324 HOESE PORTRAITURE. 



been the Highflyer of the trotting turf, as he now is of the 

 running. Premising that Bysdyk's Hambletonian is now 

 the most successful modern sire of trotters, and that his 

 fastest sons have been the result of crossing with well-bred 

 mares, as instanced by the Stars and others showing good 

 breeding, I would select the very best bred mares I could 

 find with Messenger, Trustee, and Sir Archy blood, to 

 breed to him. But as the present price of his services is 

 beyond the reach of those who breed to make money, I 

 would breed to the son or grandson that had the most 

 blood and the best form. 



Now I will probably startle you, and others will look 

 still wilder at what they will consider the gross heresies of 

 my belief. They must grant me the merit of sincerity, as 

 I have no ulterior object in view, and am led to promulgate, 

 what I consider the best system of breeding, from no 

 interested motives whatever. Forty or fifty years ago, in 

 England, to have averred that the thorougbred would make 

 the best hunter to carry weight would have subjected the 

 proposer to as much sarcasm as awaits the advocate of 

 the blood horse for fast trotting, among a certain set at the 

 present day. While it is admitted that the theory has 

 been proved correct, regarding the horse to go across the 

 country, the set that I speak of can see no analogy be- 

 tween that and fast trotting. Essays were written at that 

 time to prove that the configuration of the blood horse 

 was totally opposed to leaping; that the low, daisy-cutting 

 stride would break the rider's neck on rough ground, 

 while the intervention of ditches, hedges, and high timber 

 fences would as effectually stop him, as if anchored with 

 the best bower of a seventy-four. The arguments were 

 reiterated, while the horse himself was improving by 

 further admixtures of blood, till the very best hunters in 

 the kingdom had as fine pedigrees as the Derby or St. 

 Leger winners ; and in the face of this, there were still 



