260 TALES OF THE TURF. 



thoroughbred horse, principally through imported Mes- 

 senger, who, though passing as a strictly thoroughbred, 

 perhaps was really a trifle short of the required standard 

 by reason of a cross back in his pedigree of the Norfolk 

 trotter, with the native breed called the Narragansett 

 pacer and others of the best and toughest individuals of 

 any and all breeds. In short, our forefathers builded 

 wiser than they knew, and in doing so established the 

 foundation of the best breed of horses in the world to-day. 

 From the supposed strains of this foundation, some real, 

 others purely imaginary, later on grew the endeavor to 

 establish this horse as a breed, and, as is always the case, 

 the praiseworthy undertaking enlisted an army of recruits 

 to the cause, many theorists, some good ideas, some verit- 

 able rot, all prejudiced with a hobby, all believing they 

 could breed the trotter the same as Paderewski plays the 

 piano — by note — that is, by a pedigree. Of course, this 

 resulted in intelligent investigation and a survival of the 

 fittest of the theories, and in consequence the breed may 

 now be said to be established. It is susceptible of im- 

 provement principally in establishing a more uniform type, 

 a merit greatly lacking at present in the breed, for a 

 trotter may be a pony or a leviathan ; he may have short 

 legs and be stout of body, or he may stand on stilts and 

 lack substance ; he may be "homely" enough to drive one 

 to a jag cure, or handsome as the rosy morn. But with 

 it all he is a hardy horse, an intelligent fellow, and a do- 

 or-die, in-at-the-death determined one. Type is about the 

 only lacking desirable quality in the breed, a fact now 

 recognized by breeders, and when an American sees a 

 chance for improvement on anything, that improvement 

 comes surely and quickly. Then the breed will be per- 

 fect. 



