TWELFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 465 



center of this county. As a town it is not much of a place, but as the 

 center of a draft horse territory it is a capital. Professor Wentworth, of 

 Iowa Agricultural College, who judged the Alleman horse show this year, 

 said: "This is the greatest show of grade draft hoises that has ever 

 been collected in Iowa or any other state." 



This year there were 120 head of horses out in competition for the 

 prizes. To make the judging more satisfactory, the colt classes were 

 divided up according to their respective breeds. In the Percheron class 

 there were twenty entries, in the Shire Class there were eighteen, and 

 in the Belgian class fourteen. When the aged class came it furnished 

 the largest total, having twenty-three of the finest mares of the county. 

 Many of them have been prize winners at the state fair. 



Another town in this community that has done more than even Alle- 

 man is the town of Ankeny. For several years they have held horse 

 shows. The pride of this neighborhood seems to be in good horses. The 

 farmer who drives into town on Saturday afternoon with a large sleek 

 team hitched with good harness, is the man who is most talked about. 

 The young man who can boast of a team that has won prizes is envied 

 by the other fellows, for even the girls appreciate good horses. 



Madrid, a town that is just on the edge of Polk county, also has a 

 thriving colt show. It was here that the first colt show in central Iowa 

 was originated. One stall'on owner, who wanted his friends to compare 

 their stock, and to appreciate and take care of their colts, was its origi- 

 nator. Now it has grown larger than this. The business men of the 

 town and the people of the whole neighborhood boost and support it. It 

 has done a great deal to arouse interest in good stock. 



The plan which this community has used to make its horse shows so 

 popular, is valuable enough to be looked into with some detail. It is 

 largely the following plan that has made th's hobby so effective. The 

 first thing is to appoint a committee that has the boosting spirit. They 

 divide up the territory and canvass for prizes and prize money. Their 

 success in getting prizes is largely dependent on the way that they go 

 at it. They go to the merchants and get goods for prizes, and to the 

 bankers and local stockmen for money. They are successful, as they 

 generally get from $150 to $300. 



On the day of the show the entries do not close till as late as possible 

 so that everyone has a chance to get in without any more trouble than 

 is necessary. Room is hired in which to place as many of the horses as 

 possible. The others are tied in protected places. The main street of 

 the town is the judging arena. On the sides the men, women and child- 

 ren line up and watch the placing with as much interest as college stu- 

 dents watch a football game. The horses are lined up, then moved 

 for the judge, and finally, when he places the riiibons, the clapping of 

 the hands makes the winner feel like the popular hero. The judging is 

 always done by an expert and in th's way there is no chance of per- 

 sonal influence coming in. Local judges very seldom give good satis- 

 faction, for they are either prejudiced or the people think that they 

 have special friends and are favoring them. 

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