176 THE TWO-MINUTE PACERS 



public in his chosen profession for a great many years and 

 as he has always had some good horses, sometimes the best 

 of their years, many famous names are to be found on the 

 roster of the Geers stable. In the hustle and bustle of the 

 passing years there is apt to come a time when the great 

 ones are momentarily forgotten. Yet it is doubtful if many 

 ever think of Mr. Geers without recalling the great achieve- 

 ments of Hal Pointer, the first really great pacer he cam- 

 paigned through the Grand Circuit, one of the most wonder- 

 ful horses known to pacing annals. 



It cannot be possible that any one has forgotten Robert 

 J. and that Mr. Geers drove him to a world's record — 2:01% 

 — as long ago as 1895. More recently he made The Abbot 

 the world's champion trotter with a record of 2:03^. 



His list of 2:10 or better trotters was quite a formidable 

 one when that rate of speed was considered something out 

 of the ordinary. None of the Old Guard will ever forget 

 the wonderful campaigns of the famous Hamlin's Nightin- 

 gale 2:08 and it is probable that this work with her brought 

 Mr. Geers more real fame than his recent accomplishment 

 with the far more speedy St. Frisco 2:01^, who holds the 

 world's race record for a trotting stallion. 



Year after year for so many years that it taxes the 

 memory he has been a commanding figure among Grand 

 Circuit trainers. Every so often he has come along with the 

 winner of the Chamber of Commerce purse at Detroit, as 

 long as that rich and much-coveted event was annually re- 

 newed. He won it with the sire of Napoleon Direct and, 

 speaking of the Directs no one will ever forget the great 

 campaign of Direct Hal, another Geers pupil who became 

 one of the popular idols. Mr. Geers also drove Single 

 G. to a race record of 1:59%. 



His wonderful record seems destined to stand unsur- 

 passed perhaps not equaled. In one respect it is certain that 

 his career will stand alone and that is in the unbounded love 

 and respect that have come to be his portion from the many 

 thousands in every section who admire the trotter and pacer 

 and the men who make them. There has been but one Geers 

 identified with the great sport of harness racing. 



