The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-10
The Dexter Family.
from the Turf, Field and Farm.

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The family history Of noted horses1s often nat
ter OF no small interest. The grandam OF Dexter
came into the possession of the Hawkins family as
part Of the marriage portion Of the young bride OF
Jonas Hawkins, of Orange county, and seems to
have brought good fortune to the house Of Haw.
kins. OF this mares breeding and early history
nothing Is known further than that she came from
that vast region Indefinitely known as "The West"
She was handsome brown mare, with fsur white
feet, very gentle and intelligent and after years OF
faithful performance OF her duties rs q family SER
want and bearing descendants whose names are
likely to figure In records for all times to come,
she died at the age OF thirty-two years without Q
spot or bemish. Ill
The produce OF the grandam Of Dexter numbered
six als:-First the dam Of Dexter, black mare,
with star, snip and four white feet, by American
Star. Second chestnut colt, three white feet, by
. son OF American Star-a fine open.gaited colt,
brown gelding, with blaze face, glass eyes and
four white legs, by son OF Long Island Black
White legs by son Of cassus NJ Cav .nI Elder iT
Jonas Hawkins still retains and holds the ribbons
over the two last. Fifth shark, bright bay geld
by Mr.. Marshall, OF New York. Shark was the first
OF the family regularly handled by professional
driver and to his wonderful trotting powers 10 due
much Of the early fame Of Hambetonian. In
fact, Shark may be. said to have blazed
the path that the subsequent brilliant per-
Torrance OF Dexter made broader and brighter
until the name OF their sire, Hambletonian
became a household word wherever the trotter Is
known. The sixth f0al Is magnificent chestnut
mare, Gypsy owned by Mr.. g. Rowland, OF New
York. Gypsy has . blaze face. four white legs and
large botch OF white on her belly, almost the pre-
else color and markings OF the famous pacing mare
Pocahontas. Query-ls 1t possible that Dexter
and his noted family go back through this marc
from "the westn to the oid-time thoroughbred
CadmusS-that Mr.. Bonner has unwittingly placed
side by side in his stable the near OF Kin Dexter
and the bay daughter OF Pocahontas, and that
much OF the Juror created fer Hambletonian
through the performances or Shark and Dexter Is
due to Old Virginia Thunder The dam OF Dexter
was Dexter. What frequenter OF the trottng turf
Is not familiar with his blaze face and four white
feet, or with his brilliant records The second lost
In foalinR, by sou OF Black Hawk Third,
Mr.. Charles Backman, OF stony Ford. Fourth,
Dictator, by Hambetonian, owned by Mr..
Durkee, and with his stud companion, the famous
Blackwood, Is quartered at the Spring Hill stud
farm, Flushing, l.. l. Ftfth Kearsarge. brown,
four white feet, by Volunteer, still at Mr.. Jonathan
Hyacinth, a bay. with STAR imp, and white ankles
behind seventh, My, by Volunteer, lost In fOal
ing. Eighth, flly by Volunteer brown, with three
white feet, owned by Mr.. Jonathan Hawkins. Ninth
lost In foang. Eleventh, Astoria, brown lilly, by
Hambetonian, owned by Mir. Rowland. Twelfth bay
fy, blaze lace, white hind legs, by Hambletonian
died young. Thirteenth, brown 1ly, with blaze and
one white hind foot owned by Mr.. Hawkins ant
still at the Walden farm. noticeable fact witt
this family is that the foals have generally bred
after the dams more less closely for color ant
contour. Nevertheless, Dexter therefore, comet
| legitimately by his color and marking through MI
dam and grandam, while his brother Dictator
the markings, still has the same slope from couplinS
! to Group and other peculiarites OF outline. show
/ Ing that he, like Dexter, has in O great degre,
| bred after his dam, at least for form.