ABOUT TROTTING HORSES. 181 



IX. Strains of Trotting Blood. 



That the trotting horse of America owes his great powers to the infu- 

 sion of thorough blood, we have before stated. To Imported Messenger 

 is this due in the greatest degree. Another great trotting sire of Amer- 

 ica was Imported Bellfounder. There has been much controversy over 

 his breeding, first and last, but that he was a staunch trotter and a getter 

 of admirable horses, there is no doubt, giving splendid action to his get. 

 Still, it must be admitted that, admirable as was Bellfounder himself, his 

 get was not equal to the descendants of Messenger in all that constitutes 

 speed, endurance and action. 



Duroc also became a valuable factor in our trotting blood. His strain 

 of blood appears in the Medley's, Duroc Messenger's Mambrino Chief's 

 and Gold Dust's. 



One of the sub-families of Messenger's blood, ILimbletonian, who 

 united the blood of Messenger and Bellfounder, has raised the trottino- 

 horse of America to the highest point of perfection. He was not a hand- 

 some horse from a thoroughl)red standpoint, if indeed he was thorouo-h- 

 bred, which has been doubted. Ilis pedigree has been given as follows : 

 Hambletonian was by Abdallah ; he by Mambrino, a son of Messeno-er. 

 The dam of Al)dallah was the mare Amazonian. The dam of IIaml)letonian 

 was bv Imported Bellfounder ; second dam by Plambletonian ; third dam, 

 Silvertail, said to have })een by Imi^orted Messenger 



In all that constitutes stoutness and ability to perform, in freedom 

 from tendency to disability, his stock has been wonderful . Noted for 

 immense and strong joints, length and strength of bone, magnificent mus- 

 cular development, prominent, S(|uare, massive build, mighty hips and 

 excellent barrel, all knit together to form a most admirable frame, united 

 to a nervous constitution that reproduced itself in his descendants, in a 

 most wonderful degree. 



In relation to the descendants of the progenitors of the strains of trot- 

 ting blood, Mr. H. T. Helm, in his work, "American Roadsters and 

 Trotting Horses," says of the trotting horse of to-day : "The combined 

 Abdallah-Bellfounder is a horse of the teens; Goldsmith Maid, 2 : 14 ; 

 Dexter, 2:17; Gloster, 2:17; Bodine, 2 : 19i ; St. Julian, 2 : 22^ ; 

 Gazelle, 2:21; Fullerton, 2 : 18 ; Mountain Boy, 2 : 202 ; Jay Gould, 

 2 : 21^ ; Nettie, 2 : 18 ; Startle — . Joe Elliot would, in his opinion, have 

 stood as a bright star in the firmament." We can add to this our own 

 opinion as a breeder of descendants of Messenger and Bellfounder many 

 years ago, that we never had a disappointing colt. They were mighty 

 driving horses, of great bone, muscle and sinew, of great lung power, 

 and, of course, of great endurance. 



