496 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



{Copyrighted 1914 by Ben C. Barnes, Mexico, Mo 



REX McDonald 833 — his last show. 



Left to right — Rex McDonald 833, Ben R. Middleton up; Golden McDonald 4642, Tom 

 Bass; Miss Cliff 5524, D. E. Holman; Madison McDonald, James Buflford; Rex Arbuckle 

 1467, M. Middleton; the Stuart colt, L. B. Barnet. Mexico, Mo., August 15, 1913. 



good saddle horses, raised and developed in our State are now a 

 source of profit and pleasure to the whole of America. 



Third — There has been gained a place paramount in the 

 public exhibitions of our country through the persistent efforts 

 of your association. The fair associations of not only Missouri, 

 but our neighboring and distant states as well, have been 

 brought to realize that as a drawing card liberal prizes for saddle 

 horses prove the greatest attraction. In this one accomplish- 

 ment we may point with a sense of pride that since the organ- 

 ization of the Missouri Saddle Horse Breeders' Association in 

 1909 the prize lists for saddle horse classes have been increased 

 a hundredfold. Prior to that time it was the exception to note 

 in a premium list a prize to exceed fifty dollars in value for 

 saddle horses, and the best horses of that day "showed their 

 heads off" for one hundred dollars, where now the Missouri 

 fair association that doesn't offer at least a one thousand dollar 

 stake for all age saddle horses and liberal prizes in the other 

 classes is not looked upon as one of the live fairs of our State. 



The Mexico Commercial Club's guaranteed stake of $1,000 

 in 1912, with its liberal entrance conditions, marked an epoch 

 in show horse affairs. Following its unqualified success from 

 every standpoint, the enterprising fairs of Missouri and Ken- 



