The Draft Bkeeds of Fkance 



77 



were 1,095 horse entries of which 443 were of the draft breeds. 

 Xext in importance is the Percheron Society Show held in 

 the district of Le Perche for Percherons only. The last shuw 

 was held in the old town of Xogent le Rotrou, Jnly 2 to 5, 19 14, 

 at which there were 433 entries. Classes were for two-, three- 

 and four-year-olds, stallions and mares ; no yearlings are shown. 

 Competition was very keen, especially among the large dealers 

 who arc the principal exhibitors. 



Fig. 25. Percheron Stallions in the Great Fovr-Year-Old Class, 

 Called Back for Prizes at the Last Paris Show, Jine, 1914. 

 The White Stallion Standing First Won Second Prize and Was 

 Sold to Herman Buyers for .$2,000 



[Photo hi/ E. fi. Akin. Si/nicuae. X. Y.) 



The Percheron breeding industry in France is entirely in the 

 hands of the small farmer who often keeps but one or two brood 

 mares. The few men who are heard of in a large way as snccess- 

 ful exhiliitors and principal sellers to the American trade are 

 not breeders but dealers, depending on the small breeder for the 

 large number which they handle. These dealers buy princi- 

 pally stallion colts as weanlings, and from many exceptionally 

 good mares the colts are usually contracted for a year or more 

 in advance. The long line of pi'ize winners which these fcAV 

 dealers bring out each year show with what accurate judgment 

 these young colts are selected. There are no more keen, earnest, 



