A GREAT SIUE. 289 



ities. It was even urged against that great young horse Allie West, 

 that, after doing greater than his age had ever done before, he did not 

 do even greater things. It is apparent that all these colts have been 

 trotted too young, according to the custom that has heretofore prevailed 

 in other parts of this country; but, in Kentucky, they have in late years 

 taken to trotting their horses before they are out of their babyhood — 

 a most pernicious practice, the evil of which has been very forcibly 

 and justly pointed out and exposed by an able and popular writer. 

 They trot them in races of three to five heats, at an age when they 

 should not expect any but the most extraordinary and precocious to 

 appear, and then they accuse them of a lack of stamina, when they 

 have shown a rate of speed, and a degree of endurance, that have 

 been regarded as highly creditable in thoroughly seasoned and well- 

 trained horses — the veterans of the turf. 



I may here observe that the dams of Almont Chief, Allie West, 

 Albrino, Piedmont, and several others of the most promising of the 

 sons of Almont, were mares by Mambrino Chief — from which an 

 impression has gained some currency, that Almont's greatest success 

 will be with such mares. I do not believe it is necessarily true, 

 although I am ready to accord high merit to such mares as the dams 

 of trotters or trotting sires. But it must be borne in mind that they 

 represent an early family, and it is by no means certain that the prod- 

 uce of other mares may not also excel. 



In conclusion, I may call attention to what seems to demand notice; 

 that while it is true that Almont is made up of three successive 

 crosses — almost outcrosses — and hence might be regarded as entirely 

 heterogeneous in his composition, he is, in his individual qualities, 

 entirely homogeneous, and displays remarkable impressiveness as a 

 sire. 



The views heretofore ad^'anced with reference to the Duroc-Mes- 

 senger blood furnish the explanation of the notable fact recognized 

 in the success of Almont. In addition to the Duroc, the Messenger 

 .and the Bellfounder, he unites the Pilot blood, which, as already sug- 

 gested, and as we shall see hereafter, is one that fuses readily with 

 other bloods, and, above all, with the Duroc-Messenger. This is the 

 secret of the great success of this horse as a sire. He is an impres- 

 sive sire with all classes of mares, and in the case of Allie West, 

 from a mare very strong in the Messenger blood, he has produced a 

 horse that should give reputation to any sire. I have closely studied 

 the composition of Allie West, and while he closely resembles an- 



