THE STANDARDBRED HORSE 



133 



no connection with the American Standardbred, but is 

 discussed in this connection because it is comparatively 

 unknown in America and does not seem worthy an entire 

 chapter. 



The origin of the breed dates back to 1777 when, it is 

 stated, Count Alexis Orloff begun the work of develop- 

 ing a new breed of 

 horse 

 needs 

 About 

 Orloff 

 Arab 



to 



suit the 

 of Russia. 

 1777 or 1780 

 obtained an 

 stallion named 

 Smetanka from the 

 Orient. This horse 

 was said to be silver 

 white in color, very 

 muscular, and to be 

 about 15 hands high. 

 He was used in the 

 stud but a short time 

 when he died, but he 

 sired four stallions 

 and one mare, mostly 

 b y Thoroughbred 

 dams. Of these, the 

 most noted was 

 Polkan 1st, who sired 

 seven stallions and 

 21 mares. Barss or 

 Bars 1st was the most noted son of Polkan ist. Bars ist 

 was foaled in 1784, and became a very important factor 

 in founding the Orloff Trotter. He died in 1808. 



Count Orloff established a large stud, using his stallions 

 on Thoroughbred mares from England. It is stated that 

 he sold no stallions and. that he developed two distinct 

 groups, practicing in-breeding on one, but keeping the 

 other group free from in-breeding, by using English 



Fig. 



78. standardbred stallion 



Patch," 1.55% 



■'Dan 



