702 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



form themselves concerning the ownership and breeding of every animal 

 shown. Men have been asking for this kind of system in the judging 

 ring ever since fairs began, and to low^a must be given the credit of 

 leading off and thereby setting a pace for other fairs to follow. 



PEBCHEBONS. 



The showing of Percherons at the Iowa State Fair in 1908 was con- 

 ceded to have been the best ever made in an Iowa show ring, and this 

 year's exhibits were about equal in number, but superior in character 

 to those of last year. The judging was done by Prof. W. J. Kennedy, of 

 the low^a Agricultural College, who in numerous instances had some very 

 close decisions to make. Of the thirteen aged stallions led into the ring 

 but six were sent to the barn upon first inspection. That retirement 

 still left a short leet of seven, and among this number were some of the 

 best stallions that have left La Perche in recent years. Crouch's Carnot, 

 being a horse of pronounced Percheron character, almost perfect action, 

 with grand carriage and a general masculine appearance, was an easy 

 winner, but the other ribbons were not as easily placed. In the final 

 shakeup Marathon, a very classy horse owned by C. O. Keiser, of Keota, 

 Iowa, landed in sixth place, although many would have preferred to have 

 placed him nearer the top. The wonderful draftiness of Burgess' big 

 horse, Gafrannus, won him a blue ribbon in the three-year-old class, 

 and the same qualities led to his selection as the grand champion of the 

 breed. Gafrannus and Carnot are both picked horses. One has it over 

 the other in weight and general draftiness and the other excels in breed 

 type, in action, in attractiveness and masculinity. A dark gray, Gantret, 

 owned by Frey, was quite a favorite with the onlookers, but he did not 

 suit the judge as well and so was left in fourth place. From one stand- 

 point some of the most pleasing classes were those filled by horses bred 

 by the exhibitors. The showing was extremely creditable in every respect. 

 Messrs. McMillan, Finch and Maasdam & Wheeler were the most extensive 

 exhibitors of American-bred horses and won the major portion of the 

 awards. Burgess' aged mare, Castille, once more had the right of way 

 to the head of her class and the grand championship. Her position was 

 also protected by a stable mate. Strawberry, a mare almost identical in 

 type and color to the older mare. The team balanced the scales this year 

 at 4,610 pounds. They are a grand pair and easily outrank anything 

 being exhibited in this country. The third and fourth horses, McMillan's 

 Flinch and Lucy, are similar in type, but not so heavy and drafty. They 

 are, nevertheless, exceedingly good mares. Crouch's three-year-old mare, 

 Gauloise, a beautiful, drafty, dark gray, was well deserving of first place 

 in the next group. McMillan's Annette, a smaller, but a splendidly built 

 animal, was second. 



BELGIANS. 



Belgians stood next to the Percherons in the strength of their exhibit 

 at the Iowa fair. The show was not only a large one, but it was good 

 from the standpoint of quality as well. Finch Bros., with a fine string, 

 Lefebure with a total showing of twenty-seven head, and Crouch & Son 



