76 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



out of the twenty-three "were Iowa farmers, making a total of 106 Iowa 

 exhibitors of draft horses at the 1914 state fajr. This is a record that is 

 not equalled by any other state, and, unquestionably, Iowa owes not a 

 little of her preeminence in horse raising to the magnificent exhibit 

 that is made annually at the Iowa State Fair. The classification offered 

 and the prizes awarded for a number of years have been upon a basis 

 calculated to primarily encourage the development of the horse breeding 

 industry of the state, rather than to encourage the traffic in imported 

 horses from foreign countries. The results obtained have fully justified 

 the wisdom of this policy, and the Iowa breeders are now in a position 

 to take advantage of the unusual opportunities that are presented on 

 'account of the disastrous effects of the war upon the horse industry of 

 Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium and Russia. It is estimated that 

 not less than 150,000 horses will be sold for export from the United States 

 during the first six months of the war's progress, and there is every 

 reason to believe that American farms will be drawn upon for even 

 larger numbers before the war can be terminated and the farms re- 

 stocked or equipped for agricultural operations. Then it is not improbable 

 that American farms may be called upon to furnish foundation breeding 

 stock to reestablish the horse breeding industry in some parts of Great 

 Britain and on the continent. 



Iowa outranks all other states in the value of its livestock, and horses 

 outrank all other kinds of livestock in this or any other state. The horse 

 product of Iowa surpassed in value on January 1st, or at any given time, 

 the value on hand of any other agricultural product of any state of the 

 Union. Iowa's horses are, therefore, the greatest single agricultural asset 

 in America. 



Some marked improvements were made in the horse department during 

 the past year. The concrete subway leading under the track at the east 

 end of the paddock gave access to a new show ring in the infield opposite 

 the grand stand. This provided good facilities for showing breeding stock 

 to halter in the forenoon and harness and saddle classes in the after- 

 noon. In addition to providing the much-needed show ring facilities, it 

 afforded an attractive feature of the afternoon program in front of the 

 grandstand. 



A feature of marked interest in this connection was the thousand 

 dollar saddle horse stake. There were fourteen horses entered in this 

 contest and twelve horses shown, and among them the highest class 

 saddle horses of America. This was pronounced the most successful 

 saddle horse stake held at any fair during the 1914 circuit. 



The subway under the track, and the clearing of the infield opposite 

 the grandstand, made it possible to put on a race course for steeplechase 

 racing immediately inside the fence of the regular half-mile track. 



Provision has also been made in the classification during the past two 

 years for hunting horses and for high jumping contests. These features 

 have added materially to the attractions of the evening and afternoon 

 programs, and have afforded encouragement to a highly serviceable type 

 of horses that has been rapidly passing out of existence, and for which 

 an unusual demand now exists on account of the foreign war. 



