4
The British Cavalry and Native Cavalry remount prize winners are reported as hav-
ing been of good stamp, the two-year old geldings as moderate, and the one-year old
geldings as very fair.
Only three mules competed, and all obtained prizes; and two pony mares out of eight
competing obtained awards.
Bridles were awarded to the undermentioned prize winners :—
Jawahir of Kansepur.
Gheesa of Pamdukheri.
Chatar of Kachauli.
Meerut (Nau-
chandi)
Horse
Show.
This horse show commenced on the 12th and closed on the 19th of March 1893.
The number of stock present was 1,405 against 1,292 last year, giving an increase of
113. Of these 560 were the property of zemindars and 845 of breeders.
The weather was unfavorable, but, despite the rain, the show was pronounced by the
Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department (Veterinary-Major Rayment), as a most suc-
cessful one; and in his report he states: " The best classes were the branded mares, fillies,
the two-year old fillies, and the yearling fillies and colts. In the two first mentioned
classes many animals were grossly fat. I pointed this out to the owners. In the geld-
ing classes, the 3 and 4 year olds were very poor indeed, the former especially so. The
mule class was numerically weak, but few of those competing showing much merit. Con-
sidering the large number bred in the district, it is curious that so few should be brought
into the show."
Probably many of the young mule stock are sold, when weaned, to Punjab dealers.
Veterinary-Major Rayment adds " that at a ploughing competition the Civil Veterinary
Department mares and plough competed successfully, as at Bulandshahr and Aligarh.
"The young stock purchased for Government were promising, but not equal to those
obtained at Bulandshahr. The remounts obtained for Native Cavalry and the Central
Provinces Police were also good in their respective classes."
The Collector (James White, Esq., C. S.) of Meerut has submitted a very full report
on the fair, from which the following extracts are taken: "I would premise that this
cannot be considered a Government fair, as the greater portion of the funds is raised by
subscription and administered by a Committee of European and Native gentlemen. I
trust that the Government will not think it necessary that the Accountant General should
be called on to audit the accounts.
" Ploughing competition.—This
excited considerably more attention and interest
than in previous years. There were many competitors, the test applied was a stricter
one, and the judges were more particular about the conditions of the contest. The judges
were Babu Lachman Pershad Varma, Mirza Raza Ali Beg, Tahsildar, Rai Bahadur Debi
Singh, Chaudhri Kulyan Singh, and Mr. Albert Puech. The work to be done was the
ploughing up of one pucka bigha of light loamy soil.
" Purchase of remounts for the Army Remount Department.—Captain
Westlake
for the Army Remount Department purchased 19 animals at an average price of
Rs. 358-11-0. The average age of the animals was 2 years 1 month; the price paid must
be considered liberal. There were seven fillies in the lot, and of the colts seven were
geldings. Five were by Thorough-bed English sires, ten by Norfolk Trotter or half-bred
English sires, and the remainder by unknown sires. The dams of no less than eleven of
them were by Government stallions. Captain Westlake speaks well of his purchases, but
complains of faulty hocks generally, which is undoubtedly attributable to the want of
exercise that both dams and foals suffer from.
" He also draws attention to the unsoundness of a gelding offered to him for sale,
which had just taken the first prize in the show. The system of marking practically
imposed on the officers who serve on these Judging Committees is undoubtedly open
to criticism.
" Remounts for Native Cavalry—Lieutenant
Moore purchased 13 remounts for his
regiment, the 3rd Bengal Cavalry, now in quarters at Faizabad. Of these two were fillies and
six geldings ; the average age was 3½ years, and the average price paid was Rs. 276-8-o.
Eleven of these remounts were sired by Government stallions, eight by Norfolk trotters.
Obviously the Norfolk Trotter sires will be a requisition for many years to come,
especially the lighter sort, from which so many good hackneys and carriage horses
are bred in England. So far as I have been able to ascertain, the Native breeders
prefer the Norfolk Trotter sire to any other.
" For the Central Provinces Police.—Mr. H. Coles purchased 20 remounts. The
average price has not been reported, but all details were probably given to the Civil
Veterinary and Horse-Breeding Departments.