538 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
THE SHIRES. • 
The Shire horses were capitally represented in numbers and in quality. 
"We have had occasion in times past to commend importers for the dis- 
crimination with which they have chosen stallions for our farmers, in 
that they have avoided the old-fashioned coarse-jointed harsh-haired kind, 
and sought those whose quality of bone and feather represent modern 
ideas. A repetition of that commendation is again in order. Very little 
suggestion of the undesirable sorts were seen, and yet bulk in plenty was 
presented. Nine aged stallions came under W. E. Pritchard, Ottawa, 111., 
as judge, and he was critical to an extent that disappointed some on- 
lookers as well as exhibitors, but with bulk he demands soundness and 
wearing qualities of foot. He got a real toppy one with a deal of sub- 
stance at the head of the lot in the bay Waresley Defiance, and while Bury 
Radium is scarcely on the same scale he is yet a real draft horse and of 
such character and quality, as revealed in head, ear, eye, legs and bear- 
ing, that he ranks high as a sire of valuable geldings. Moulton Florizel 
is big and stocky with strong stifles. The three-year-olds revealed capital 
quality, and it was typified in high degree in the winner Ashwell Bess- 
wood, a colt of the rarest excellence of bone, foot and feather. That he 
should have stood above Shelford Friar was by no means conceded, as 
the latter is much better built on the rump and back and about as free 
from criticism of foot, leg and hair as you can find them. He is a grand 
colt top and bottom. His stable companion Bury Magnet is splendidly mod- 
eled in body, with breadth of frame, depth of rib and grand hind quarters, 
but is not so choice in his legs and feather. Blaisdon Cardon, a big and 
toppy colt, made a fine performance at the halter. There could be no deny- 
ing premier honors to the blue roan two-year-old Bradgate Blue Jacket, as 
he is made after the modern pattern and turned out about proper. He 
is a colt of fine finish and much promise. Among the dozen forward were 
a few that did not lend especial credit to the breed, but the prizewinners 
were of good class. Finstall Triumph was perhaps the most massive colt 
in the company, and of nice quality but not so nimble on his feet as those 
ahead of him. 
THE BELGIANS. 
Again note must be made of a large and admirable exhibit of Belgians. 
There was very little trash among them from first to last. Evidently 
importers have picked with discrimination as to soundness and quality, 
and it deserves record that among the older stallions the larger draftier 
type was chiefly in evidence. The smaller sort, which finds some favor in 
Belgium, is not so desirable for our purposes. R. B. Ogilvie, Secretary 
of the American Clydesdale Association, Chicago, allotted positions in 
this breed and sent onto the list a very uniform type, chosen closely to 
his standard. The leader in the aged stallions was the burly bulky Par- 
fait Pruyer, a real draft sort with a most engaging walk. Martin du 
Hayoir is a great-middled bigended bay of wearing quality, and the chest- 
nut Major's Tugel represents capitally the drafty type of the breed. The 
three-year-olds were a uniform company of pleasing character, eleven of 
them, and hardly one among them that would not prove a ready seller. 
The winner Martin is a shapely bulky chestnut and the others below him 
