XXXV. 



Introduction of Hippodroming. — Flora, Lancet, Miller's Damsel, and Red- 

 bird. — Flora and Brown Dick. — Flora purchased by Mr. McDonald. — 

 Hippodroming again. — Flora and Prince. — Flora and Ike Cook. — Flora 

 and Reindeer. — The coming Horses, Princess and George M. Patchen. 



AFTER the races between Tlora Temple and Eose of 

 Washington, an arrangement was entered into by 

 means of which the former and Lancet travelled together, 

 to trot for purses and divide the profits. It was a new sort 

 of thing, and was expressively called " Hippodroming " by 

 Mr. Wilkes. In spite of aU that was said against the sys- 

 tem, it has come more and more into fashion ; and now there 

 are lots of horses that go about the country every season, 

 and exhibit under just such an arrangement. In the case 

 of Flora, there was more excuse for it than there has been in 

 some others. She could not at that time get a match on 

 even terms, and was excluded from all the purses. Flora 

 and Lancet began at Elmira on the 2d of September. I 

 fully believe, that, in aU Aei hippodroming (and she was hip- 

 podromed with a good deal), her owner and driver never 

 threw away a heat with her. It is my opinion that there is 

 a great deal more satisfaction in a real race than in one of 

 these shows, in which no money is actually at stake between 

 the horses. But the people have sanctioned the system ; and 

 these exhibitions draw immense crowds all over the country, 

 from Maine to Missouri. The evil is, that horses who might 

 otherwise be engaged in excellent races for money, part 

 stakes and part purses, are practically withdrawn from 

 ihese real competitions, and kept for the purpose of such 

 exhibitions at fairs. 



288 



