A HISTORY 



THE TURF AND THE TROTTING HORSE IN AMERICA, 



BY JOHN ELDERKIN, 



AUTHOR OF " HOW TO MAKE SLOW HORSES FAST," &C., &C. 



[From the Atlantic Monthly.] 



NEARLY all the great trotting horses of America have come of 

 one blood, that of Messenger, an English horse, imported into 

 New York in 1788. 



The lineage of this horse can he traced directly back to the 

 Parley Arabian, who was the sire of Flying Childers ; and to the 

 Cade mare, who was a granddaughter of the Godolphin Arabian. 

 He was, therefore, of the best English thorough-bred racing stock. 



All accounts concur in representing Messenger as a horse of 

 superb form, and extraordinary power and spirit. A groom who 

 saw him taken off the sbip which brought him to this country, 

 was accustomed to relate that " the three other horses that accom- 

 panied him on a long voyage had become so reduced and weak 

 that they had to be helped and supported down the gang-plank; 

 but when it came Messenger's turn to land, he, with a loud neigh, 

 charged down, with a negro on each side holding him back, and 

 dashed off up the street on a stiff trot, carrying the negroes along, 

 in spite of all their efforts to bring him to a stand still." 



He was a handsome gray, fifteen and three-quarter hands high,* 

 with u a large bony head, rather short, straight neck, with wind- 

 pipe and nostrils nearly twice as large as ordinary; low withers, 

 shoulders somewhat upright, but deep and strong; powerful loin 

 and quarters ; hocks and knees unusually large, and below them 



* A hand is four inches. 



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