhurst Plates and the Two Thousand
Guineas), and Rayon d'Or (winner of the St. Leger). Poca-
hontas founded a family of heroes, which ruled the Turf to an
extent never equalled. Stockwell, himself a winner of the Two
Thousand Guineas and the Leger, sired (besides three winners
of the Blue Ribbon) six winners of the St. Leger, a number
which has never been reached before or since.
3

NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

It is highly interesting to follow the progeny of celebrated
ancestresses in all its branches, with their winners or dams of
winners, the issue of each generation, especially in the female
line ; the value of the stallions being, as a rule, more univer-
sally known.

Before spending a large sum of money for a brood mare, it
will be well to construe a genealogical table of the strains of
blood throughout the female side, as I have hereafter tried with
regard to the Queen Mary and Miss Agnes families. Nothing
is so appropriate to show at a glance whether the mare under
consideration belongs to a great racing family, or whether such
qualities were inherited, in solitary instances only, or not all,
on the side of the dam.

QUEEN MARY.

Bred 1843, by Gladiator, dam by Plenipotentiary out of Myrrha, by Whalebone
out of Gift, by Gohanna.

Bred.

Name.

Important Races.

1850

Sons.
BALROWNIE . . .

Doncaster Stakes.

1853
1858

BONNIE SCOTLAND

BONNYFIELD

Doncaster Stakes.
Disabled, but sire of winners.

1862

BROOMIELAW . . ....

Dee Stakes.

1863

Chesterfield Cup.
Dee Stakes.

1864

BliINKHOOLIE .

Ascot Gold Vase.

1847

Daughters.
I HARICOT

Alexandra Plate.

1857

Her Produce,
a Cramond . .

1858

6 Caller Ou

34 Queen's Plates.

1867
1868
1870
1872
1878
1864

Pandore . .
The Pearl . .
Poldoody . .
Periwinkle .
Roysterer . .

14
27
13
11
13

4
8
2
3
2

St. Leger.
Twice Northumberland Plate.
Brighton Cup.
York Cup.

Still running.

1870
1873

King William . .
Titania .

38
2

6
1

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

QUEEN MAKY— continued.

Bred.

Name.

a
1

Important Races.

1868
872

1876

1878

HARICOT — continued,
d. Lady Langden . .
Hampton ....

Sir Bevys ....
Fosyan ...

6
33

4
14

•

1
1

Epsom Gold Cup.
Doncaster Cup.
Northumberland Plate.
Goodwood Cup.
Goodwood Stakes.
Derby.

1869
1849

e. Freeman
II. BRAXEY

PiO

9
1*)

Twice GreatNorthern Handicap.
Goodwood Stakes.
Chesterfield Cup.
Alexandra Plate.

1858

Her Produce
a. Bernice .

•>!

1862
1868
1863
1865

b. Kate Hampton . .
Lady Mortimer .
c. La Dauphine . . .
d. Thrift

7
11
24

2
3

1878

1879
1869

Tristran ....

Pursebearer . . .
e. Ella

fl8

2
4

Epsom Gold Cup.
Ascot Gold Vase.
Hardwicke Stakes.
Champion Stakes.
Grand Prix Deauville.
Still running.
Still running.

1870
1852

1858

/. Miss Wingie ....
III. BLOOMING HEATHER .
Her Produce.
a. Grouse

1859

b. Gorse

1872
1873

1875
1876

Goura
Good Hope . . .

Blanc Hexe . . .
Tyrann . . .

17
5

3
3

2
5

Hertefeldt.
Vienna Derby.
Union Berlin.

Still running.

1877
1878
1862
1869
1863
1867

Schlenderhan . .
Kaiser
c. Maid Marian . . .
King Tom colt .
d. Robin Hood. . . .
e. Mahonia

6
3
5
4
11
T>

2
3
1
1

2
8

Still running.
Hertefeldt. Still running.

1874
1869
1854

1860

Magnolia ....
/. Laburnum ....
IV. BLINK BONNY ....
Her Produce,
a. Borealis . . .

9
22
20

1
3
14

and 5 Steeplechases.
Derby.
Oaks.

1868
1869
1870
1872

Hyperion ....
Red Light . . .
Blue Light . . .
Flying Scotchman

25
5
16
9

2
2
1

NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

QUEEN MAKY— continued.

Bred.

Name.

Important Kaces.

1873
1861

1862
1857
1870

BLINK BONNY — continued.
Pier Light . . .
b. Blair Athol ....

c. Breadalbane ....

V. BAB-AT-THE-BOWSTER .
Her Produce.
a. Whymper . . .

27
18
1?

8
3

Derby.
Leger.
Prince of Wales Stakes, Ascot.
Gratwicke Stakes.

1872
1875
1876
1859

1874

b. Mare by Adventurer
c. Mare by Knowsley .
d. Lady Dixie ....
VI. BONNY BREAST - KNOT
(in France).
Her Produce,
a. Sheldrake

22
15
35
10

6
1

1860

1867
1869

VII. BONNY BELL ....
Her Produce.
a. Bonny Swell . . .
b. Tocsin ....

17
q

3
3

1871

c. Blantyre

1874

d Muscatel

1875

e. Beauclerc . . .

Middle Park Plate.

1866

VIII. BERTHA

1872

Her Produce,
a Brenda . . .

?,1

1873

b. Bridget

and over hurdles.

MISS AGNES.

Bred 1850, by Birdcatcher out of Agnes (dam of Lady Agnes), by Clarion out
of Annette (dam of Ambrose and Glenmasson), by Priam.

Bred.

Name.

Important Races.

1858

Sons.

GOLDSEEKER

1859

KING OP KARS . . .

1864

BISMARCK

1869

LANDMARK

1871

1856

COURONNE DE FER ....

Daughters.
I LITTLE AGNES

?,?,

4
4

Hurstbourne Stakes.
Stockbridge Cup.
Hopeful Stakes.

1861
1862
1869
1871
1873

Her Produce,
a. Prince Arthur .
b. Wild Agnes . . .
Little Agnes.
Fair Agnes .
Wild Tommy

13
37
13
4
19

6
14
6

Prix de Diane.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

MISS AGNES— continued.

Bred.

Name.

Important Races.

1863

LITTLE AGNES — continued,
c. Fair Agnes (broken
hip)

1868
1870
1871
1872

Bishopthorpe . .
Wild Aggie . . .
Agglethorpe . .
Percy

68
21
67
13

16
9
12
1

1874
1877
1878
1879
1864
1868
1869
1870
1871

Constantino . . .
Gildersbeck . . .
Melmerby ....
Daffodil ....
d. Tibthorpe ....
e. Merry Agnes . . .
/. Little Heroine . . .
?. Couleur de Rose . .
. Thirsk ....'..

41
41
23
5
44
31
25
17
16

5
8
2
1
11
9
2
3
4

Still running.
Still running.

Stewards' Cup.

1875
1878
1857

1862

1868

i. Bonnie Agnes . . .
k. Banbury Bun . . .
II. BROWN AGNES ....
Her Produce.
a. Brown Bread . . .

b. Andorka . .

7
9
5

2
1

9
6

Northumberland Plate.
Caledonian St. Leger.
Nemzeti.

1877
1869

Armgard ....
c. Labancz . .

18
5

7
1

1863
1865

1871

1875
1876
1867

III. DARK AGNES (dead) .
IV. POLLY AGNES ....
Her Produce,
a. Lily Agnes ....

b. Tiger Lily . . . .
c. Jessy Agnes . . .
V. FRIVOLITY

29
32

14
13
15

4
21

2
6
4

Northumberland Plate.
York Cup.
Doncaster Cup.
Ebor Handicap.

Althorp Park Stakes.

1874
1877
1870

1875

Her Produce,
a. Grand Templar . .
b. Miss Edwards . . .

VI. WlNDERMERE ....

Her Produce.
a. Ether

26
3

1
10
1

Middle Park Plate.

1876

b. Bowness

1877
1878

c. Muncaster ....
d. Westmoreland . . .

3
4

1
1

Still running.

How far the exterior is to be considered in the choice of
animals intended for the stud is an open question which causes
much dispute, but which each breeder answers for himself,
according to the aim he has in view.

38 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

Those who will not pay the cost of production of the thor-
oughbred, that is, who breed and use half-bred horses, insist on
the power and regularity in make and shape of the latter ; they
forget, however, that the breeder of thoroughbreds can calculate
to a fraction that selling his produce outside the racecourse by
the standard of the exterior alone will not pay for its rearing,
nor original cost and keep of the brood mares, covering fees,
&c. If he had no other means of disposing advantageously of
his produce, he would find himself placed in the alternative,
either to breed from cheap, and, therefore, indifferent material,
at a rate of expense not exceeding that of a half-bred stud, pro-
ducing consequently inferior animals, never subjected to public
trials, or to give up breeding altogether. Of the two, he would
certainly do better to choose the latter ; for, by following the
former plan, he would find himself needlessly restricted in the
choice of brood mares and sires, and, after all, produce animals,
the only difference between which and half-breds would consist
in inferior size and lack of substance.

He who would breed thoroughbreds on rational principles,
and knows how to calculate, is forced to look for a better re-
turn for the capital invested than the every-day market affords.
This he will find only on the racecourse, without which the
production of thoroughbreds would be aimless, because it offers
the only possible public trial on which the whole principle is
based.

To sum up, I say :

The breeding of thoroughbreds to suit the ever-changing
fashion as to exterior, without regard to highly-tried capabil-
ities, I look upon as an absurdity — in that case it would be
preferable to turn one's attention to the better classes of the
half-bred — but within the acknowledged best strains of blood
I should by no means neglect, if only on patriotic grounds, the
exterior, for in the production of our half-breds it has become
an absolute necessity to use thoroughbred stallions, not only
with performances of a high order, but also that our cavalry
horses may answer certain conditions and forms about make
and shape laid down in order to prevent their deterioration.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 39

The term of so-called faultlessness, however, is not to be taken
in so strict a sense, when used in conjunction with the tried
thoroughbred, as when applied to the untried half-bred.

In the former, every deviation from the true shape is ren-
dered more distinct by the exertions inseparable from the train-
ing ground and the racecourse, and, by the tension or straining
of the sinews, muscles and tendons, even develops into a visible
defect. In the half-bred stallion "the disposition to the same
imperfection slumbers perhaps still nearer the surface, and
would scarcely allow him to pride himself on his cheaply
acquired freedom from blemish, if he were ever compelled to
leave his dolce far niente and undergo severe trials.

My opinion as to the relative value of true shape and per-
formances in the choice of a stallion to breed from, that is,
what percentage of the one might be sacrificed to the other,
may, not inaptly, I believe, in figures be thus expressed:
I require the sire, intended for the production of thorough-
breds, for every per cent, less performance three per cent, more
exterior — the form, however, should never be less than good
second class ; for that of half-breds I reverse the proportion,
and give for every per cent, exterior three per cent, perform-
ance. To breed racehorses from a stallion who himself did not
belong to the first or second class on the turf is imprudent, for
the instances of an inferior stallion producing a superior race-
horse are of such very rare occurrence — this used to be tried,
not without success, most frequently in France, but has latterly
there also begun to bear bad fruit — that the numerous fruitless
experiments which must be made before that one is found
would in all likelihood swallow a fortune.

Now, taken into consideration that England, for instance,
produces every year a thousand thoroughbred colts, and of
that number not more than one or two develop into racehorses
of the first class, and perhaps two or three of a second class,
good enough to breed thoroughbreds from ; considered further,
how lenient the English breeder is with regard to certain im-
perfections of shape which, in Germany, would condemn the
horse at once, and that, on the other hand, the, in England,

40 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

acknowledged very best stallions are scarcely ever for sale, it
may be readily understood how difficult it is to acquire a stal-
lion of the first class adapted to the production of thorough-
breds, and if first rate form and undeniable pedigree be strictly
adhered to, how necessary it is sometimes to be more indulgent
with regard to the exterior than under other circumstances
inclination would admit.

Our German public knows nought of such difficulties, and
requires that the thoroughbred stallion of the first class, besides
form and quality, be possessed of the power and truth of shape
of the half-bred, and the action of the Arab. The good people
forget that everything in the world has its limits, and that
Nature herself is impotent, when asked to produce an animal
of the strength of the elephant with the agility of the gazelle.

It is difficult and requires much local knowledge to buy
sound mares of the best strains of blood and some public form
or proved excellence at the stud, yet is their number not nearly
so narrowly limited as that of sires. It is therefore advisable,
in the choice of mares, to be more rigorous with regard to make
and shape, else the thoroughbred will scarcely fulfil its mission
—the production of capable half-bred stallions, answering the
conditions which the breeders of such and of cavalry horses are
justified in making.

The realization of this purpose by judicious mating of sire
and dam is materially facilitated, if the breeder is not only
familiar with the peculiarities of the families from which they
are descended, but also has known them during their racing
career. The impression received on the racecourse of the horse
in the height of condition is with greater truth reflected in its
immediate descendants, than that which is derived from the
same animal when at the stud. In the former case nothing is
hidden by superfluous flesh, and every imperfection of shape
is rendered more conspicuous, when every muscle, sinew, and
tendon is braced by hard work.

It may, perhaps, not be out of place here to express my views
on the, of late years, steadily increasing disorder of roaring.

I have observed that in the English thoroughbred the growth

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 41

of this defect has kept pace with the increase of two-year-old
racing, especially in early spring, and consequent thereon with
the increase of studs breeding for sale.

This may appear strange, but is easily explained. Racing
at so tender an age requires early developed yearlings ; those
studs, however, can flourish only when keeping that requisite
in view, for experience teaches that ja, yearling which promises
to win back his purchase-money within eight or ten months,
will command a much higher price than one whose usefulness
will probably not begin before his third year. The consequence
is that they force their produce like asparagus in a hot-bed, in
order to bring them up for sale as big as it is possible to get
them. Such only find ready customers, and the assumption by
a discriminating public, that all such breeders act on the same
principle, more especially those who affirm the contrary, totally
depreciates the less developed yearlings, for the purchaser be-
lieves— and generally his surmise is not without justification —
that with them also the forcing process has been tried, but tried
in vain. Thus, every stud owner breeding for sale is compelled
to adopt the pernicious practice, and, in the end, the home
breeder will have to follow the fashion.

That to yearlings, unnaturally forced in their development,
the early training brings more danger than to those reared in
a natural, and, therefore, more healthy manner — hence smaller
and less gross, is self-evident. Their puffed-out organs of
respiration especially are affected by the keen atmosphere in
autumn and winter, during which their first training takes
place, and, consequently, rendered more prone to inflammation.
If the constitutional weakness, from which originates the in-
clination to morbid affections of the respiratory organs through
irrational rearing is continued from generation to generation,
the predisposition to roaring ultimately becomes hereditary.

Most frequent, naturally, are these symptoms of disorder in
descendants from stallions from whom they inherit the attribute
of quick growth, for they are the first taken into training.

It is equally natural that young horses with long necks turn
roarers sooner than short-necked ones; for if through each of

42 NOTES ON BEEEDING RACEHORSES.

two tubes of the same width, but of different length, a certain
quantity of air shall pass in exactly the same space of time, it
follows with mathematical certainty that, in the longer tube,
the current must be forced through at a quicker rate, and, con-
sequently, affect the sides and valves in a higher degree than
in the shorter. It is, moreover, a well-known fact in human
physiology, that long necks incline more to diseases of the
larynx than others.

English breeders do not, however, on account of the predom-
inating number of short races which may be won by a roarer,
hesitate to use stallions thus afflicted at the stud. I believe
that, if the system were changed, two-year-old racing abolished,
and the distances to be run over generally lengthened, throat
diseases would gradually diminish, though not at the same ratio
in which they have for the last thirty years increased.

I am, however, no advocate of so radical a measure as the
abolishment of two-year-old races, which for many reasons
could not be carried out without any detriment to racing at
large ; I am only at a loss how to check in any other way the
fattening process yearlings are forced to undergo, and the too
early and too frequent racing of two-year-olds.

It will, no doubt, be argued, that there are many roarers to
be found in France, although in that country two-year-olds do
not run before the 1st of August, and the distances in races for
horses above that age are twice as long as in England. It is
true there are a good many roarers in France now, but the dis-
ease was imported from England, and has spread with the
greatly enhanced prices of yearlings, caused by the vast in-
crease in the demand for racing material.

Based on and caused by the rapid growth of racing in
France, a great number of studs, principally breeding for the
yearlings market, have sprung into existence, carrying on
wholesale production by means of unsound mares, imported
from England by the dozen at 501. apiece and even less.
Twenty years ago there were scarcely any roarers in France,
but also no studs breeding for sale.

I am well aware that at present many public breeders may

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 43

point to certain private studs, producing as many roarers as
themselves or more. But I think this does not much shake
my argument. No doubt a certain number of select studs
breeding first-class yearlings for sale, as for instance the
Blankney stud and some others, contribute just as much to
the improvement of the breed as the best private studs ; but
what I mean to say is, that the overgrowth of public studs, in
comparison to home breeding, softens the thoroughbred race,
through using too much weak, unsound, and altogether inferior
material for the reproduction, and through forcing the foals too
much with a view to the yearling market.

CHAPTER II.

IN-BREEDING—OUT-CROSSING.

I HAVE promised elsewhere to explain my views on the ad-
vantages or disadvantages of in-breeding with regard to the
breed of racehorses, and will now proceed to do so. It is much
to be regretted that our writers on zoology have not, instead of
sheep, pigs, cattle, or cart horses, chosen the thoroughbred horse
as the basis of their investigations in that direction.

According to my idea, no species of animal creation is so
specially adapted for that purpose, for here incontestable facts
and the accumulated statistics of the racing calendar collected
during a space of more than one hundred and seventy years,
are available as incontrovertible evidence, whereas in the
breeding spheres selected and treated on by the zoologists,
much must naturally depend on personal opinion, unreliable
information, statements copied from other authors, or similar
unsupported assertions.

The origin of the English thoroughbred is carried back to
three Oriental ancestors, viz., the Byerly Turk, the Darley
Arabian, and the Godolphin Arabian. It is a universally
recognized maxim to count all living stud horses as belong-
ing to those families from which they descend in a direct male
line, the maternal descent being a matter of secondary consid-
eration. It is manifest that this classification should not in all
cases be a criterion, for a horse may have in its veins, through'
the dams, double the quantity of blood from their families to
that which is derived from the male descent of its sire, and yet
is considered to belong to the family of the latter.

If, however, the object is to gain a general view of the whole
breed, and especially of those families which in course of time
have proved most successful, and to follow up their origin to

IN-BREEDING—OUT-CROSSING. 45

the beginning of the last century, nothing remains but to class- YjJ
ify them according to their male ancestors, the female descent J
offering not nearly so clear a perspective.

In order to afford a more comprehensive view of the whole
subject, I have, as a special supplement, added thirteen tables,
of which the first three reach to the middle of the nineteenth
century, and the following ten show the progeny of those stal-
lions whose male descendants at the present time rank foremost at V
the stud, and appear destined in coming generations to form the ,| .1
corner-stones of the race. As such they will probably suffice fu-
ture breeders as points of departure in the framing of pedigrees.

These compilations show that the family of the Darley
Arabian, or rather that of Eclipse, largely predominates, .
especially in England, over the other two.

The family which claims the Byerly Turk for its ancestor,
with his three great descendants, Wild Dayrell, The Flying
Dutchman, and Partisan, at present exercises less influence on
the breed in England than in other countries.

Wild Dayrell's most eminent son, Buccaneer, was carried off
to Hungary after having produced in England, besides several
prominent mares — amongst them two winners of the Oaks —
only Paul Jones and See Saw. Hungary in her turn, however,
had to witness the expatriation of Buccaneer's most celebrated
scion, Kisber, to the land of his ancestors.

The Flying Dutchman went to France and there got his two
best sons, Dollar and Dutch Skater, of which two the latter, at
present serving at the stud in England, seems to be the less
valuable, since, with the exception of Insulaire and Dutch
Oven, he has, as yet, produced nothing of note.

Partisan's most famous son, Gladiator, also fell to the share
of France, where he got a great number of excellent mares
— amongst others Gladiateur's dam, and, especially through
founding the Fitz Gladiator family, acquired lasting merit.
Fortunately for England he bequeathed to her in Sweetmeat
a pillar of the breed, and in Queen Mary — the dam of Haricot,
Blooming Heather, Blink Bonny — the mother of a family of
heroes.

46 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

Besides these England has kept nothing prominent of Parti-
san's progeny ; neither Kingston, nor his two most noteworthy
sons, Ely and Caractacus, having realized at the stud what
they promised on the turf. The Derby winner of 1862 was
later on exported to Kussia.

Glaucus's line is represented by The Nabob's sons only, of
which England possessed Nutbourne alone ; while France got
Suzerain and Vermout, with his sons, Boiard and Perplexe,
and Austria, Bois Roussel. America, too, has owned in a
lineal descendant from the Byerly Turk, Lexington, one of
her most successful sires.

The Godolphin Arabian in our days is, properly speaking,
represented by the Melbourne family alone, and in England
threatens to become extinct in his male descendants. The
most successful stallion of that clan living seems to be Ruy
Bias ; but this son of West Australian is in France, whither
the first winner of that great treble event — or triple crown as
it is called — Two Thousand Guineas, Derby, and St. Leger was
exported. It may yet be that Knight of the Garter, Plebeian,
or Statesman rouse themselves, and after all give to England a
first-class sire of that strain of blood. For the first of the three
it was, perhaps, unfortunate that The Jewel, in foal to him, was
sent abroad ; yet it is questionable whether Przedswit, with his
doubtful pluck, would in England have become of sufficient
note to induce the breeding public to send him really good
mares. The Earl, Mornington, Pell Mell, Straffbrd, and the
brother to Straffbrd, appear scarcely destined to continue in
coming centuries the Melbourne family.

It is a remarkable fact, that the Melbourne blood in its
female descent shows to so much greater advantage than in the
other sex, for which reason the family is so inadequately repre-
sented in the stallions belonging to it. In the whole stud book
there is scarcely to* be found a sire of better, and in their pro-
geny more successful, mares than Melbourne (Blink Bonny,
Blooming Heather, Canezou, Go-ahead, Leila, Mentmore Lass,
The Slave, Stolen Moments, Sortie, The Bloomer, etc.) ; but of
his sons, West Australian alone achieved a great reputation.

IN-BREEDING — OUT-CROSSING. 47

With regard to him also, this superiority of the female descent
holds good, as he got, besides a great number of more than use-
ful mares, only two prominent sons, The Wizard and Ruy Bias,
of whom the former, although himself a good racehorse, scarcely
left any traces in Germany, the country of his adoption.

Now if we consider the question, what sort of crosses in the
different strains of blood have recommended themselves as most
desirable — although within the thoroughbred race there cannot,
properly speaking, be any question of a cross, as understood in
zoology, because the whole breed is more or less related — we
naturally come to the conclusion that the breeder is involun-
tarily forced into breeding within close relationship by the en-
deavor to adhere to the families of established reputation, and
within them to use for his purpose none but their most prom-
inent members. In the commencement of the race we notice
numerous cases of incest, logically accounted for, however, by
the desire to mate the then existing and not too numerous indi-
viduals of tried excellence, and thereby perpetuate that quality.
In the pedigree of Eclipse even occurs a glaring instance of
incest, the grand-dam of Betty Leedes, who was the great
grand-dam of Eclipse, having been got by Spanker from his
own dam. The more the breed developed, the less pressing
grew the necessity for close relationship, but in the days of
Eclipse, bred in 1764, and his immediate descendants, the need
still existed to a great extent, for by the general stud book a
score of horses may be proved to have been got by sons of
Eclipse from daughters of the same horse, but this alliance
never produced anything extraordinary. Even in the present
century many cases of incestuous breeding have occurred, but
very few of them have proved successful. I shall have to make
some remarks on two of their number (Juliana, bred 1810, and
Valentine, bred 1832) later on.

Opinions as to whether relationship in parents is advantage-
ous, and, if so, to what degree and where it begins to be in-
jurious, differ very much even in our own days in England.

The thoroughbred is, with regard to this subtle question,
especially adapted as a field for study and experiment, because

48 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

the uninterrupted trials of the produce of this or that principle
in breeding are made public, and their results, as collected in
the racing statistics of one hundred and seventy years, accessi-
ble to everybody. The inference drawn will, however, fre-
quently prove the reverse of what follows from the same in-
vestigations, when applied to the untried half-bred, where the
analysis of the calculation is based on the personal opinion of
the investigator.

If we take, for instance, the pedigree of Friponnier, we find
that he is the produce of uncle and niece, consequently of very
close in-breeding. Friponnier, although the fastest horse of his
day, proved himself a failure as a sire of racehorses, because he
wanted the individual power to transfer his racing qualities to
his descendants. He is, therefore, quoted as a warning exam-
ple of too close in-breeding in thoroughbreds. He then was
sent to a half-bred stud in Germany, and there has unquestion-
ably proved a great success. Writers on zoology, unfamiliar
with the thoroughbred and its public trials, will therefore prob-
ably quote Friponnier as a brilliant example of that very same
close relationship in the parents, on account of which he was in
the first instance discarded.

But, before we enter more deeply into this matter, it is neces-
sary to come to a clear understanding as to the meaning, with
regard to the thoroughbred, of the terms : in-breeding, moderate
relationship, and out-crossing. If they are not clearly defined,
all real discussion is rendered futile. Stonehenge's disquisitions
on the subject are indistinct, because not worked out on a
firmly established system. If he instances Stockwell and Rata-
plan as in-bred, but Partisan and Emilius as out-crossed, he
overlooks, that those celebrated brothers are doubly and trebly
as far removed from their common ancestor on the male and
female side, as the latter two from theirs. This proportion is
by no means altered by the circumstance, that in Stockwell and
Rataplan's pedigree Waxy occurs not twice, but three times ;
for even then they have only -fa Waxy blood in their veins,
whereas Partisan has -^ and Emilius i + TV = A Highflyer
blood.

IN-BREEDING OUT-CROSSING. 49

I am of opinion, that a horse should only be termed in-bred,
when in sum total less than four degrees lay between its parents
and their common ancestor ; in other words, when the children
or grandchildren of a stallion or a mare are mated, I call their
produce in-bred ; but this term does not apply to the produce
of great grandchildren of the common ancestor. We must
not forget that in the pedigrees of horses the word brother or
sister often means half-brother or half-sister, and that here the-
definition borrowed from the human family connection is. not
applicable.

As breeding within moderate relationship I reckon the mating
of stallion and mare that are removed from their common an-
cestor four, five, or six degrees. It is indifferent whether they
are on both sides equidistant from, or one of them nearer to the
male or female progenitor than the other.

The English breeder of the old school was of opinion, that
breeding from very closely related parents, even if possessed of
the most excellent qualities, as a rule, led to disappointing
results ; in isolated cases, however, to the production of indi-
vidual animals qf quite extraordinary capabilities ; and on the
whole, I incline to that view myself.

More recently and in consideration of such exceptional in-
stances, especially since Friponnier's appearance, the mating of
very nearly connected stallions and mares has frequently been
tried in England, but generally with the old result, that is,
abundant failures, but also a few eminent exceptions, like
Galopin and Petrarch.

As a matter of course follows the important question as to
the individual productive power of such in-bred stallions. The
current which in England set in the direction of in-breeding,
naturally caused a strong counter-current, in its turn in many
cases rejecting for breeding purposes, as in-bred, stallions
that, in my opinion, come not within the meaning of the
term.

In order to gain a clear insight into the matter, let us classify
the stallions renowned on the turf and afterwards used for stud
purposes, according to the degree of relationship existing be-

50 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

tween their parents; and then inquire which degree has fur-
nished the best results as to power of reproduction.

I believe myself to be tolerably at home in the Racing Cal-
endar and the Stud Book, yet it is possible I may have over-
looked some pertinent instances. If so, I shall be glad if by
the following compilations others interested in the subject be
stimulated, in furtherance of the good cause we serve, to sup-
plement or to refute what I have written.

A produce of brother and sister, or half-brother and half-
sister not being available amongst renowned stallions, I shall
begin with those whose parents are only one clear degree re-
moved from their common ancestor, male or female. Of such
I have been able to find but four, viz. :

1. Knight of St. George in-bred to Sir Hercules.

2. Crest " Touchstone.

3. Friponnier Orlando.

4. The Miner " Birdcatcher.

Two degrees removed are the parents of

1. Partisan in-bred to Highflyer.

2. Priam " Whiskey.

3. Humphrey Clinker " Sir Peter.

4. Election " Herod.

5. The Saddler " Waxy.

6. Sleight of Hand ]

7. The Drone LSSSr.} • • Peruvian.

8. Van Amburgh J

9. Pericles* " Highflyer.

10. Brutandorf " Pot-8-os.

11. Blue Gown " Touchstone.

12. Galopin " Voltaire.

13. Lowlander Pantaloon.

14. Petrarch " Touchstone.

Three degrees removed are the parents of

1. Orlando in-bred to Selim.

2. The Flying Dutchman .... " Selim.

3. Emilius " Highflyer.

* Pericles has 4-16ths each of Highflyer and Herod blood.

IN-BREEDING — OUT-CROSSING.

4. Weatherbit in-bred to Orville.

5. Buccaneer Edmund by Orville.

6. Tramp " Eclipse.

7. Blacklock " Highflyer.

8. Epirus " Sir Peter.

9. Cotherstone " Waxy and Penelope.

10. Chatham " Waxy and Penelope.

11. Oulston .... „ " ' Cervantes.

12. Elthiron

13. Windhound Own v

14. Hobbie Noble brothers} • • • Peruvian.

15. The Reiver

16. Argonaut " Sir Hercules.

17. Macgregor " Banter.

18. Knight of the Garter " Camel.

19. Pero Gomez " Lady Moore Carew.

20. Dalham* " Touchstone.

21. Isonomy Birdcatcher.

22. Silvio "

Four degrees removed are the parents of

1. Sweetmeat f . . on both sides goes back to Prunella.

2. The Baron ... " « Waxy.

3. BayMiddleton . " « • Sir Peter.

4- Sultan « Eclipse and Highflyer.

5. Pantaloon ... " Eclipse and Highflyer.

6. Lanercost ... " " Gohanna.

7. Plenipotentiary . « Sir Peter.J

8. Melbourne ... " Termagant.

9. Flatcatcher {^^} " " Waxy.

10. Wild Dayrell . . « Selim.

11. Cambuscan ... " « Whalebone.

12. The Palmer 1 Own 1 • «

13. Kosicrucian f*™****!

14. Trumpeter \ . . " goes Selim.

* Dalham's dam (Gertrude) also is three times removed from Touchstone, so that
l-32d of the same blood must be added.

f Sweetmeat's pedigree is doubtful, inasmuch as hjf dam Lollypop is put down to
two sires. She is, however, generally believed to be, not by Voltaire, but by Starch.

I To whose sire, Highflyer, both parents of Plenipotentiary, Emilius and Harriet
are in-bred.

\ His sire, Orlando, already being in-bred to the same horse, Trumpeter has five-
thirty-seconds Selim blood.

NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

15. Marsyas . .

16. Economist .

17. Sir Hercules

18. Liverpool .

19. Adventurer .

20. Hermit . .

21. Przedswit

on both sides goes back to Waxy.

" " Eclipse and Herod.

Eclipse.

" " Orville.

" " Camel.

Fiv'e degrees removed are the parents of
1. Touchstone ... on both sides goes back to Eclipse.

2. Voltaire ....

3. Voltigeur 1

4. Barnton J ' * '

5. Newminster . .

6. Van Tromp . .

7. Defence ....

8. Alarm

9. Ion

10. King Tom . . .

11. Saunterer . . .

12. Paragone ....

13. AndoverJ . . .

14. Venison ....

15. Velocipede . . .

16. Pyrrhus the First

17. Harkaway . . .

18. Cowl

19. Cossack ....

20. Kingston ....

21. Scottish Chief . .

22. Flibustier . . .

23. Sterling ....

24. Chamant ....

25. Kobert the Devil

g°

Highflyer.*

Hambletonian.
f Trumpator and
I Beningbro'.

Buzzard.

Eclipse and Highflyer.

Sir Peter and Prunella.

Sir Peter.

Waxy.

Waxy and Penelope.

Orville.

Buzzard and Waxy.

Eclipse.

Pot-8-os and Highflyer.

Buzzard.

Pot-8-os.

Whiskey.

f Sorcerer, Stamford, and
\ Y. Giantess.

Sir Peter.

Orville.

Tramp.

Whalebone.

Emilius.

f Touchstone and
I Birdcatcher.

* To whom Voltaire's sire, Blacklock, is in-bred.

t Own brothers and sons of the foregoing. The third brother, Vortex, was too
inferior a racehorse to be mentioned here.

J His dam being in-bred to Waxy, Andover has only three-thirty-seconds Buzzard
blood, but four-thirty-seconds Waxy blood.

IN-BKEEDING — OUT-CROSSING. 53

Six degrees removed are the parents of

1. Irish Birdcatcher . on both sides goes back to Eclipse.

2. West Australian . " " Trumpator.

3. Stockwell "I Own \

4. Kataplan /brothers} Waxy and Penelope.

5. St. Albans 1 Own )

6. Whalebone.

7. Macaroni .... Sir Peter.

8. The Duke .... " Whalebone*

9. LordLyon ... " Whalebone.

10. Blair Athol ) Own \

11. *0 Whalebone.

12. Favonius .... " " Whisker.

13. Kustic ..... " Whalebone.

14. Lambton .... " " Whiskey.

15. Ely ...... " Sorcerer.

16. Wenlock .... " " Whalebone.

17. Kisber ..... " " Sultan.

18. Lollypop .... " Whalebone.

The stallions of high importance to the breed, left after
the enumeration of the foregoing six categories, that is, whose
parents are distant from their common ancestor more than
six degrees, are, on closer inspection, comparatively few in
number, and of those remaining many, as, for instance, Lord
Clifden, Teddington, See Saw, George Frederick, Albert Victor,
etc., cannot, in the descent of their parents, show more than
seven clear removes. It follows, therefore, that nearly all stal-
lions of eminence in England, which in this case means the
whole of Europe, are the results of breeding within more or
less distant relationship. The aim of our investigations will
thus be less to ascertain whether relationship in breeding be at
all desirable, than to define the limits within which it operates
advantageously.

We shall be materially assisted in the attainment of our
purpose by subjecting, in their several categories, the stal-
lions named to an impartial critic, although I cannot disguise
from myself the difficulty of doing so without meeting with
opposition to my estimation of their relative worth.

* To whom The Duke's dam also on both sides traces back.

54 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

Of the four stallions in the first category, we know that
Friponnier at the stud did not realize the expectations enter-
tained of him. The St. Leger winner, Knight of St. George's
best performance as a sire was the getting of Knight of St.
Patrick with a mare like Pocahontas, whose produce with
many other stallions with whom she was mated proved to be
superior to him. Knight of St. George was subsequently sold
to America, where he was not more fortunate than at home.
Orest, in consequence of an accident, never trod the turf; his
class as a racehorse, therefore, cannot be determined. He got,
however, a number of horses of a certain amount of medium
racing form, and may, in consideration thereof, be classed as
a successful sire. The Miner, Blair Athol's whilom conqueror
at York, turned out rather insignificant at the stud, his pater-
nity to Controversy being doubtful.

The second category is composed of fourteen stallions, amongst
whom Partisan, as sire of Gladiator, Venison, and Glaucus, stands
forth in such bold relief, that his value as a progenitor is above
question.

Priam, even if he left no immediate male descendant of em-
inence, as sire of Crucifix and such useful matrons as Miss
Letty, Annette, Dolphin, etc., deserves to be rated as a success-
ful, stallion.

Humphrey Clinker's claims to recognition principally rest on
his paternity to Melbourne, but in consideration of the latter's
worth, his merits must be deemed sufficient.

The Saddler and Brutandorf are of about equal value ; the
former's pretensions are, in a measure, justified by The Provost,
while the latter's are based on Physician, whose sons, The Cure,
and especially Blackdrop, merited the esteem in which they
were held ; the latter in Germany.

Election can scarcely be said to rank very high as a progen-
itor, nor has Sleight of Hand sired any racehorse of the first
class. His paternity to several good mares, like Lady Eliza-
beth (dam of Stolen Moments), Legerdemain (dam of Adonis
and Wimbledon) alone, does not entitle him to be ranked
amongst the successful sires, and still less do his two full

IN-BREEDING — OUT-CROSSING. 55

brothers, The Drone and Van Amburgh, deserve a place in
that select company.

Pericles' solitary claim to consideration consists in having
got Harriet (Plenipotentiary's dam), but that is not sufficient.

Blue Gown's career as a sire cannot be said quite finished,
since, although himself at the bottom of the sea, his last direct
descendants have not yet appeared on the turf. Of his sons,
Vitus and Blue Rock, good performers in Germany, should be
mentioned ; on the whole, however, I believe, by discarding him
from the list of shining lights at the stud, I express the opinion
of English breeders and owners of racehorses.

Galopin, Lowlander, and Petrarch are still on their trial ; I
shall follow their stud career, as being of paramount interest with
regard to the question of in-breeding, with the greatest attention.

The third category contains twenty-two stallions, of whom
Orlando, The Flying Dutchman, Emilius, Weatherbit, Buc-
caneer, Blacklock, and Tramp, may be said to be of indis-
putable pre-eminence.

Epirus, although supported by Ephesus and the Derby win-
ner Pyrrhus the First only, will, on their account, pass muster ;
likewise Pero Gomez, who, as sire of Peregrine, winner of the
Two Thousand Guineas, and a great number of other useful
horses, deserves credit.

Knight of the Garter, albeit for the present not largely pat-
ronized, must, as the sire of Przedswit and many very service-
able horses, be reckoned as a successful stallion.

Of the four, although not very famous brothers : Windhound,
Elthiron, Hobbie Noble, and The Reiver, the first, as the prob-
able father of the Derby winner Thormanby, is entitled to a
certain amount of recognition ; the second has made himself in
France, if not celebrated, at least useful ; the last two, however,
are decided failures.

Cotherstone, Chatham, Oulston, and Argonaut hay« not at-
tained eminence at the stud, which is the more surprising with
regard to Cotherstone, the winner of the Two Thousand Guineas
and the Derby in 1843, as he was one of the most successful
racehorses that ever trod the turf.

56 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

Macgregor appears to be unable to produce a horse of note.

Dalham, Isonomy, and Silvio are still in the commencement
of their stud career ; Isonomy, however, possessed such excep-
tional merit as a racehorse, that of his future the highest ex-
pectations seem justified.

The fourth category embraces twenty-one stallions, to whom
no exception can be taken on the score of shortcomings at the
stud, though perhaps Plenipotentiary's name may have a better
sound than in reality it deserves.

Economist's chances were but few, yet as Harkaway's sire he
has just claims to our respect.

Lanercost (sire of Van Tromp) and Flatcatcher have pro-
duced a great number of good mares ; to the others no ob-
jections will, presumably, be raised ; their names speak for
themselves.

Przedswit alone has as yet had no opportunity to prove him-
self in his progeny. It may be urged against him, that he is
the only horse of note his dam ever produced, yet his descent
on both sides from that inexhaustible source of excellence,
Marpessa, through two such brilliant channels as Pocahontas
and Boarding School Miss, should justify great expectations.

In the fifth category there are twenty-five stallions, of whom
Chamant and Robert the Devil are too young at the stud to be
fairly judged. Of the other twenty-three I can point to Cossack
and Andover alone as decided failures, even if the latter pro-
duced some useful animals like Cramon. It did not, however,
require much individual power on the part of the stallion, when
mated with a mare like Haricot. Nor has Barn ton, although
the sire of Fandango and Ben Webster, on the whole, been of
much use at the stud, for which reason I hesitate to place him
on the list of successful sires.

In England, Van Tromp has not made for himself a great
name, he has, however, done better in Russia.

Venison has produced Alarm and Kingston. Paragone is
difficult to classify, but his daughter, Paradigm (dam of Lord
Lyon and Achievement), and the success he had in Germany,
secure him an honorable place.

IN-BREEDING — OUT-CROSSING.

Defence, Pyrrhus the First, and Cowl have made their mark
by producing good brood mares, and Alarm, though not having
sired any very prominent horses, got many useful animals. The
rest, viz., Touchstone, Melbourne, Voltaire, Voltigeur, Ion, Saun-
terer, Newminster, Velocipede, Harkaway, Kingston, Scottish
Chief, Flibustier, and Sterling, are above discussion.

The sixth and last category comprises eighteen stallions, of
whom Kisber and Lollypop have been too recently trans-
ferred to the stud to allow of their merits as stallions being
considered.

The reputations of The Duke (sire of Bertram, and conse-
quently grandsire of Robert the Devil), Lord Lyon, Favonius,
and Wenlock, may not be sufficiently established, yet should
I let three of their number pass as successful.

Breadalbane gets handsome horses ; his stock, however, with
few exceptions, suffer from too great an excitability of temper
to bear severe training. To produce racehorses I should, there-
fore, not rank him amongst the sires with incontestable claims
to recognition.

Ely is a dead failure at the stud ; the rest, viz., Birdcatcher,
West Australian, Stockwell, Rataplan, Savernake, St. Albans,
Macaroni, Blair Athol, and Lambton, must be accepted as of
undoubted excellence, a certificate of merit I should like to
extend to Rustic, in consideration of the manner in which he
has availed himself of the few chances offered him.

By summing up the foregoing remarks in shape of a com-
parative table of the successful stallions in their several cate-
gories, we arrive at the following result :

Category.

sl"

Too Young
the Stud.

With parent
< ' «
t tt
i tt
( ti
t tt

s one degree removed

4
14
22
21
25
18

1 (?)

»<»

20
13

3
3
1
2
2

two degrees "

three " "

four " "

five " "

six " « . .

58 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

The proportion, accordingly, appears most favorable in the
fourth, and, next to it, about equal in the fifth and sixth cate-
gories ; on the whole, therefore, in those three, embracing the
produces of moderate relationship ; and thence, in the direction
of in-breeding, gradually but strikingly lessening. It will, be-
sides, be well to bear in mind that in the third category of the
twelve stallions classed as successful, several, like Elthiron and
Windhound, are rather doubtful.

From all this it would seem advisable to place most reliance
on those stallions who, cceteris paribus, are descended from pa-
rents of moderate relationship ; at the same time to be mindful,
however, whether in former generations of their pedigree the
same strains of blood have already met, in which case the in-
breeding would thereby be increased. We thus arrive at the
conclusion, that stallions of that degree of affinity in their
parents, perhaps with the addition of a category with seven
clear removes, are preferable to those who are in-bred or out-
crossed. I, at least, should be at a loss to furnish from all the
remaining stallions in the stud book, so stately a list as is com-
prised in the fourth, fifth, and sixth categories. That the de-
gree of relationship alone is insufficient, when kindred strains
of blood are united for the purpose of begetting high individual
potency, is self-evident : that end can only be attained by using
within the chosen families their most prominent members.

Almost insurmountable difficulties would be encountered in
the attempt to compile similar tables for mares ; their number
is too great to admit of the possibility of arriving at anything
like reliable comparative figures. We must, therefore, confine
ourselves to a review of the celebrated matrons and see, whether
among them exist many cases of in-breeding, or whether in their
sex also the value for stud purposes appears impaired by too
close a relationship of their parents.

Of mares that owe their existence to incestuous breeding, I
could find but two that have proved at all successful at the
stud, that is to say, have bred winners of big races, viz. :

1. Juliana, dam of the St. Leger winner Matilda, bred 1810,

IK-BREEDING — OUT-CROSSING. 59

by Gohanna from Platina, both being by Mercury,
son of Eclipse. What renders this case still more re-
markable is, that both parents of Juliana were out
of Herod mares, consequently nearly own brother and
sister.

2. Valentine, dam of the Doncaster Cup winner War Eagle,
bred 1832, by Voltaire with his half sister Fisher Lass,
both being out of the same mare, bred 1816, by Phan-
tom out of an Overton mare.

Of celebrated mares, whose parents were altogether not more
than once removed from their common ancestor, we notice six :

1. Miss Letty, daughter of Priam, who is strongly in-bred

to Whiskey; herself in-bred to Orville (dam of
Weatherbit).

2. Knowsley's and General Peel's dam, in-bred to Camel.

3. Palma, in-bred to Orville (dam of Adventurer).

4. The Jewel, in-bred to Birdcatcher (dam of Przedswit).

5. Mandragora, in-bred to Birdcatcher (dam of Mandrake,

Agility, Apology, etc.).

6. Mineral, own sister to the foregoing (dam of Wenlock,

Schwindler, Kisber).

The extraordinary success at the stud of Mandragora and
Mineral is the more noteworthy, as their own brother, The
Miner, although himself a much better racehorse, has been of
little use as a sire. t

With parents, twice removed from their common ancestor, we
find a greater number of mares of tried excellence, especially :

1. Marpessa, in-bred to Whiskey (dam of Pocahontas, Board-

ing School Miss, and Jeremy Diddler).

2. Idalia, in-bred to Highflyer (dam of Pantaloon).

3. Necklace, in-bred to Emilius (dam of Macgregor).

4. Isoline, in-bred to Sir Hercules (dam of Isola Bella, Ison-

omy's dam, St. Christophe, and Braconnier).

60 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

5. The winner of the Oaks, Feu de Joie, in-bred to Touch-

stone (dam of Allumette, Hallate, etc.).

6. Veilchen, in-bred to Touchstone (dam of Vergissmein-

nicht, dam of Wer Weiss, Wunderhorn, Walhalla,
R F. Walpurgis).

7. Bay Celia, in-bred to Camel (dam of The Earl and The

Duke).

8. Elphine, in-bred to Beningbro' (dam of Lambton and

Warlock).

9. Finesse, in-bred to Highflyer (dam of Decoy).

10. Decoy, in-bred to Sir Peter (dam of The Drone, Sleight

of Hand, Van Amburgh, Legerdemain, Phryne, Flat-
catcher).

11. Legerdemain, in-bred to Peruvian (dam of Toxophilite).

The latter instance is particularly remarkable, as it seems
to corroborate the evidence of Mandragora, Mineral, and The
Miner that in-breeding in mares does not influence individual
potency in an equally unfavorable degree as in stallions.

Legerdemain is own sister to Sleight of Hand, The Drone,
and Van Amburgh, who proved themselves inferior or useless
at the stud ; she herself, on the contrary, produced a horse of
the first class, like Toxophilite, and that, too, under very ad-
verse circumstances. In order to prevent the frequent re-occur-
rence of horsing, she was covered, when not more than three
years of age, by Ion, won in the month of October of the same
year (1849) the Cesarewitch, slipped her foal the day after, and
then remained two years longer in training — all of which cer-
tainly did not enhance her usefulness at t*he stud.

A young mare with but two clear removes in-bred, who
proved herself a pearl of the first water on the turf, and was
in 1881 winner of the One Thousand Guineas and Oaks:

12. Thebais, in-bred to Touchstone.

Three clear removes in the descent from their common ances-
tor show among others the parents of:

IN-BREEDING — OUT-CROSSING. 61

1. Vulture, in-bred to Buzzard (dam of Orlando).

2. Peri, in-bred to Eclipse (dam of Sir Hercules).

3. Seclusion, in-bred to Sultan (dam of the Derby winner

Hermit).

4. Languish, in-bred to Sir Peter (dam of the winner of the

Oaks, Ghuznee).

5. GruySre, in-bred to Waxy and Penelope (dam of Par-

mesan).

6. Mowerina, in-bred to Waxy, own sister to Cotherstone

(and dam of West Australian, Go-ahead, Old Orange
Girl, Baragah, and Westwick).

A similar case of in-breeding occurs here, as in Mandragora,
Mineral, and Legerdemain, compared to The Miner, Sleight of
Hand, The Drone, and Van Amburgh. Whereas Cotherstone,
a quite exceptional horse on the turf, proves a failure at the
stud, his own sister, Mowerina, becomes one of the most cele-
brated matrons in the whole Stud Book. Queen Mary might be
mentioned here as in-bred to Whalebone, but as it is not beyond
all doubt whether Moses is by Whalebone or Seymour, we had
better leave her out.

With regard to future breeding results, it may be of interest
to state that that wonder of the world,

7. Kincsem, in-bred to Slane, also belongs to this category of

in-bred parents, as well as

8. Bal Gal, in-bred to Touchstone.

Of the numerous celebrated matrons, whose parents show four
clear removes from their common ancestor, I may mention :

1. Martha Lynn, on both sides traces back to Sir Peter (dam

of the Derby winner 1850, Voltigeur, Vortex, Eulogy,
Barnton, Maid of Hart, Vivandiere).

2. Emma, goes back to Eclipse (dam of Mundig, winner of

the Derby 1835; Cotherstone, winner of the Two Thou-

62 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHORSES.

sand Guineas and the Derby 1843; Mowerina, Lady of
Silverkeld Well, etc.).

3. Snowdrop, goes back to Beningbro' (dam of Gemma di

Vergy).

4. Canezou, goes back to Sorcerer (dam of Fazzoletto, Bas-

quine, La Bossue, dam of Boiard).

5. Ghuznee, daughter of Languish, in-bred to the same Sir

Peter, goes back to Sir Peter (dam of Meeanee, Storm,
Scalade, etc.).

6. Alice Hawthorn, goes back to Beningbro' (dam of Thor-

manby, winner of the Derby 1860 ; Oulston, Terrona,
Findon, Lady Hawthorn, Sweet Hawthorn).

7. Phryne, goes back to Waxy. She produced to Pantaloon :

Elthiron, Windhound, Hobbie Noble, and The Eeiver ;
to Melbourne, Rambling Katie and Blanche of Middle-
bie ; and to the Flying Dutchman : Katherine Logic.

About the breeding combinations in respect to Phryne vol-
umes might be written. We have seen, that of the mares show-
ing in the descent of their parents but two removes from the
common ancestor, Finesse, her daughter Decoy and grand-
daughter Legerdemain, are in that strong degree in-bred to
the three sires Highflyer, Sir Peter, and Peruvian, or grand-
father, father and son ; nevertheless, Legerdemain, the offspring
of threefold in-breeding, when mated with a stallion of a quite
different strain of blood, breeds a horse of the first class, like
Toxophilite; and her dam Decoy, a produce of twofold in-
breeding, with Pantaloon (from herself only twice removed),
four such good animals as Sleight of Hand, The Drone, Van
Amburgh, and Legerdemain. Fortunately, for a comparison,
Decoy was also mated with Touchstone, with whom she stands
(four degrees removed from Waxy) in moderate relationship,
and, behold, produced Flatcatcher, winner of the Two Thou-
sand Guineas and sire of numerous excellent brood mares, and
Phryne, one of the most valuable pearls of the whole Stud Book.
Decoy must assuredly have been a mare of enormous individual
potency, to be able to produce six animals of the quality, of one

IN-BREEDING — OUT-CROSSING. 63

description or another, of The Drone, Sleight of Hand, Van
Amburgh, Legerdemain, Flatcatcher, and Phryne, but no doubt
can be entertained as to the incomparably higher value of the
two last, produced within moderate relationship, than of the
other four, the offsprings of close in-breeding.

All these investigations and comparisons seem to point, I
should say, to the fact that in-breeding in mares, even if once
or twice repeated, need not render us absolutely distrustful as
to their value at the stud; that, however, on the whole, the
mating of the best individuals within the chosen families, mod-
erately related, is preferable for the production of brood mares
as well as stallions, because such mating within the same strains
of blood may, as occasion requires, be repeated without danger,
as no apprehension of thereby weakening the constitution need
be entertained.

It is evident, however, that the observance of this principle,
if continued ad infinitum, also is not without danger to the
lasting prosperity of the breed, for the more frequently the
mating of animals, standing to one another in even a mod-
erate degree of kin only, is resorted to, the more will gradually
become the in-breeding in the whole species of thoroughbreds,
necessitating, at perhaps a not far distant period, the infusion
of new blood by occasionally importing into England sires of
pre-eminence from other countries.

Experience points to America as the source from which to
draw in future the regenerating fluid ; for although the Amer-
ican thoroughbred takes its origin from England, and is still,
more or less, related to its English prototype, the exterior ap-
pearance and the more recently shown superiority of American
horses lead to the conclusion that the evidently favorable cli-
mate and the, to a great extent, virgin soil of America — in
every respect different from ours — gradually restore the whole
nature of the horse to its pristine vigor, and make the American
race appear eminently qualified to exercise an invigorating in-
fluence on the constitution of the thoroughbred in the mother
country, enfeebled, perhaps, by oft repeated in-breeding.

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