42 THE TWO-MINUTE TROTTERS 



Mr. Billings did not try to do much — just jogged a mile in 

 2:14%, last quarter in 30% seconds. Before that mile Proc- 

 tor drove Uhlan to sulky in 2:051/), last half in 1:011/4, and 

 he did it so easily that Mr. Billings was greatly pleased. 



"While I was at the Lexington meeting the next week 

 Uhlan was driven by his boy four slow heats, the fastest in 

 2:25. Young Sam Caton, then here from Russia for a visit, 

 came to Cleveland with me and I had him train Uhlan on 

 Friday. He told me the fastest mile he had ever driven a 

 trotter in Russia was 2:15^4 and I told him I wanted him to 

 drive Uhlan one in 2:05. He worked him in 2:40, 2:28, 

 2:15^ and then I told him, for the fourth mile to take him to 

 the half in 1:05 and he would bring him home in a minute. 

 Sam missed it going to the half which he reached in 1 :06, but 

 Uhlan trotted the last half in a minute and that gave Sam 

 his fastest ride behind a trotter. When he dismounted he 

 was highly pleased and he expressed amazement at the ease 

 in which the horse had trotted the last half, declaring him a 

 most perfect trotting machine. Up to that time I had never 

 driven Uhlan at speed so I got up behind him that same day 

 and drove him his fifth mile which was in 2:02%. Note the 

 time of the quarters — 32yo, 30%, 30, 30. The way he did 

 it made me feel, then and there, that with good luck he had an 

 even chance to beat two minutes the following year. 



"He was then let down gradually and his shoes pulled off. 

 He had a run of several hours daily, as the weather permitted, 

 in a nice paddock and we fed him six to eight quarts of oats 

 every day, carrots and apples to whet his appetite and cooked 

 feed at night. On the first of the following February we 

 shipped to Brunswick, Ga. and while the air and the sur- 

 roundings were delightful, there was nothing much but deep 

 sand roads to drive on. Uhlan was clipped and shod the day 

 he arrived there and I had his toes shortened to 3% inches in 

 front and 3^ behind. Open six ounce shoes were put on all 

 around, roller motion in front. I began jogging him on the 

 sand roads giving him a couple of miles the first day and in- 

 creased to eight to ten daily except Sunday on which day he 

 was never harnessed. Most of the time he drew two pas- 

 sengers and the cart was a heavy one. I think that work did 



