254 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHEEON HORSE 



heading this stud for a time and leaving 36 pure- 

 bred colts; Belidor 9520, sold to F. H. Redfield, Ba- 

 tavia, N. Y., in 1889 as a yearling for $2,500 and 

 being used on some purebred mares, though not 

 many; Breme 7229, sold to the Little Missouri Horse 

 Co. in February, 1888, when about 10 months old, 

 for $700, leaving some purebred colts, but being used 

 chiefly on grade mares. The last four were bred at 

 Oaklawn, and were sired by Brilliant 1271. There 

 were numerous others of almost, if not quite, equal 

 rank. 



Mr. Dunham's Influence. — One of the leading fea- 

 tures of Mr. Dunham's work at this time was its 

 effect on others. He demonstrated conclusively that 

 Percherons paid. He proved that Percherons could 

 be bred in America, and sold at early ages and high 

 prices. He tested out to his own satisfaction and 

 for the benefit of others the impracticability of un- 

 dertaking to keep Percheron mares in large bands, 

 idle, for the sole purpose of rearing colts. He came 

 to the conclusion that Percheron breeding must be 

 carried out on farms where the mares could do work 

 enough to pay their way and where their prolificacy 

 would be increased by reason of healthier breeding 

 condition induced by moderate work. He advertised 

 early and late, more freely and with better results 

 than any horseman of his own or earlier times, and 

 he popularized Percherons on the soundest of all 

 platforms — "their utility value on the farm, and 

 their ability to raise the value of common horses 

 from one-fourth to one-third by the first cross, and 



