382 A HISTORY OF THE PEBCHEEON HORSE 



Mr. Eobison bought one, and one only, and has often 

 since deeply regretted his own lack of foresight. 



M. D. Covell was in reality the oldest Percheron 

 breeder in Kansas; he made his first importation of 

 Percherons in 1871, while located in Ohio. His first 

 Kansas-bred Percherons were not foaled until 1884, 

 and from that time on the stud was very influential 

 in southern Kansas. C. L. Oovell took control when 

 M. D. dropped out in 1893, and tlie stud was carried 

 on by him until after the close of the century. The 

 horses in this stud were good, and they formed the 

 foundation, wholly or in part, of many of the good 

 studs now in Kansas. 



J. W. & J. C. Eobison were the most prominent 

 new breeders who established Percheron studs in 

 Kansas during the years of depression. J. W., the 

 father, moved from Illinois to Kansas in 1874, and 

 took good grade Percheron mares with him. His 

 first sire, Norval 1369 (794), was bought, of G. L. 

 Cushman in 1883, and he used Percheron sires con- 

 tinually from that time on. His grade mares by 

 successive crosses were bred up to splendid type' and 

 size, and many of them were subsequently recorded 

 as French Draft under the top-cross rules. J. W. 

 Eobison was a horseman reared in the heart of the 

 Percheron district in Illinois, and he foresaw the 

 inevitable recovery in horse values at a time when 

 prices were lowest. Percheron mares were accord- 

 ingly bought in 1897, '98 and '99, and from that time 

 on until they were numerous enough to justify re- 

 liance upon mares of his own breeding. The son, 



