CLOSING EVENTS OF THE CENTURY. 773 



sired some of the most celebrated show and 

 breeding stock ever sent out from the North of 

 Scotland. One of his sons, the famous Mario 

 (51713), was the greatest show bull of his day 

 in Britain. In the herd of Mr. A. M. Gordon of 

 Newton, Mario carried the championship prizes 

 at both the Royal and Highland shows of 1888, 

 and at the time of his death in 1889, in the 

 hands of Mr. C. W. Brierley, he was on a tri- 

 umphal tour of the English circuit. Mario in- 

 herited Field Marshal's substance and flesh, but 

 like his sire was somewhat wanting in the ele- 

 ment of quality.* Field Marshal was let for a 

 period of three years to William Tait, manager 

 for the Queen of England at Her Majesty's 

 Shaw farm at Windsor; a stroke of policy on 

 Mr. Duthie's part which proved fruitful of re- 

 sults to the Scotch Short-horn interest in Eng- 

 land. The mere fact that Royalty had taken 

 up with an Aberdeenshire-bred sire of itself 



*Robert Bruce says: "Mario was a large bull. Many English judges 

 did not have a very high opinion of him, and there is no doubt that there 

 was some truth in what they said, viz. : 'He was like a fat steer.' I went 

 to bviy him as a three-year-old having him in price, and was asked by Mr. 

 Gordon to put the question of purchase aside and tell him if I considered 

 the bull good enough to win in England. If I thought so he would much 

 like to show him. I said I considered him good enough, and chalked out 

 a course of shows he should be entered for. He made his first appearance 

 at Peterboro, where he was passed over without a prize, but he was so 

 different from the others that general attention was called to the awards. 

 After Peterboro he won straight through for two years and did much to 

 attract attention in England to Scotch Short-horns. 



"Mario, New Year's Gift, Challenge Cup, Major and Count Lavender 

 stood out so clearly as winners that in spite of the fact that at almost all 

 the principal English shows they were judged by breeders who had little 

 liking for Sittyton blood they could not be set aside." 



