HOW THE TROTTING HORSE IS BRED. 519 



were ready to think of it more. The only objection urged was 

 that such a scheme would certainly reduce the fees for registra- 

 tion in large degree. To this I assented as doubtless true for the 

 time being, though in the end it would largely increase them, 

 but declared that it was not for the fees I was working, but to 

 establish a breed of trotting horses. When satisfied that a good 

 number of the leading breeders were thinking favorably of the 

 subject, it was presented to the public in a very modest and un- 

 pretentious way. In discussing "The Future of the Breeders' 

 Association," in Wallace's Monthly for April, 1878, the following 

 language occurs: 



" Iii addition to the thought and labor necessary to secure such an organiza- 

 tion as the interest demands, there is another topic that will require great 

 deliberation and wisdom, in the near future. The association must fix a stand- 

 ard of admission to the official record of pedigrees. Up to the present time 

 there has been no standard of blood requisite to secure a place in the Register. 

 This matter has been left wholly to the compiler, without even so much as 

 advice on the subject. The Register, therefore, has no value as a classifica- 

 tion of blood, but only as a reliable record of the pedigrees of the animals it 

 contains, whatever their blood may be." 



This is the first intimation ever given to the public, so far as 

 I know, that any body of men ever contemplated the con- 

 struction of a standard to control the admission of trotting horses 

 to specific rank and registration. The question was thus placed 

 openly before the public and it was looked upon favorably by 

 those most immediately interested. In due time, at a meeting 

 of the Breeders' Association, a committee was appointed to whom 

 was referred all the suggestions that had been made for the pro- 

 posed scheme. Soon afterward (November 19, 1879) the com- 

 mittee reported the standard to a large, enthusiastic and har- 

 monious meeting of the Association, and it was unanimously 

 adopted as follows: 



THE STANDARD OF ADMISSION TO REGISTRATION. 



(Established by the National Association of Trotting-Horse Breeders, 

 November 19, 1879.) 



In order to define what constitutes a trotting-bred horse, and to establish a 

 BREED of trotters on a more intelligent basis, the following rules are adopted 

 to control admission to the records of pedigrees. When an animal meets the 

 requirements of admission and is duly registered, it shall be accepted as a 

 standard trotting-bred animal. 



