20 THE VETERINARY DOCTOR. 
at these long distances. After she trotted her fast mile, mile heats came 
into vogue, generally best three in five. Lady Suffolk was a gray, by Engi- 
neer 2d, he by Engineer, by Messenger. 
A greater star soon appeared in Flora Temple when she trotted at 
Kalamazoo, in 1859, against Princess and Honest Anse, making 2:1934, the 
first to trot a mile better than 2:20. She there appeared in her exhibition 
exercise with her driver, James D. McMann. Thousands of people were on 
the track, and when the business-like little creature, with her great eyes spark- 
ling in anticipation, made her appearance, submissively followed by the 
celebrated Ethan Allen, great was the demonstration of delight, and when 
the accommodating McMann consented to “give her a brush or two,” loud 
and continued applause arose, at which Flora wheeled short around, tossed 
her head, kicked up her heels, and before McMann could gather the lines, 
dashed off at full speed, and soon reappeared with her fine electric stroke, 
her head eagerly extended, and her long mane flying in tangied confusion 
about her neck. Old Ethan was given a few spurts, and the beauty of his 
action could be seen, but he did not attempt to rival the flights of the little 
bay mare. Flora Temple became celebrated by her biography, charmingly 
written by Mr. George Wilkes, in his Wilkes’ Spirit of the Times, which 
first made its appearance at about this time. She was perpetuated in art, 
and the fine picture of her by Maurer, published by Currier & Ives, of New 
York, is considered, by horsemen at least, as a prime work of art. As we 
remember Flora, she was a bay about fourteen and a quarter hands high, with 
black points, roan on the off side, a blotch of white near the crupper, and a 
fashionably docked tail. She had a pacing conformation, stout legs 
and feet, a fine head and neck, and high withers; but her chief character- 
istics were her very large, full, hazel eyes, and her decidedly business-like 
expression and action. 
Flora Temple’s harness-record remained the best until August 14, 
1867, when Dexter at Buffalo trotted in 2:171/, having previously trotted 
under saddle in 2:183. Dexter is a brown gelding, fifteen and a quarter 
hands high, with four white legs and white face, by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian, 
out of Clara by American Star, she out of the McKinstry mare, the dam 
of Shark, a fast trotter by Hambletonian. The Star blood was most appar- 
ent in Dexter, for, although very blood-like, he has a pacing-pony mould, 
lower at the croup than at the withers, fine shoulders, deep chest, strong 
lovns but light waist, round, drooping quarters of great volume and compact- 
ness, back slightly roached, and strong legs. He trots with unsurpassed 
resolution and energy. Forward he makes some apparent waste of effort, 
but the way he gathers his hind legs, without that extreme tension seen in 
what is called big-gaited horses, gives an idea of nervous locomotion that 
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