Horses for Vermont. 139 



TOiich less liable to be unsound and defective in their feet 

 and limbs than the others. 



Here I would like to call attention to the liistory of 

 another large, tine horse, out of one of these trotting fami- 

 lies, and compare his record with that of Black Hawk that 

 we have just noticed. Many Vermonters will remember 

 the contest between Black Hawk and Morse Gray, in Sep- 

 tember, IS-IT, at Saratoga. While that contest did not 

 develop any very low time, and was not, of itself, remark- 

 able, it will readily be seen by reference to the history of 

 the stock of both horses, that the Morgan blood has perpet- 

 uated more trotting power, by far, than has come down from 

 the Gray. 



I will make another comparison of horses that came upon 

 the stage a few years later. It will, perhaps, be remem- 

 bered that a large, coarse, bony stallion, from one of the 

 large trotting families, was brought from New York to 

 Whitehall or Ticonderoga, to sire trotters, those engaged 

 in this enterprise contending, at the time, that the 

 stock of Black Hawk, although fine appearing, smart trav- 

 ellers, were not fast enough to satisfy the demand for fast 

 trotters. Many will also remember how Ethan Allen, then 

 less than three years old, taught these theorists that if they 

 were not as fast as they desired, one of old Black Hawk's 

 colts was too fast for their favorite. 



A comparison of the stock of these two horses will prove 

 that the Morgan blood has not proved any more detrimental 

 to the stock, so far as transmitting trotting qualities is con- 

 cerned, than it did in sending Ethan ahead of Emperor, on 

 the occasion referred to. 



