180 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHEBON HORSE 



founded for any of the draft breeds, though, some 

 agitation of the subject had been started in both 

 England and Scotland in connection with the Eng- 

 lish Cart Horse (as the Shire was then known) and 

 the Clydesdale. "The General Stud Book" was be- 

 gun as a private venture. There was no organiza- 

 tion responsible for its arrangement, rules or publi- 

 cation, its chief utility lying in the aid it gave the 

 Jockey Club in keeping the British turf free from 

 fraud and originally in the stamp of official approval 

 it gave to the private records of breeders kept and 

 conducted in accordance with its few and simple 

 regulations. It was plain, however, that a different 

 policy must be pursued with registers in which the 

 pedigrees of drafters should be preserved. Private 

 ownership was impossible on the face of things. A 

 society must be formed by the breeders and import- 

 ers for the protection and promotion of their mutual 

 interests and the verification and registration of 

 pedigrees. 



Therefore late in 1875 this proposal to establish a 

 stud book for imported heavy French horses, their 

 progeny and descendants took shape in the issuance 

 of a call for a meeting of importers and breeders. 

 In pursuance of that call, which W. E. Prichard, the 

 only surviving member of the gathering, believes 

 was sent out by the Dillons, a meeting was held in 

 the old Briggs House, Chicago, in December, 1875 — 

 the very first of its kind ever convened with the same 

 object in view. Present on that most memorable 

 occasion were M. W. Dunham, Ellis, Levi and Isaiah 



