SOME OLD ORANGE COUNTY BREEDERS 



him. I retain the notes of an interview with Mr. 

 Hawkins years ago. The McKinstry mare was a 

 brown with four white feet, 15.3 hands, strong and 

 robust, and died at the age of thirty. In 1853 she 

 was sent to Rysdyk's Hambletonian, whose fee then 

 was $25.00, and the outcome was the bay gelding 

 Shark (1854), who trotted under saddle at Fashion 

 Course, L. I., July 13, 1866, in 2.27!. He also 

 trotted on Union Course, L. L, in 1866, two miles 

 under saddle in 5.00^. In 1847 tne McKinstry mare 

 was bred to Seely's American Star, and the result 

 was the black mare Clara (1848), who ran in the 

 fields until she was four years old. She was then 

 broken, and driven by young Hawkins to school at 

 Montgomery. She had a hip down, caused by fall- 

 ing over a bar when two years old, but it did not 

 keep her from showing speed and gameness on the 

 road and track. In 1857, when the fee of Hamble- 

 tonian was $35.00, Clara was bred to the Rysdyk 

 stallion, and the result was Dexter, foaled in 1858. 

 When she was carrying Dexter, Mr. Hawkins drove 

 the mare around the Stony Ford track in 2.58, and 

 thinks that he could have put a record on her of 2.25. 

 At one time he drove her double with her half- 

 brother, Shark, and she held him level. Shark, by 

 the way, was used at one period of his life in haul- 

 ing shingles over the mountain. Mr. Hawkins thinks 

 that with proper usage he would have trotted a mile 

 in 2.20. After Dexter was born Hawkins strained 

 Clara by rushing her through the mud from Stony 



