166 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE 



and bred mares of more than average size at a time 

 when most farmers were frittering away what draft 

 stock they had by mating their mares to trotting 

 sires. 



As already related, the Dillons obtained Louis 

 Napoleon in 1857, and his phenomenal success as a 

 sire finally led them to decide on direct iriiportations. 

 Four stallions were brought over in 1870, and from 

 1872 to 1880 importations were annually made, ex- 

 cept in 1878. From 1872 to 1880 they imported 84 

 stallions and 18 mares. 



The breeding operations of the Dillon firm were 

 restricted because of the limited number of mares 

 available, but some very valuable sires were in use 

 during this time. St. Laurent 435, their first sire, 

 was a horse of tremendous scale; and while he was 

 not a great breeding horse some of his get sold at long 

 prices at early ages. Nogent 738 (729) was imported 

 in 1877 by the Dillons, and was used by them in the 

 late '70 's and early '80 's, supplementing St. Laurent 

 435 in the stud. He was a horse of exceptional qual- 

 ity and merit as a sire, and while he begot only 5 

 purebred colts after importation to America, the colts 

 sired by him in France, many of which were later 

 imported, were so excellent as to stamp Nogent 73S 

 (729) as the greatest son of Vidocq 483 (732) and 

 one of the ranking sires of the '70 's. 



All told the Dillons bred 28 stallions and 13 mares 

 between 1871 and 1880, most of them produced after 

 1876. They bred some very high-class animals, espe- 

 cially in mares, were aggressive exhibitors in the 



