THREE FAMOUS STALLIONS. 239 



long ago joined the silent majority, but Mc- 

 Queen is still hale and hearty. 



It is unfortunate that good photographs of 

 Holland Major and Brilliant are not extant. 

 In those rather distant days the art. of animal 

 portraiture by the camera was not developed as 

 it is now, but the picture of Brilliant is of his- 

 toric interest, as it is by Rosa Bonheur. The 

 photograph of McQueen was taken when he was 

 in his twenty-third year. 



Holland Major was the standard for the aged 

 Shires in the American show ring .'f or many 

 years. All the other importers bore him in 

 mind when scouring England for a horse that 

 could win. He was a Shire of much quality and 

 well nigh perfect in conformation with the ex- 

 ception of his rather effeminate neck and head. 

 George E. Birown who owned him never gave 

 him a chance in the stud until death mercifully 

 removed the brown stallion Elcho, to which Mr. 

 Brown pinned his faith for many years. When 

 he did get his chance in the stud Holland Major 

 made good. His progeny was not, however, 

 numerous and his services to the breed must be 

 chronicled as having consisted mo-re in his ex- 

 traordinary show yard career than in his great- 

 ness as a sire. He was foaled in 1882 and won 

 the championship at the Columbian in 1893 

 his crowning triumph on the tan-bark. 



Brilliant belonged to a somewhat earlier era, 



