66 A HISTORY OF THE PEECHEEON, HORSE 



taken to verify the statement, since we find in the 

 preface of the first volume of the Percheron Stud 

 Book of France the following reference. It will be 

 observed, however, that the Percheron society was 

 by no means in accord with Charles Du Hays on 

 other vital particulars. We quote from the stud 

 book: 



"It is known that the finest specimens of the Per- 

 cheron breed existing today can be directly attrib- 

 uted to the regenerating influences of the Arab, the 

 primitive horse, the first origin of the Percheron 

 breed. The authorized historian and the faithful 

 friend of the Percheron breed, Charles Du Hays, 

 supported, many years ago, this doctrine. This 

 author has shown his great knowledge of horse- 

 breeding in establishing that Jean-le-Blanc, the 

 horse which excited so much his admiration, was a 

 direct descendant of the Arabian stallion Gallipoly, 

 which was owned by the Haras du Pin. This horse 

 has been the most powerful element in perfecting the 

 Percheron breed since this epoch. Nearly all the 

 most highly estimated stallions may be considered as 

 the direct descendants of this horse. 



"The Perche owes much to M. Du Hays for his 

 precious teachings, and we feel that we cannot do 

 better for our own cause and at the same time render 

 the latter merited homage than to cite, in this first 

 volume of the stud book, his ideas on the Percheron 

 breed and its development. 



"However, we would like to state that Charles Du 

 Hays has committed a grave error in one of the 

 passages of his book, page 45, in saying that the 

 Perche threw its barriers wide open to all the big 

 mares that came along in order to make the breed 

 more weighty. On page 47, he also states that Brit- 



