53
279. The branded mares, in which class 37 competed, were good and
roomy, with good bone and substance, and were in every way suitable for
breeding remounts.
280. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, states:—
"The horse and mule breeding industries of the district, especially the former, are in a flourishing condition,
and the latter, judging for the demand from donkey stallions, continues to increase in popularity."
281. The Superintendent further reports as follows, with reference to the
removal of the young stock from the districts:—
" A question which has been frequently put to me is ' what becomes of all the beautiful young stock one sees
at shows P ' Any one present at this fair to the last day could have seen nearly all the young stock in the fair
bought up by dealers. One dealer alone I saw with one hundred and fifty young horse stock, ranging from
about six months to two and a half years old."
282. This is only one of the many fairs from which large batches are
taken by the Bhojpuri dealers to Bengal. I have carefully watched this
class during my last tour, and have seen equally large strings being taken from
Dera Ghazi Khan and surrounding districts, Makanpur and other centres.
This may be cited as an additional reason for a certain number of young stock
being purchased annually for Native Cavalry.
Bannu Horse
Show.
283. The prospects of this show appear to be fluctuating. As far back as
1881, when Superintendent of the Horse Breeding Department, I formed a
high opinion of the horse stock of this district, and of the possibilities of its
improvement by the admixture of Arab and Thoroughbred blood; the late
Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department—Veterinary-Lieutenant Drage—
also thought that the Bannu district had a great future before it; then
suddenly all interest in the Horse Show appeared to die out, and last year it
was at the lowest ebb, and was well described as a ' one breeder's show.'
284. It is therefore a pleasure, especially during the year under review,
to be able to report a marked revival in the interest shown in the matter.
Double the number of horses were present when compared with last year, the
numbers being 525 in 1895-96 and 1,120 in 1896-97. The competition for
prizes was much more open, and was not confined to one or two men as was
the case last year, there being 741 competitors against 395 in 1895-96.
285. One hundred and sixty-one branded mares competed against 81 last
year, and the quality of these is reported by the Superintendent, Civil Veteri-
nary Department, to have shown a marked improvement.
286. In all, 216 branded animals competed for prizes: evidently with a
view to encourage owners to patronize the show, the Deputy Commissioner
had a class for unbranded mares and fillies. In this class, 143 competed,
but of these, the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, reports as
follows:—
"They were a very poor lot, and I am of opinion that this was a very useless class."
287. I can scarcely agree with the latter remark, for one thing the form-
ation of this class undoubtedly proved was, the great superiority of the branded
mare class which is reported to have shown marked improvement in quality
when compared with former years.
288. The competition for the silver medal, which last year was confined
to Malik Yar Mahomed Khan of Kalabagh, brought forward five competitors,
the winner showing eight branded mares, two geldings, and some useful young
stock.
289. The thanks of this Department are certainly due to Mr. R. E.
Younghusband, the Deputy Commissioner of the district, for the great interest
he has shown in the development of horse breeding; to his exertions must be
ascribed the success of the present show.
290. This officer, in his report, states:—
"I would strongly urge that the Norfolk Trotter stallion, now standing at Edwardesabad, should be replaced
by an Arab, which is much more suited to the Baluchi and Waziri mares than the Trotters."
I shall do my best to comply with the Deputy Commissioner's request, but
I fear that the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, North Punjab,
will be unable to spare one, as the demand for Thoroughbreds and Arabs in
his circle is so great.