PILOT 2?0 



other witnesses likewise so thought ; still there is some reason to think that 

 Pilot was the first fast pacing stallion from Jeanne d'Arc and that the Vassar 

 Horse was younger. If this should prove so, we think Pilot was proba- 

 bly got by theGravelin Horse, with which Louis Dansereau raced this mare; 

 for Mr. Dansereau took great pains to breed his mare to the best stallion he 

 could reach, and this Gravelin Horse was unquestionably the best stallion of 

 his day in that locality. 



It will be noticed that Bellanie La Bonte mentions a black stallion 

 owned by his father, and that he thought Louis Dansereau bred to him and 

 that he was the sire of the Vassar Horse. It is quite possible that Mr. Dan- 

 sereau bred some mare to this La Bonte Horse, but Mr. La Bonte is mistaken 

 in thinking his father's horse was sire of the Yassar Horse. We heard nothing 

 of this La Bonte Horse until he was mentioned by Bellanie La Bonte", and all 

 that we got about him after that was the result of our questions or remarks. 

 That is, when told that B. La Bonte thought one of Dansereau' s fast stallions was 

 got by his father's horse, two or three witnesses said they thought this might 

 be true ; but we have learned to be very suspicious always of evidence that 

 connects some very celebrated horse with some horse owned in a witness' 

 family. We see no good reason to think that this La Bonte Horse was re- 

 lated to Mr. Dansereau's fast pacers, which were probably all descended from 

 the Gravelin Horse. 



Very large interest therefore centers about this Gravelin Horse. We 

 have not been able to learn whether Vital Dupre bred him, or purchased his 

 dam when in foal, or to ascertain what horse was his sire, but most fortunately 

 some very direct and reliable testimony is handed down about his breeding. 

 This comes from his owner through a nephew, who appeared an exception- 

 ally truthful and intelligent witness. It came to us in a most unexpected 

 manner, not as the result of any question or suggestion, and was sustained 

 by the testimony of Madame Gravelin of St. Ours, and we believe can be re- 

 ceived so far as it goes with absolute confidence. The testimony was that 

 this Gravelin Horse was of Dutch or English descent, and, taken in con- 

 nection with the time and locality and the shape and quality of the Gravelin 

 Horse, points very significantly to a Morgan origin ; for at this time both in 

 Vermont and Canada the Morgan was called Dutch, and, if not Dutch, 

 English. (See advertisements under Weasel, Hawkins Horse and Sherman 

 Morgan in this volume.) It is possible from their descriptions and the time 

 in which each lived that the Gravelin Horse and the original Tom Hal are 

 identical. 



As we have suggested, there is no history of any so early Canadian 

 Pacing sire as the Gravelin Horse, except Copperbottom. Copperbottom 

 was born in 1809 and was owned, probably as late as 1815, at Bolton, Canada, 

 less than sixty miles from the place where the Gravelin Horse was 

 foaled. The year the Gravelin Horse was born is not accurately known, 

 but, as has been suggested, it was probably about 1812-14, which would make 

 it very possible that Copperbottom was his sire. There is no reason to think 



