34 The Horse Industry in New York State 



I have no information of Arab horses tliat may have come to 

 this country between the time of Grand Bashaw and about 1856, 

 when Keene Richards of Kentucky imported quite a number of 

 stallions and mares. His breedings were destroyed or scattered 

 by the Civil War, yet their intlueuce can be traced as important 

 factors in the Kentucky Saddle Horses of today. One of Keene 

 Richards' horses produced the race horse Limestone, and another 

 the dam of Dorsey's Golddust. 



After the battle of Pittsburgh Landing (Shiloh) General 

 Breckenridge escaped from capture by the federal troops, who 

 were on Thoroughbred horses, by driving two half-bred Arab fillies 

 of Keene Richards that were only gTeen three-year-olds. 



Umbark was presented to President Van Buren. While -Hon. 

 AVilliam Seward was Secretary of State under Lincoln he was pre- 

 sented with the Arab stallions ALeaneke Hedragi and Siklany. 

 Leopard and Linden Tree were given to General Grant by the 

 Sultan of Turkey, 



In 1856 Mr. Randolph Huntington imported Xaomi, and in 

 1893 her daughter Xazli and grandson Ximr. These important 

 importations were followed by others of ]\lr. J. A. P. Ramsdell 

 and Colonel Spencer Borden of Fall River, Mass. 



In 1893 a large number of high-class Arabs were imported for 

 the World's Fair under agreement that they were to be returned 

 to Assyria, but they were sold for debt, only a few being rescued 

 from oblivion by Peter B. Bradley and Homer Davenport. 



Descendants of all these horses have figured very prominently 

 in the show ring in many parts of the country, and in the long 

 distance test of 300 miles in Vermont last year, they held first, 

 third and fourth places, second place being given to a ^lorgan 

 horse. 



In 1906 Mr. Homer Davenport imported the most important 

 and largest bunch of horses that ever left the desert of Arabia. 

 There were some twenty -five mares and stallions, counting the 

 foals at foot and in utero. Their value may be gauged by stating 

 that the Italian Government paid in Assyria $10,000 for the 

 brother of Deyr, one of the horses Davenport brought home. 



It is too soon to estimate the importance of these horses or 

 the influence that they will have, but, judging by what has been 



