308 
TII E C U L TI V A T 0 R 
The Third Springfield Horse Show. 
In pursuance of the published notices there assem¬ 
bled at Springfield last week, in competition for prizes 
offered under the auspices of the Hampden Ag. So- ; 
ciety, a number of horses considerably larger than i 
either in 1857 or 1853, the two occasions on which 
that city has before witnessed similar exhibitions. The 
former of these “ was the first Horse Show, pure and 
proper,” says the Springfield Republican, “ ever held 
in this country.” 
It did not originate among jockeys. It can hardly be 
said to have originated among horse men. The fact was 
recognized that a great material interest of this country 
was in the hands of a class not in the best repute, and it 
was determined to divorce the horse from a set of asso¬ 
ciations which had identified the development of some of 
his finest qualities with the race course, the circus, and 
their accompanying vices.” 
Accordingly an example was then set which has since 
elicited numerous imitations, but none in which there 
has been, perhaps, so high a standard set up, and none 
that has attracted so wide attention. After the exhi¬ 
bition of 1853 was concluded, of which our own col¬ 
umns contain quite a full account, the surplus receipts 
were applied to the purchase of a, fine Park for the use 
of the Hampden Society, and it was with the view of 
completing this purchase that arrangements were 
made both last year, when the grounds were inaugu¬ 
rated, and at this year’s Show, by some of the most 
substantial and prominent citizens of the place, to ren¬ 
der the two exhibitions creditable, not only to them¬ 
selves and their city, but to New-England and the 
whole country. A public object of so much interest to 
the place, drew forth support that might not otherwise 
have been given ; the grounds contain sixty acres of 
beautiful land, nearly on a perfect level, upon the bank 
of the Connecticut—already dyked off from the terri¬ 
tory it has heretofore claimed as its own during every 
high freshet, and shaded by the numerous trees plant¬ 
ed to protect and strengthen the dykes, and to add to 
the attractiveness of the place. This embankment fur 
nishes also a delightful promenade, and a fine coup 
d'ccil of the whole field stretching out in a parallelo¬ 
gram, with a mile track carried around near its outer 
bounds, and, within this, one of half the length— 
both equally well graded and completed—while the 
space, before you reach the outer track, is this year oc¬ 
cupied by sundry strolling show-men, whose lively voi¬ 
ces hailing the crowds about them, and tents with va¬ 
rious colors flying in the air, and the large and well 
frequented eating tent among them, give this side of 
the field an air of great activity. 
At the further end, beyond the course, are the well 
built and ornamental stables, including one capacious 
structure containing barn, carriage-house and stables 
together, and a second longer and intended for the last 
purpose only,—while the horses, led, in harness and 
under saddle, are grouped about this end of the.grounds 
waiting their turn upon the track ; and those in motion 
around it, and the throngs of spectators that line or 
look down from their seats upon it, and the crowded 
judges’ stand and excellent band near by, combine to 
make the whole a scene which is seldom on so large a 
scale and in such order and advantage presented at 
once to the eye The officers of the Society this year 
are: President Geouge Bliss, Chief Marshal George 
Dwight, Secretary J. N. Bagg, and Treasurer Henry 
Alexander, Jr., who with G. M. Attwater, J. S. Whit¬ 
ney, Horace Kibbe and John L. King, constitute the 
managers. 
§ 5^9 ■ ..— 
Oct 
The entries this year included 4 thorough-bred stal¬ 
lions, among them Mr. Henry Sanders’ imported Barb, 
“Musa,” now nine years old, 15hands high, and pur¬ 
chased in Morocco, and Mr. J. B. Monot’s “Logan,” 
bred in this state ; and one thorough-bred mare origi¬ 
nally from Kentucky. Class 3d, stallions for general 
use, eight years and over, numbered thirteen—among 
them 0 S. Roe & Co.’s “Ethan Allen,” Black Hawk, 
raised in this state; A. Carpenter’s “ Richelieu,” a 
Vermont Messenger horse; Lambert Maynard’s 
“Trotting Childers,” Black Hawk; Stephen Hayes’ 
“Natick Cobbler,” Abdallah and Messenger; War¬ 
ren & Co.’s “ Hiram Drew,” raised in Maine, English 
Messenger and Morgan; “Rattler,” owned in St. 
Lawrence County; “Jupiter,” a horse from Long- 
Island, and and several other fine animals. We were 
present during the trials of speed in this elass; 
that between Ethan Allen and Hiram Drew, was of 
course watched with the greatest interest—the for¬ 
mer barely winning in 2:41, on the half mile track, 
which being somewhat soft, a slight allowance should 
be made on this account. But neither of the horses 
behaved as well as we expected, breaking up fre¬ 
quently ; a trot nearly equal in time, and far better 
as regards this respect was made by Jupiter and Ri< he- 
lieu, the former winning in beautiful style in 2:41, 
never breaking during his whole time on the course. 
We see that in a subsequent trial he did not come off 
quite as well, but his action on Wednesday was cer¬ 
tainly most creditable. 
Of stallions over five and under eight, there were 
32 entries, and we had the opportunity of seeing but 
few of the animals themselves, while the list would be 
too long for very critical notice. But we were assured 
that this was one of the best displays in the whole, and 
we should not omit to mention “ Prince Albert,” own¬ 
ed by Mr. J. P. Kimball, of Saugerties, a horse of 
whose stock we have heard very favorable accounts. 
There were 48 entries in the class of stallions over 
three and under five, and here as well as above, among 
so many of course it is very difficult to particularise. 
The judges found their task not an easy one. They 
selected a limited number of the best for further ex¬ 
amination to take place after we had left; and the re¬ 
sult of th ir deliberations will appear on the Prize 
List which we have not yet seen. 
There were shown in this division several very pro¬ 
mising horses from this State—among them “ Yergen- 
nes Black Hawk,” owned by A. W. Swift of West¬ 
chester, and “ Ed. Holly,” bred on Long Island. 
Fifteen stallions in the class of one year and under 
three, complete this department of the Show. Few 
among them attracted more attention than Mr. Wyn- 
koop’s “Empire State” from Catskiil, of which our 
columns have already contained several notices—his 
owner matched .him in this city about a year ago, 
against a Massachusetts colt, since which time he has 
grown and improved in full proportion to the promise 
he then gave. 
In the half-dozen classes embracing females and 
colts, the entries number nearly fifty, and this part of 
the exhibition, though not so likely to attract atten¬ 
tion as some others, was probably fully up to the mark 
in comparison with the remainder. In Matched Horses, 
which follows next on the list, we saw less than we 
anticipated, but there wore some very showy coach- 
teams—including Col. Zadoc Pratt’s span of Messen¬ 
ger grays, a fine pair of sorrels, the ownership of which 
we have forgotten, and we do not know that we are 
doing right in mentioning these, when several others 
among the 25 have claims to notice nearly as strong. 
But to go through the whole list as we have begun, 
is more than our space will allow. We deferred the 
preparation of this notice until the last moment, in the 
hope to give the chief awards this week, but are forc¬ 
ed to go to press before they reach U3 There was 
scarcely any feature in the whole exhibition that 
attracted more notice than a four-in-hand team, 
♦ 
