Clydesdales 7 



earned on a spring show of Clydesdale stallions, has been scarcely 

 less influential in furthering the interests of the breed than that of 

 the Clydesdale Stud Book. Shows of a like nature were formerly 

 held all over the country, at which stallions competed for premiums 

 offered locally to encourage owners to place their horses in these 

 districts. The expense of holding numerous small stallion shows 

 was very great, and about the year 1870 or thereby all of the local 

 events were given up, and one great show and hiring fair held in 

 the Glasgow Cattle Market. This event usually took place in 

 February, and up to 1882 no district horse-breeding society thought 

 of hiring a horse until the stallion show. The Glasgow Society 

 undertook all the risk of organizing the event, and contributed two 

 ;6^ioo premiums for two horses, the stipulation being that these 

 should travel in the Glasgow district. Any contract previously 

 made with another society was nullified should the selected horse 

 be chosen for Glasgow. The deputations representing the local 

 societies received tickets of admission to the show, and a separate 

 enclosure was set apart for them in the judging area, whence they 

 had a good view of the horses shown in both rings. In 1882 this 

 arrangement sustained a severe shock when an Aberdeenshire 

 society that had engaged beforehand Lord Erskine (1744), then 

 an unknown three-year-old horse, had to surrender him to the 

 Glasgow Society. In the autumn of that year the same society 

 engaged him for 1883, and from that date onwards the system of 

 hiring privately has become increasingly prevalent. For several 

 years past, a greater number of horses have been hired for the 

 ensuing season at the Highland and Agricultural Society's show 

 in July than at the spring stallion show. As a hiring fair it has 

 almost ceased to have any importance, but as an exhibition of 

 Clydesdale entire horses it is unrivalled. 



A few words may here be said concerning some of the out- 

 standing Clydesdale sires of modern times. From 1878 to 1885 

 the most important possibly were Drumflower Farmer (286) and 

 Lord Lyon (489). Darnley (222) was slowly but surely coming to 

 his own, but a considerable change had to come over the popular 

 view of the highest merit in a Clydesdale before the Darnley type 

 assumed supremacy. From 1886 to 1892 the leading Clydesdale 

 sires were either of the two races named or of the Darnley (222), 

 Drew's Prince of Wales {6yi), Lord Erskine (1744), or Old Times 

 (579) tribes. Prince of Wales (673) was foaled in 1866, and after a 

 very distinguished show career, his reputation as a sire began to 

 assert itself about the year 1871. Very grand mares and fillies 

 after him were exhibited, including Knox's black mare Rosie, dam 



