he never introduced fresh blood through the sires — this was a golden rule with 

 this noted and skilled breeder. 



Count Orloff never sold a stallion during his life. In 1845 the Imperial 

 Government bought his stud from Countess A. A. Orloff, daughter of its founder, 

 consisting of twenty-one stallions and one hundred and ninety-four brood mares 

 of the Orloff trotter breed and nine staHions and one hundred and twelve brood 

 mares of the Orloff coach breed. During the Paris International Exposition the 

 stallion Bedouin, a direct descendant of Barss, trotted three kilometers in four 

 minutes and forty-five seconds, and the last kilometer in one minute twenty-nine 

 seconds, which is equal to one minute and thirty-two seconds per verst (3,500 

 feet), while the celebrated American Arabian bred trotting mare Flora Temple 

 never did a verst under one minute and thirty-six seconds, thus proving Bedouin 

 a faster trotter than Flora Temple by four seconds. Bedouin was a very fine 

 horse, with a most reliable disposition, plenty of substance and excellent con- 

 formation. 



When the Russian government purchased the Orloff plant of Russo-Arab 

 horses they also secured his books, precepts, etc., and made it a rule to reinforce 

 the Orloff horse breeds with fresh infusions of pure Arabian blood at frequent 

 intervals and eventually established a preserve or stud of pure Arabian horses 

 which is maintained with strict vigilance to the present day. 



I consider the creation of the Orloff trotters of Russia as nothing short of 

 great, and I doubt if there was ever a trotting race of horses in the world that was 

 their superior, blood, speed and endurance considered. 



The learned and well-known Kentucky gentleman and capable thoroughbred 

 horse breeder, A. Keene Richards, of Georgetown, Ky., repeatedly referred to in 

 this book, after the most extensive and intelligent research and inquiry as to 

 blood causes and influence for greatness in the road, coach, runner and saddle 

 horse, became thoroughly convinced that all greatness and potency came from 

 the Arabian. He accordingly made two different importations of Arabian horses 

 from the desert of Arabia. 



About the time he was nicely on the way to success with his importations 

 of stallions and mares, the Civil War came with all of its necessary horrors. Mr. 

 Richards' noble horse breeding work was lost, as was much of the splendid Clays 

 and Messenger and Clay combinations, along with the Bashaws, Andrew Jack- 

 sons, Morgans, Golddusts and countless other lines and strains of the Arabian 

 and Barb bred horses which were at that time to be found on every hand. For 

 history shows that America possessed at that time trotting bred horses which 

 could not have been equaled on the face of the earth in point of blood and indi- 

 viduality as well as general utility and coach qualities, the equal of which we 

 have never since possessed. 



After the devastating effects of the war our various strains and breeds were 

 found to be scarce and scattered, if not totally lost. What remained has since 

 emerged into the present trotting strains along with much cold blood. 



A. Keene Richards' labors were in a great measure lost, except such of the 



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