CHAPTER XIII 



THE EVOLUTION OF THE TWO-MINUTE 

 TROTTER 



WHEN Lou Dillon first trotted her mile 

 in less than two minutes people very 

 naturally exclaimed, " Wonderful ! " 

 But the production of a horse that can do this 

 is probably even a greater achievement than the 

 majority suppose. And when we reflect upon the 

 comparatively short time that has elapsed since 

 the trotters were first registered as a distinct 

 breed, and that even then it was composed of so 

 many and such heterogeneous elements that 

 thoughtful horsemen conceded its claim to be re- 

 garded as such with many reservations, the exploit 

 may well be regarded as one of the great achieve- 

 ments of the age, yielding in brilliancy to none in 

 the long annals of horses and horsemanship. 



That such animals as Lou Dillon, Major Del- 

 mar, and other great trotters are in no wise the 

 result of chance nor even of the wisdom and skill 

 of any one horse-breeder is self-evident. They 



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