FIPTEKNTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART I 19 



was, as usual, the largest of the season. No lair or exhibition has as 

 large and meritorious an exhibit of ponies as may be seen annually at 

 the Iowa State Fair. 



Unfortunately, the live stock pavilion is not large enough to permit 

 of showing more than about one-half of the exhibit during the fore- 

 noons, the only time when it is available for the exhibition of the 

 horses. We have been obliged to run from two to four rings outside 

 each forenoon, and a part of the afternoons, in order to complete the 

 work. These outside rings have been conducted without provision for 

 comfortable seating of the audience that wants to see the show, and 

 the benefits of many of the best features of the horse show have been 

 largely lost on account of lack of proper facilities for showing. In 

 order to remedy this, I wish to earnestly recommend that a subway 

 be put under the track near the west end, and a show ring erected in 

 the in-field dirctly across from the grand stand. This can be used for 

 showing harness horses and saddle classes during the forenoons and 

 afternoons when the grand stand is filled, and it will furnish an added 

 attraction to the afternoon race program. The audience in the grand 

 stand by use of the catalogues, and exhibitors' numbers can follow the 

 show of the horse classes in an intelligent manner. 



I wish also in this connection to recommend that a turf track just 

 inside of the regular race course be fitted up for steeple chase races. 

 Some steeple chase races can be put on at a moderate expense that 

 .will prove to be one of the most attractive features of the afternoon 

 programs. 



The new section in the horse barn has been found to be a great con- 

 venience and comfort in housing the large exhibit of the horse de- 

 partment. There are some minor features that could be improved. 

 The ventilation is not quite adequate; some additional roof ventilators 

 should be installed. The floors are dusty and the building is not as 

 neat and attractive as it might be. This could be remedied by having 

 the dirt floors leveled and filled where needed early in the spring, and 

 the entire dirt floor surface liberally sprinkled with crude oil. There 

 should be some cement water tanks put in at the hydrants to avoid 

 waste and muddy places when the barn is in use during the fair. 



I wish to recommend as new features for tlie horse department at 

 the coming show, the steeple chase races, a horse shoeing contest, a 

 thousand dollar saddle horse stake, and a new plan and more liberal 

 prizes for the get of sire show. I have outlined the plan for the get 

 of sire show in the proposed classification. If the thousand dollar sad- 

 dle horse stake Is patronized as liberally as we have reason to ex- 

 pect, it will constitute an added attraction of great interest, and will 

 not involve much, if any, new increase in the total premiums paid in 

 the saddle horse classes. 



The horse shoeing contest will constitute a unique and entirely new 

 feature in the American show ring. Such contests have been held 

 annually, and with marked benefit in some of the leading live stock 

 shows of Great Britain. Many of the draft horses that are presented 

 for exhibition at the state fair and at the International Live Stock 

 Exposition are poorly shod. Horse exhibitors complain about incom- 



