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Special Judging Committees.
415. At the commencement of this review I mentioned that a Special
Judging Committee had been sanctioned for the North-Western Provinces, and
Oudh, and another for the Punjab. This was the first occasion on which these
Committees have assembled. That in the North-Western Provinces & Oudh
consisted of:—
MAJOR H. J. MCLAUGHLIN, 5th R. I. Lancers ...
MAJOR F. G. POLLOCK, 7th Bengal Cavalry
...
CAPTAIN A. W. MONEY, Royal Artillery
...
VETERINARY CAPTAIN K. LEES, Army Veterinary
Department.
President.
Members.
No. 666-C., dated 4th April 1896.
416. In a letter to the address of the Government of India, Military De-
partment, I have already stated that the
thanks of this Department are due to the
Officers forming this Committee for the great zeal which they showed in judg-
ing the various classes, but that especially to Major McLaughlin are we
indebted for the tact which he showed in dealing with the District Officers,
which led to most cordial relations, without which the success that has attend-
ed the assembly of this Committee, could not have been secured.
417. The Collector of Bulandshahr, in forwarding the report on his show,
has asked me to use my best endeavours to obtain the services of the Committee
in future years as it has proved of such value to District Officers.
418. The opinion of a Committee that has been able to come to sound conclu-
sions by visiting all the Horse Shows, is of great value, and I am pleased to see
that the President has recorded his opinion that the young stock even out of
moderate mares, is exceedingly good. He also brings to notice the fact that
the branded fillies were specially striking and that but few cases of hereditary
unsoundness were discovered in the young stock; this proves the care bestowed
on the selection of mares for breeding purposes by Veterinary Lieutenant
Laughlin, Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, North-Western Pro-
vinces & Oudh, in whom this Department has a most reliable and valuable
Officer.
419. The President of the Committee further reports as follows:—
"My Committee would point out, for your consideration, that the horses bred in the Muzaffarnagar district
are very defective in quality as compared with those of Aligarb and Bulandshahr districts, and with hardly one
exception are the produce of Norfolk trotter sires. The brood mares, though large and with plently of bone,
are very coarse, and we would suggest the advisability of a few more thoroughbred horses to cross with these
fine mares".
As has already been stated in the review of the Muzaffarnagar Show, this
suggestion has already been given effect to.
420. One of the most pleasing features of Major McLaughlin's report is
with reference to the use of District Board stallions. He says:—
"I would beg to point out the excellent work being done in the various districts by the District Board
stallions which, though only mated with mares of an exceedingly inferior quality, in fact too bad to be branded
by the Civil Veterinary Department Officers, are getting a class of stock vastly superior in size and quality to
their dams, indeed the foals running alongside their dams, when brought into the ring, were in a great many
cases bigger than their dams, and I have no doubt that a large number of the fillies will be found next year
suitable for branding, thus increasing the valuable stock of brood mares".
I can only add that this is most encouraging.
421. The Committee assembled in the Punjab, was composed as follows :—
MAJOR C. E. W. MACDONALD, 6th Bengal Cavalry ...
CAPTAIN H. D. GRIER, Royal Artillery
...
CAPTAIN H. S. DAVEY, 18th Hussars
...
VETERINARY CAPTAIN F. JOSLEN, Army Veterinary
Department
...
President.
Members.
422. I regret to have to report that although the actual judging of the
stock was particularly well carried out, still, the Committee was not as successful
as that held in the North-Western Provinces.
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