The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1877-07-24
RUSSIAN STATIONS TRoT-
TING.

STATIONS FRof-
TING.
Their Peculiar Trappings and
Node Of Driving BY Native
PROM the Mes York SIM.
The first public exhibition Of the
Russian tr0tters from the OelOif stud
wa1 poorly attended yesterday. There
are Eve Of the horses; the gray stall
lion Kolokolishik (BeautifuD. the
black stallion Lebed (the Big Swami,
the black stallion Lebedenok (the Lit.
tie Swami. tire gray stallion Zwonok
(the BelD. and the bay mare Birp
(the Bourse). At the first part If the
exhibition they were led BY grooms
past the grand stand. and excited gen.
eral admiration. They belong to a
breed Of stock famed for speed and
staying qualities, and are all about l5l
to l5i hands IN height. I.ebed is a
magnificent brute, with broad chest.
clean limbs and spirited action. Hi
eye is bright and clear. but decidedly
wicked. lie is well matched by his
mate, Lebe,.enok, and the other horses
Of the stud bear a general family re.
semblance.
The black mare, Birja was frs,
shown in harness. She was frs,
hitched to a droska. q clumsy, four
wheeled vehicle, with what Americans
call straddle seat and mere apollo.
gy for dash board. Her driver VII
DaniloG. a famous Russian horseman,
who wore a long coat Of blue cloth,
with skirts reaching to his feet.
Around his waist was a belt Of gold
or bullion, and his cap was Of black
cloth. surmounted by u number O'
peacock feathers. Birja is FIVE year
old and Is from the PhilinOff stud
Her full brother, who has q record OF
the imperial track at St. Petersburg
Of two miles in Eve minutes, has thu
still more enviable distinction of hav
ing killed four grOoms. The mar,
showed some signs Of viciousness OF
the track yesterday. but was kept vel
in hand. Like the rest Of the stud
she was too fat to make good time
hut the knowing ones held that under
American training she could possibly
be brought into the thirties-pOssibly
lower till. Her harness consisted O.
a collar, a belly band and breechins
strap. which, instead Of hitching Il
the shaft. was buckled to the collar
To keep the shafts in position, they
were also occurred to the collar, allow,
which was a yoke like an inverted u
This helps to hold the shafts, md j,
also used to suspend tinkling bell.
from.
Lebed and Lebedonok, black stall
lions hitched to a teleshka, a four
wheeled chariot setting low, with q
forward seat for the driver and q real
seat for two groOns was next driven
out. The driver was Danilof. and
behind sat q groom in q red jacket
dark trunks. red topped boots (of Rus
sian leather, presumably, and a black
cap with peacock feathers. The har
ness was elaborate with brass and sil
yer mountings. and the team made Q
beautiful show as they circled the
track Mt a four-minute gait. They
were not blown by their speeding Of .
mile or more. but it was evident tina,
they carried too much flesh to do good
work. The style of driving was very
unlike the American. The driver sa,
straight, with his arms extended al
right angles from his body. He KEPT
his reins taut. but still seemed to us<
much less effort than an ordinary
American driver. Instead Of "Whoa!'
he uttered a peculiar 'burring" sound
which may be best described thus
"Tr-r-r-r-rw He carried no whip,
and seldom used his reins IN
place Of it. When he wanted
to "spurt." he called out, IVA
he-e-e-e !" in q shrill treble, and the
horses bounded forward at full speed.
The Russian trotters are well trained,
and very seldom break. When they
do get offtheir to feet they are always
brought down their work within q
a length or two. In all the trottine
yesterday afternoon, there were
only three or four breaks,
although in two races running horses
were used to iDcite the trOtters t.
greater speed.
Kolokoltshik, driven between two
American running horses from the
Douglass stable, made the sensation
ofthe day. This style Of driving the
Russian term Gin troika." The We
hicle was a heavy four-wheeled chariot
with seats for driver and groom. The
t-otter was harnessed in the shafts,
which were held vide apart by IN
immense inverted U yoke. to which
a small bell. sounding like q common
cow bell, was attached. On each side
was a runner. hitched in the traces
to singletree. Single reins were
attached to each Of the runners, and
thus, as the drive: held them taut,
the tendency was to throw their heads
outward. and keep them well ID
the shafts. The trotter kept h,s pace
and the runners galioped
merrilv at his side, seemingly proud
Of their gaudily Ornament harnessse.
Such q test as that Of Yesterday
If driving Gin troika" may not be very
fair one. but such as it was it left the
among American hOrsemen
that the runners were drawbacks rather
han an aid to the trotter.
In grooming and caring for their
horses the Russians seem to be much
|ess particular than anv other horse