The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-12-21
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
Trotting Horses in England and
America,

TrOtting Horses in England and
America.
We make the following interesting ex.
tract in regard to the history Of trotting
horses, in both England and this country,
from an essay by Ellwood Harvey, MD,
in "Stonehenge, ~. Fl. Walsh Mcclure
and Harvey on the Horse" lately pub.
lished by Porter & Coates, Philadelphia,
Though trotting has been greatly culti-
waited here, and enters more largely into
the business and pleasures of Americans
than Of any other people, it would be an
error to suppose that no attention has
been given to it in any other country, Or
that the matching Of trotters in races had
its origin here. The trot is a natural
gait to the horse, as it is to many other
quadrupeds, and whenever horses are
driven in harness their trotting is likely
to be improved. A horseback rider finds
the gallop and the canter easier to him,
and horses are chiefly trained to those
gaits in countries where light vehicles and
good roads are unknown as in Asia, Af.
RIGA, the eastern part Of Europe, and all
of America except the United States and
Canada.
Trotting, as sport, began in England
as early as 1871, in which year we find
account Of brown mare, Is years old,
that trotted on the Essex road l6 miles
in So minutes. On the 18th Of October,
1899. trotting match was decided on
Sunbury Common, England, between Mr..
Dixons brown gelding and DIR. Bishops
gray gelding each carrying l68 lbs,
which was won in 27m. los, The dis
lance is not stated, but the time shows
that it was a trial Of endurance as well
as speed. Nearly all of the English trot-
ting matches at that early period were of
great distance. A Mr.. Stevens drove
pair of his own horses tandem, in 1876,
from Windsor to Hampton Court, 16
miles, in less than an hour; and the eel.
ebrated English trottcr,, Archer carried
2l0 lbs. l6 miles in SIS minutes. At
about this period variety of roadsters
called Norfolk trotters came into notice
in England, and still maintain good
reputation there, though none Of them
have ever attained speed that would be
considered very fast here. No other
European country has produced trotters
worthy Of notice.
Trotting as public amusement began
somewhat later in this country. Porter's
Spirit of the Times, of Dec. goth, 1856
states 1.-The first time ever horse trot.
ted in public for stake was in lS1S,and
that was match against time for $1,000
The match was proposed at jockey.clut
dinner, where trotting had come under
discussion, and the bet was that no horse
could be produced that could trot a mile
in three minutes. 1t was accepted by
Major VIM. Jones, of long Island, anc
Col. Bond, of Nd, but the odds on tim,
was immense. The horse named at thu
post was Boston Blue, which won ceverly
and gained great renown. He subse
quently was purchased by Thomas Coo
per, the tragedian, who drove him on sew
eral occasions between New York AM
Philadelphia, thereby enabling Inn +
perform his engagements in either city OIL
alternate nights" This performance wa
more than twenty years laters than tn
first public trotting in England. wher
the sport was then receiving some en-
enlargement and Boston Blue was tax
tn to that country, where he trotted eigh
miles in 2Sm. Dos, winning 100 SOY
eigns. lie also trotted several short
races, making about three minutes tim,
He was rat-tailed, iron-gray geldinl
l6 hands high, and nothing is known {
his pedigree.
Trotting received very little sttentio
here until after 1920, when the decor
dents Of Messenger attracted attention b
their speed, spirit and endurance chief
about Philadelphia and Nav York. |
1925 the New York Trotting Club wi
organized, and established a trottir
course on Long Island In 1928 Il
the hunting Park Association was esta
lished in Philadelphia-"for the encou
agement of the breed Of fine horses, e
pecially that most valuable one know
as the trotter." Its course, known at Il
Hunting Park, was located about mil
north Of the city.
Before the era marked by the organ
cation of these two association, thr
minutes was about the shortest time
which any horse here or in England HI
trotted mile. In limitation of t
four mile running heats then and nc
common, the first trials Of speed we
usually for three miles or more; al
effort was not then directed to the create
degree of speed for single mile. For sc
eral years 2 and Smile heats were trott
at about the rate of 2m. 40s. to the mi
and this is about the average speed of
day, estimating from the reports Of trc
ting races in the Spirit Of the Tim'
though we now have many that can
the mile in less than Pm. 20s. Amo
the early celebrities were Screwdriv,
Betsy Baker, Topgallant, Whalebol
Shakespeare, Paul Pry. Trouble and
Peter all grand colts Of Messenger, {
eept the first named, and he was a gre
grand-colt. AS many of the most dist
guished trotters of the present day ella
the same lineage, and as the influence
this great progenitor of the trotting sto
of the country was immensely grea
than of all the others together, histc
a