403 GOVEKXOE SPRAGUE. 



competitor trotted. Each horse made separate trials. Governor 

 Sprague made one trial September 27th, in 2:25^, and a second and 

 third on October 2d, in 2:25f, 2:2.3f. Sam Purdy made three trials 

 on different days, in 2:24^, 2:20, 2:27; and Blackwood Jr., on the 

 20th of September, made two trials, and Avon the cup, in 2:23, 2:23-^. 

 Governor Sprague is a black stallion, no white. He is fifteen hands 

 two inches in height, but has withers that rise one inch higher than those 

 of Blackwood and Swigert; his shoulder-blade not coming to the top 

 of the withers as clearly as in those two stallions — as compared with 

 them he is only properly fifteen hands one inch in- height. He has a 

 short, broad back, and an appearance of more muscle along the sides 

 of the backbone, covering out over the upper joart of the ribs, than is 

 to be seen in many others. His rump droops but slightly, and his 

 croup does not stand out quite so high as in those of the more positive 

 Messenger type. In this particular, and that of the withers and top of 

 the shoulder, he does not follow the Messenger type in clear and posi- 

 tive degree as compared with other stallions named in these chapters; 

 although the distinguishing features of Messenger are elsewhere 

 clearly and deeply stamped. His head and forehead are of the true 

 Messenger mould, and his close and compact form and muscular 

 frame-work, his sinewy limbs, his grim toughness of fibre, all go to 

 show an intensity of qviality rarely found in a trotter that does not 

 have a deep and solid backing in the blood of old Messenger. He 

 has nothing of the Duroc texture — not a soft spot in him. His legs 

 show no gummy, non-absorbing quality. His ankles show the appear- 

 ance of having been at work, and the skin and ligaments about and 

 over the joints show a sort of thickening; but it is not that kind that 

 indicates a jiresence of unabsorbed secretion, but rather the hardening 

 and toue-henino; of the whole fibre, as the hand of the blacksmith and 

 stonecutter thickens and toughens with the work which brings this 

 change of texture — and with it the capacity for further work and 

 greater endurance. 



He is none of vour band-box stallions. He shows well in his clean 

 and comfortable box-stall; but best of all, out on the road or track in 

 a sleigh or a sulky. Aiid distance lends enchantment to the view in 

 another sense than that conceived by the poet. "He won't do for a 

 hundred miles on a turnpike road," said a gentleman of great intelli- 

 gence, regarding a prominent stallion, but he did not and could not 

 thus speak of Governor Sprague. That is the kind of work that will 

 bring out in strong degree his pre-eminent quality. He has not the 



