348 THE CHAMPIONS. 



Canaudaigua and vicinity, and kept him for breeding purposes at a cliarge of 

 $15, btit tliey found it very unrcmunerative business. It was at Canandaigua 

 that he got St. James, Castle Boy, and his other colts, that are now ten and 

 eleven years of age. In 1865 Stearns & Simmons sold him to Joseph Call, of 

 Watkins, and he remained in his hands at Watkins till 1869. Mr. G. G. Reed, 

 of Canandaigua, then purchased him, selling him shortly after to the Messrs. 

 Gooding for $400, which is the largest sum he ever sold for. 



Gooding's Champion possesses wonderful transmitting powers, equaled by 

 very few stallions, and his Colts inherit his nature to a remarkable degree. 

 The prevailing color of his get is bright bay, with black points, though there 

 are many with white hind feet. Fifteen and one-half, and fifteen and three- 

 fourths han.ds is the usual height. 



The amble is a natural gait to very many of his progeny, indeed there are 

 few who strike a trot without first going into an amble. They have great 

 powers of endurance coupled to great speed, are very intelligent, and quickly 

 broken and trained, thoiigh not so precocious as some other families. During 

 the past five years Champion has had many very well bred mares sent to him 

 from all parts of the country, and has got from fortytoeightycolts per annum, 

 at a service fee of $100. 



Reference has been made in the foregoing list of the produce of 

 King's Champion to the horse called the Auburn horse. This horse 

 was a true representative of the Champion family, although little is 

 known of him on the turf. He passed into the hands of Robert 

 Bonner at an early day, and was one of those horses greatly prized by 

 that gentleman. It is well known that he did not sj^end either money, 

 time or space on any that were not in reality great ones. Owning, as 

 he did, Dexter, Startle, Grafton, Joe Elliott, Wellesley Boy, Music, 

 Lady Stout, and a list of the greatest and best ever known in 

 this country, it may be asserted that a horse that could be held in 

 estimation alongside of Dexter, was in reality a great horse. He died 

 in 1868, but in the palmy days of Hiram "Woodruff, the veteran 

 trainer, he was regarded as one of the greatest trotters in this country. 

 Hiram Woodruff said that he rode faster behind him than he ever 

 rode behind any horse. He came in one evening after a ride behind 

 Auburn, and was in an ecstacy over what he had witnessed. He set 

 his whole place in commotion over his remarkable performance. 

 Several others had witnessed it, and Hiram exhibited him to Mr. 

 Bonner and a crowd of admirers, as " the best balanced big horse in 

 America." Mr. Bonner said to him, "Now, Hiram, you rode at the 

 rate of two minutes to the mile behind Peerless, for a quarter; do you 

 mean to say that you rode faster behind the Auburn horse than behind 



