104 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



fair, because if the entries are made in good faith — and I doubt 

 whether they have a right under the American Trotting Associa- 

 tion to make such entries — he had a right to declare certain races 

 filled and certain races not filled, and refilled them under the rules. 

 If I could get entries filled by reopening races I would do as Mr. 

 Blackstock did; but at the ordinary county fair it is hard to get 

 races filled even after they are reopened. We usually allow them 

 to make entries in all the classes they wish to, and then let them 

 start wherever they want to, holding them for entries in the classes 

 in which they start horses. You must do that with horsemen. 

 Horsemen have a hard time of it, and it is sometimes an accom- 

 modation to a fair association to have horses start in more than 

 one class. If you have a class starting in which a horse is eligible 

 on Wednesday, and you have a* class in which it is eligible on 

 Friday, the ordinary horseman would be glad to go in two races 

 in a week, especially if they are not hard races. In a fair like 

 Lafayette where there is no trouble in getting entries it was right 

 for Mr. Blackstock to pursue the course he did. It is pretty hard 

 to draw the rules down very fine with horsemen. You must ask 

 a great many favors of them, and th^ will ask favors of you. I 

 have found it always best to help them, and they are usually will- 

 ing to help me. I have found it a good rule to stand in with the 

 horsemen, and I let them have their way providing they are will- 

 ing to pay for it. Of course the officers must use their discretion 

 against fraudulent entries. But where they make the entries in 

 good faith, I think it is all right. 



Mr. Blackstock : I agree with that statement, and my practice 

 has been the same as his. I only referred to cases where a mean 

 advantage was taken of the Secretarv, and in order to force him to 

 provide classes just for them. It is only occasionally that this 

 happens. Once in awhile one will come across a mean horseman 

 who will try to take a mean advantage of him, and it is well for 

 the Secretary to protect himself, and in order to do that he must 

 shape his conduct according to the men he has to deal with. 



