TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI «75 



open competition. True, the proportion of superlative American-bred 

 draft horses was not large, but enough were forward to furnish timid 

 breeders convincing proof that America has unexcelled possibilities for 

 draft horse breeding. Iowa breeders exhibited some excellent young 

 things and brought out a number of winning stallions which have been 

 used mostly on grade mares because no other kind was at hand. That 

 these stallions are working a vast improvement in the horse population 

 about them was evident in the splendid grade draft farmers' teams that 

 filled the arena when their call was given. 



Classes for foals were very poorly filled. There is a splendid oppor- 

 tunity in this line for small breeders to win mqney and honors by bring- 

 ing out their foals. There is no better advertising for a breeder than a 

 good group of foals. Such exhibits are needed to establish a foundation 

 for home-bred horses in the older classes. Aside from this deficiency, the 

 horse department set a high mark for succeeding shows to aim at. 



Althougli many imported horses were sick from the oppressive heat 

 when they were shipped to Des Moines before fully recovering from the 

 effects of their ocean journey, they made a remarkable exhibition. Such 

 uniformly good quality as prevailed portends a long step forward in horse 

 breeding. 



PEBCHEBONS. 



Percherons are the favorite in Iowa. Viewed from every angle, their 

 showing evidenced the fact. Percherons filled the stable, the catalogue, 

 the ring. Fully one-third of all the horses on the gi'ounds wei'e Percherons 

 and the quality was uniformly good. In few cases was there an outstand- 

 ing winner. Prof. W. J. Kennedy performed the difficult task of making 

 the awards. He adhered closely to the strong-boned, thick, massive type, 

 and necessarily, from the large classes that came before him, many splen- 

 did individuals were sent to the barns because of slight deficiency in either 

 underpinning or middle. A better class of aged stallions was never 

 brought into a state fair ring than that from which the sensational Car- 

 not was finally sifted to the top. Carnot was the pride of France, first 

 prize winner at the Paris show this summer and declared by some of the 

 oldest men in the draft horse business to be the best Percheron stallion 

 ever brought to America. Feet, tone and action Carnot has in plenty, 

 combined with a silky quality, compactly molded middle and ends, and 

 a grand, toppy stallion's front that stamps him as a rare horse. Next to 

 him stood McMillan's Cartilage, also a black, low-set, solid, heavy, serv- 

 iceable horse, especially well ribbed and powerful in his hindquarters. 

 The other winners, one from the Burgess stables and two more from the 

 Crouch barn, followed closely after this pattern. 



The three-year-olds gave a less uniform lot of winners. Gafrannus is 

 a big, wide black, standing on short legs. He was shown very fat, but 

 he lacks toppiness and that bold carriage so much admired in a sire. His 

 action is not brilliant. Gabon, another black, stood next and made up in 

 muscle, vigor and bone what he lacked in bulk compared with winner. 

 Grateau, next in line, was a trifle undersized in this company, but was 

 chock full of quality. 



