209 



(2) This has been associated with a decline of racing whereby 

 sires have ceased to be regularly imported. 



(3) The present horses are greatly inbred. Most of the mares are 



served by poor stallions. 



(4) Grood horses can be produced, but fresh blood and care in se- 



lection and feeding are necessary. 



(5) A demand exists for a better class of horse. 



I recommend : — 



(1) Importation of sires for general use in island. 



(2) Breeding stock for distribution at stud farm. 



(3) Distribution of 2 King's purses of £100 each from December 



1906 for 3 yr. old maiden native horses and fillies Distance 

 1^ miles. Nominations as yearlings at £1 per annum. 



Ji-. In what direction is it desirable to encourage the aims of Horse 

 Breeders ? 



Hon. J. Y. Calder : In considering the best means to resuscitate 

 horsebreeding it might be useful to consider what has led to its decay. 

 Thirty years ago horses were produced in Jamaica that would not have 

 been discredited in an English show yard. Any one requiring a pair 

 would apply to Messrs. Maxwell, Morgan, Sawers or Wheatle and he 

 would get what he wanted. Subsequently this demand was supplied by 

 itinerant dealers who offered at cheap rates young and ill-fed animals, 

 but buyers were satisfied so long as the horses were cheap and en- 

 deavoured to hide broken knees and sprung sinews with a display of 

 gaudily plated harness. 



The market has always been limited and was destroyed by the im- 

 portation of a lot of cripples, I believe, from Prince Edwards Island. 

 Penkeepers bave given up horse-breeding and to-day it is almost im- 

 possible to buy a pair of carriage horses. Horse-racing is considered 

 by a few persons as a terrible vice that should be put down, but it has 

 been the means of bringing up the horses in England to their present 

 standard and is, I think, the best available means of improving the 

 Jamaica horse, and will, if encouraged, place on the market yearly a 

 limited number of well fed horses too slow to race. 



Unfortunatel}^ the promoters of racing in Kingston were intimately 

 connected with the owners of the stand, whose only object was to 

 make 6 o/o on their investment and pile up a large reserve fund, thus 

 naturally udding to the value of their shares and hoodwinking the 

 public by proclaiming they only got 6 o/o for their money. I won a 

 £40 race some time ago of which only 4/6 was added money. Under 

 such treatment horse-breeders became disgusted and racing has got to 

 its present level whilst the stand owners are making frantic efforts to 

 keep up their income by having pony races and may probably race 

 pigs if they think they can draw a crowd and make gate-money. 

 The Legislative Council has very properl}'^ withdrawn the grant of a 

 Queen's Purse. In order to resuscitate breeding we must have race- 

 horses, and I would recommend an annual grant of £200 for two 

 purses of £ 1 00 each to be raced for on the Kingston Course for three 

 year olds, one race for colts and one for fillies, \\ miles. Queen's purse 

 weights to be named as yearlings with a sweep of £1 for second horse. 



