12 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse 



as did Alix, who in 1894 trotted to a record 

 of 2.c3f. These are impressive facts to every 

 thoughtful man of experience. The advantage 

 of the 28-inch wheel with pneumatic tire is that it 

 reduces friction, especially around the turns, and 

 enables the horse not only more fully to extend 

 himself, but to carry the speed over a longer dis- 

 tance. Year after year the regulation track has 

 improved, particular attention being given to 

 angles, grades, and elasticity of road-bed ; and the 

 sulky and wagon builder has turned out vehicles 

 of lighter and better design. A special aim has 

 been to overcome as far as possible atmospheric 

 resistance. In 1900 The Abbot reduced the 

 world's record to 2.03^, and in 1901 Cresceus car- 

 ried it down to 2.02^. Here it stood until 1903, 

 when another striking innovation was introduced. 

 Vehicles and tracks had continued to improve, 

 and a shield was brought into use. 



After Lou Dillon had trotted at Readville, 

 Massachusetts, in two minutes, Mr. Albert C. 

 Hall addressed a letter to me at Colorado 

 Springs, where I was engaged upon this work, 

 in which he said : 



" I was pleased to hear from the lips of 

 Mr. Billings how well the mare finished the 



