THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 197 



Immediately underneath the splendid isolated 

 testimonial upon the government record is this addi- 

 tional entry : ' ' 1860 — he has not gone yet ; approved 

 for 1860." 



In spite of the inspector's reluctant recommenda- 

 tion of the year before the great stallion is given 

 another year at stud! With this the record ends. 

 To have been singled out for this almost extrava- 

 gant commendation at a time when "remarks" were 

 no longer the rule in the records is of course proof 

 positive of the altogether exceptional character of 

 this horse. He was 9 years old when first pensioned, 

 and was used 13 years as an approved sire. It is 

 probable, therefore, that this stallion served in his 

 time as many as a thousand mares. Light-gray at 

 an early age, old Toulouse in his later years would 

 have been white as snow. Let us be glad of this 

 opportunity to do tardy justice to a horse that was 

 so honored officially in his own day and generation. 

 It is to be regretted that we cannot do as much for 

 Jean-le-Blanc. Indeed were it not for the apparent 

 discrepancy in their ages, one might even suggest 

 the possibility that in Toulouse we have the real 

 Jean-le-Blanc. But as to this one may only specu- 

 late. It is indeed to be regretted that owing to the 

 tardy establishment of registration facilities we 

 cannot at this date supply the links in the chain 

 that would undoubtedly connect up many a present 

 day Percheron horse with Toulouse, "the magnifi- 

 cent." 



Chocolat. — Another great horse owned by M. 



