AND OTHER SKETCHES 173 



ANGUS SINCLAIR, A FORMER NOTED BREEDER 

 OF TROTTERS. 



It will be generally admitted that the light harness 

 horse is the most popular equine in Canada. When due 

 regard is paid to mating sire and dam he is not only a 

 good looker, but possesses speed, a valuable qualification 

 with those who have much driving to do. A very marked 

 improvement in this class of horse has taken place in 

 Canada within the past twenty-five years. Time was 

 when anything possessing a little speed would pass mus- 

 ter, but the intelligent ^perseverance of a few men in 

 Ontario accomplished wonders in improving the quality. 

 Conspicuous above all others in this respect stands the 

 name of Angus Sinclair who, when proprietor of the 

 Roslyn Stock Farm, Chatham, was a central figure in 

 connection with the breeding of the light harness horse 

 in Ontario. 



His importation of the standard-bred sire, Wildbrino, 

 2.19, by Hambrino, introduced at that time not only the 

 fastest, but one of the best bred horses ever brought to 

 this country. It required a good deal of nerve to pay 

 the high price which Mr. Sinclair did for him, because 

 Wilkes blood was then all the rage and anything out- 

 side of that strain was looked upon with distrust. The 

 wiseacres, those who pretend to know it all, also pre- 

 dicted that the high service fee charged utterly precluded 

 the possibility of the horse receiving much public patron- 

 age. In this, however, they were mistaken. His owner, 

 a strong believer in the power of printers ' ink, advertised 

 him liberally, with the result that not only was an ex- 

 tended patronage secured, but a fine quality of mares was 

 also attracted to his court. The superior quality of his 

 stock thoroughly justified what had been written about 

 him and at an early age his sons and daughters furnished 



