THE AMERICAN TROTTING HORSE. 481 



At present the most celebrated are the Hambletonians. The 

 founder of this family is Rysdyk's Hambletonian, owned in Ches- 

 ter, N. Y., and having more Messenger blood than any other 

 stallion living. See pedigree, Table I. He was foaled in 1849, 

 and is still (in 18G9) standing at $500 to insure. He is the sire 

 of Dexter, George Wilkes, Bruno, Brunette, and many others of 

 celebrity. Mountain Boy, owned by Commodore Vanderbilt, was 

 begotten by Major Winfield, a son of Hambletonian. 



The Abdallahs are an older family, and not less distinguished. 

 Abdallah's pedigree and history are mentioned on pages 472 and 

 473. 



The Vermont Black Hawks were once very popular, and for a 

 few years their fame quite eclipsed all other families. On page 

 476 may be found a more extended account of them. 



The Bashaws are a very excellent family of trotters, but nearly 

 obliterated now by admixture with others. They are a branch 

 of the Messenger family that took their name from an imported 

 Arabian, but not the trotting quality. The first of the family 

 was Young Bashaw, a son of the Arabian ; and his best colt was 

 Andrew Jackson, the first stallion that ever trotted in a public 

 match. From him are descended many sub-families — the Clays, 

 the Patehens, &o. In the pedigree of Green's Bashaw, Table III., 

 may be seen the pedigree of Andrew Jackson, and why he was 

 the best son of Young Bashaw. Charlotte Temple, a very fast 

 mare that was taken to France, her full brother, the stallion Sala- 

 din, and Black Bashaw, another stallion, were all begotten by 

 Young Bashaw, and the two last named were both progenitors 

 of many good trotters. Comet, Whiskey, Lantern, Belle of Balti- 

 more, and Lightning, were all by Black Bashaw. One of Andrew 

 Jackson's best colts was the stallion Long Island Black Hawk, 

 often confounded with Vermont Black Hawk, the Morgan Horse. 

 They should be carefully distinguished. Long Island Black Hawk 

 had Messenger blood by four lines of descent (see pedigree of 

 Green's Bashaw, Table III), and his descendants inherit the trot- 

 ting in large degree. Vermont Black Hawk begot many good 

 horses, but the speed seems to run out in a few generations. He 

 had no Messenger in him. 



George M. Patchen was descended from Long Island Black 

 Hawk through Henry Clay and Cassius 31. Clay, with a cross of 

 Imported Diomed and another of Imported Trustee. See pedigree, 

 Table VI. Patchen had speed and bottom worthy of such a good 

 pedigree, but his descendants have not met the expectations of 

 breeders. They are coarse in form, and subject to curbs and ring- 

 bones. Lucy, the best of his get, was out of a May Day mare, 

 and thus got another cross of the Diomed from Sir Henry, the sire 

 of May Day. 



41 2h 



