BREEDING THE AMERICAN TROTTER. 183 



individual animals as may be both useful and serviceable out- 

 side of the speed-ring. 



To further illustrate my idea in breeding speed from trotting- 

 bred animals other than those of the fastest records, we will 

 take as a case in point, Arion, 2.07f , who had no trotting an- 

 cestor, either male or female, with a record of 2.30 even, except 

 Nutwood, 2.1 Sf; and right here, in the breeding of Arion, we 

 find a strong argument for the late Leland Stanford's theory 

 for selecting, as brood mares to breed to trotting stallions, the 

 best thoroughbred race mares — those that could race and win ; 

 not culls or weeds, to be obtained as dams of fast trotters. He 

 proved to the world beyond a doubt that his theory was, in the 

 main, correct ; but shall we continue on in the course '* I say 

 no. For just as long as we continue to do so we put off what 

 we desire to accomplish, and postpone the day of establishing 

 the American Trotter as a distinct and world-recognized breed. 

 With establishing this breed as with establishing the English 

 Thoroughbred there is a time to stop experimenting with all 

 outside issues. There is not a shadow of doubt but the 

 thoroughbred has done his full share in establishing the Ameri- 

 can Trotter as we find him up to date ; neither is there any 

 doubt but the Arabian horse has done his full share in produc- 

 ing the thoroughbred ; yet it appears that the English breeder 

 knew when he had got enough of the Arab, and stopped. I 

 claim that the American breeder has enough of the thorough- 

 bred, now, as a cross on the trotter, and should, therefore, stop 

 and confine himself strictly to breeding the American Trotter 

 from trotting-bred ancestry of stamina and race-qualities at the 

 trotting gait. 



Were I to commence the business to-day of breeding the 

 American trotting horse I should select for my breeding stock 

 on both sides from the oldest and best families of trotters that 

 have trotted and have done most to achieve the great popularity 

 of this breed in America or the world ; and not from any whirl- 

 wind, phenomenal, come-by-chance trotter or pacer, although 

 he or she might hold the world's record at the time. 



