284 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



lent gelding, Diamond McDonald; Mooers, on the black gelding, Lawrence 

 Barrett, that used to be King Hamilton, and Ed. Uhrich, on Geo. McDonald. 

 Naturally the big event, from the show horse point of view, was the 

 $1,000 stake for five gaited saddle stallion, mare or gelding, this being the 

 first time a stake of this kind has ever been offered in Iowa, and it was 

 conceded to be more really experimental on the part of the management, 

 which in conjunction at each of them for the purpose of provoking a wider 

 degree of interest in the breeding of saddle horses in their respective 

 localities, and to furnish entertainment that may be talked about for a 

 long time to come, and probably with some minor consideration to the 

 effectiveness of such events as drawing cards affecting attendance. That 

 the stake at Des Moines was a brilliant success and one which enthralled 

 thousands of spectators, is putting it very mildly, and certainly American 

 horse breeders' interests owe a debt of gratitude to the management of 

 the Iowa fair for affording them an opportunity to display their animals 

 before so large and important an assemblage of people. Fourteen entries 

 had originally been named and twelve of these appeared for the word. 

 As the event is now history, the names of the contestants and their 

 riders are given in the order in which the awards were made. Astral 

 King was the winner, ridden by L. B. Barnett, and Kentucky's Best, rid- 

 den by John Hook, was second; Johnny Jones, with Del Holeman up, was 

 third; Maurine Fisher, with Lonnie Haydon riding, was fourth; Miss 

 Cliff, with Barrett Moore, was fifth; Ed. Moore and Majestic McDonald, 

 was sixth; Art Bonta, ridden by Don Reavis, was seventh, and Lawrence 

 Barrett, ridden by 0. J. Jones, was eighth. The horses unplaced being 

 Kentucky Champ Clark, ridden by Bruce Robinson, it being remembered 

 that he is a three-year-old, and Geo. McDonald, ridden by Ed. Uhrich; 

 Mary Dowling, owned by Paul Brown and ridden by Lon Blades, and 

 Montgomery, ridden by C. E. Monahan, of Des Moines. The horses en- 

 tered that were not shown were Cason McDonald and My Major Dare. 

 The horses were delayed at the post quite a little while after being called 

 on account of the track being utilized by Lincoln Beachey and his airship, 

 after which they paraded down the stretch in 'front of the grandstand, 

 and were announced to the audience, the show being held in the ring 

 opposite the amphitheater. It was judged by Porter Taylor and about 

 three-quarters of an hour was consumed in arriving at the decision. The 

 contestants were really, in pairs, first and second horses clearly out-show- 

 ing the next set, and Astral King, the winner, by considerable margin, 

 over Kentucky's Best. Johnnie Jones, Maurine Fisher and Miss Cliff had 

 an interesting triangular contest for the third money, it being decided to 

 rank those horses in the order given. Ed. Moore, with his regularly 

 beautiful bay, Majestic McDonald, would probably have been placed much 

 higher had the horse made a better performance of the different gaits 

 and had not made so many mistakes and given an exhibition of bad 

 manners, and unfinished show ring education. It was a beautiful sight, 

 every horse was given a full, fair and impartial trial, and when the rib- 

 bons were awarded probably there was not a dissatisfied voice as to the 

 placing of any one of them. The triumph was clearly Astral King and 

 Barnett showed the horse with masterly skill and won a deserved victory. 



