318 HOUSE POBTKAITURE. 



gaining strength to carry the poor lame-footed boy when 

 weary. A true, unselfish love for the horse is always ac- 

 companied by strong feelings for those bound to us by the 

 ties of kindred, more especially when they are unable, from 

 bodily weakness, to join in that which gives so much de- 

 light. As a prelude to the topic under consideration, I 

 will read from the Turf Register of 1829 a pedigree of 

 Messenger, and also refer to it for proof that the American 

 trotter had his foundation on the blood horse : 



" Messenger was got by Mambrino, his dam. by Turf, gran- 

 dam by Regulus, out of a sister to Figurante, by Starling, 

 out of Snap's dam. He covered in the Middle States, and 

 his colts are the handsomest and finest horses for all uses 

 of any stallion ever imported into this country; but, owing 

 to the prohibiting of racing in Pennsylvania by an act 

 of the Legislature, his stock has not such a chance of 

 distinguishing themselves on the turf. For the saddle, 

 draught, etc., they are unequaled." 



According to Mr. Van Ranst his part owner he was 

 foaled in 1780 commencing his career on the turf in 1783 

 where he was quite successful. His first seasons were 

 made in Pennsylvania, and perhaps it was as well that a 

 bigoted House of Representatives should have clogged the 

 enterprise of breeding good horses, as thereby his stock 

 had the opportunity of signalizing themselves on the road 

 in place of the turf. On his removal to New York, the re- 

 striction was partly done away with,, and he there had the 

 benefit of a few blood mares to perpetuate the qualities 

 that otherwise would have been lost. For proof of this, look 

 at the number of successful sires that have sprung from 

 his location in New York, while I have no knowledge of 

 any of his get in Pennsylvania that are distinguished in 

 that respect. His offspring there were at the top of the 

 tree, as far as performances went, but they had not blood 

 enough to give their descendants the same qualifications. 



