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are mainly sportsmen, and who also use their stock for tent-pegging, found that a
long continued strain of this blood did not produce an animal suitable for their
requirements, they therefore obtained the services of Thoroughbreds and Arabs
earlier than other districts did.
387. The young stock classes did not fill as well as they otherwise would
have done had there not been an epizootic outbreak of strangles in the district,
which not only caused many deaths but also caused such debility as to prevent
them being brought in.
388. The branded mare classes are reported as showing much quality. Some
were really fit to show in any part of the world, being brought out in good con-
dition and showing shape and quality of well bred English hunters.
389. One of the sights of the Show is reported by the Superintendent, Civil
Veterinary Department, to have been the branded filly class in which 35 competed
against 18 last year. It is described as follows by that officer:—
It was by far the best class of its kind I have seen in this country. Nearly all were by Thoroughbred sires
and were a really fine well-grown lot of mares whose stock in the future should be well worth seeing.
390. Nine head of young stock were purchased by the Army Remount
Department, 11 by the Guides Cavalry, and 8 remounts by the 15th and 18th
Bengal Lancers.
391. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, reports most
favorably on the work done by the District Board ponies, and it is gratifying to
hear that he was able to brand several young mares fit to be covered by Imperial
stallions, that were got by them.
392. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, makes a couple
of useful suggestions, viz:—
That the Silver Medal, given for the best collection of brood mares and
young stock, should be discontinued in this district. The competition is entirely
confined to the Maliks, and on this occasion they refused to compete against
Malik Mohomed Umar Hayat Khan who is the largest horse owner in the
district.
The second recommendation is that the smaller Maliks should be com-
pelled to picket their stock on the Fair, as much confusion is caused and much
jealousy arises. An exception has always been made in favor of Malik Mohomed
Umar Hayat Khan as he brings in such large numbers, and this concession might
be allowed. I hope attention will be paid to this on future occasions.
Umballa Horse
Show.
393. This Show was held on 21st and 22nd March 1898. The total
number of animals present was 955 as compared with 1,008 in 1896, no Show
having been held last year.
394. The number competing for prizes was 301 against 221 showing an
increase of 80.
395. Umballa is certainly not considered a good horse-breeding district,
but it most certainly is coming on, and the credit must be given to the late
Deputy Commissioner and to Captain Parsons, the present Deputy Commissioner,
for the liberal way in which District Board ponies and galloways have been
supplied.
396. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, states:—
I may say that I went to the Show not expecting to see anything of much interest, but I came away much
pleased with some of the horse stock I saw.
397. The remarks made by the Judging Committee are of great interest
as showing what can be done by improving poor indigenous stock (and
certainly the original stock of the Umballa district can be described in no other
way) by mating it with Arab sires in the first instance. The Committee first
show that the indigenous stock is small and of miscellaneous extraction, they
then proceed to show that all the stock, with few exceptions, in the district got
by Government sires out of branded mares, is of Hackney strain; that the heavy
shoulder is very observable. They then state:—
The District Board stock is of better quality and conformation than the other, and if anything is to be made
in the future of this district as a horse-breeding centre, the credit will be due entirely to the District sires and to
the selection of these fillies for branding. There is too much coarse blood in the horse stock and this should be
remedied forthwith.
398. This undoubtedly goes to prove the value of the Arab cross in the
first instance, and the manner in which it stamps its stock and improves the
indigenous stock of this country.