554 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



ess, by Anxiety 5th. In two-year-olds Clark was 

 handily first with Peerless 2d and VanNatta second 

 on Violet by Tregrehan. Peerless 3d drew the blue 

 for Clark in the yearlings with Henry's Countess 

 of Bossland next. Fowler & VanNatta won on herd. 

 A new committee made Caractacus champion bull 

 and Peerless 2d champion female of the class. Hark- 

 ing back to J. H. Pickrell's sarcastic reference to 

 the Hereford "syndicate" of 1882, it was significant 

 of the now widespread recognition of Hereford ex- 

 cellence that a member of this famous old-time 

 Shorthorn breeder's own family, Mr. A. A. Pickrell, 

 acting as referee at Olney, sent the grand beef herd 

 championship to Fowler & VanNatta. 



By this date the fame of St. Louis as the great 

 agricultural show of the middle west had sadly 

 faded. In 1886 there had not been a Hereford on 

 the grounds, and in 1887 but three were seen, those 

 of Tom Clark, G. W. Henry and Fielding W. Smith. 

 Caractacus was first and champion, and Dictator 2d, 

 son of the famous Dictator, was second. Flossie 

 won as usual in the cow class, but Peerless 2d was 

 made champion female.* 



At a show held at Kansas City this year Dictator 



*01d Peerless died In the fall of 1887, and her record was so re- 

 markable that it should find full recognition. We quote Mr. Clark's 

 statement of her career made shortly after her death, as follows: 



"Peerless was exhibited in England at Leominster show in 1881, and 

 was one of four yearling heifers winning the first prize, also one of 

 a pair of heifers winning first prize at the Lord Tredegar show at New- 

 port the same year. In America, in 1882, Peerless won first prize as 

 the best two-year-old at Hoopeston, 111., first at Lafayette, Ind., sec- 

 ond at Springfield, 111., second at Illinois State Fair at Peoria, and 

 first in class and sweepstakes female of any age at St. Louis. In 

 1883 she was first at Illinois .State Fair at Chicago, and sweepstakes 

 female any age. She was then withdrawn from the showyard until 



