110 TwBNTY-FlEST BlENNIAL RbPOET 



HOESE DEPARTMENT. 



The entries in the Horse Department of the fair of 

 1915 exceeded in many ways those of all previous years. 

 There were more horses on hand, the quality ran more 

 even, and the entries were better distributed in the vari- 

 ous classes. 



In past years the Horse Show has always been a 

 source of gratification to the management. To it thff 

 greater part of the fair-going public look for entertain- 

 ment; and the general public judges the success of our 

 fairs almost entirely by the merits of its Horse Shows. 

 This is an attribute one would hesitate to defend. It- is 

 to be deplored, from an agricultural and educational 

 viewpoint, that it exists to the extent that it does ; but 

 in Kentucky it is, nevertheless, a fact. 



We have always had a very satisfactory Horse Show, 

 each succeeding year surpassing in souie way aU those 

 preceding it; but it remains for 1915 to show a decided 

 step forward. This improvement has not been so much 

 in numbers, as in quality, and while the best of the 

 1915 show is no better than the best of other fairs, the 

 evenness of the entries argues that the horses are being 

 culled previous to this show, and hence it has come to 

 the point where there was an almost complete absence of 

 animals that would not be a credit to the exhibitor, in 

 victory or defeat. 



In another way there was evidence of a forward 

 step — In previous years, there have been a number of ex- 

 ceedingly "top-heavy" classes shown, and a correspond- 

 ing number of lightly filled ones. This year, however., 

 such has not been the case, the entries running with sur- 

 prising evenness in all the classes. 



The show given in the Horse Department this year 

 was close to its capacity. The stalls were filled ; the show 

 on some days lasted f roni 10 a. m. to 11 :20 p. m., with 

 intermission for the vaudeville performance. It seems 

 as if the number of classes was approachiag the maxi- 

 mum, unless the Department is sub-divided into several 

 divisions, with separate organization. 



