The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-06
LOVE FOR THE HORSE.
Expanding Million md n Half Of
Dollars on Theory.
Talking With Man Who Scoured
Europe and Arabia for
Race Horses.
New York SUM-

love shown by KentugkianB for their horses
This love, In some Of its phases, exceeds tha
of the Arabs, for the latter. when they posses
an animal III pure blood and unrivaled spec
desire 10 keep the knowledge within thelimit
III their own tribe. while the Kentuckian
pride themselves In having the fame Of thel
Flyers spread oil over the world.
While en- ioying a pleasant chat with a tnr
writer OF note, Mr.. A. Keene Richards wa
pointed out To me as one ut the most remarka
BILE horsemen In tho word He has expende
d fortune Ut Vi, 100000" continued the turf
man. I'm his love for the horse. He has paint
sngs by Hall, Troye and other eminent paint
erH of horses One picture Of the Knight o
Nt. George, by Harry Hall, cost him $4,000
lie IN the only American that has ever visitet
the Desert of Sahara In search Of pure Ara
bi6n horses. In that journey he enjoyed TIN
costly luxury u taking an artist along fol
more than 100000 on this trip. which wat
only one Of the three be has made. His home
IL q Museum Of cnriositles from the last. Il
ne Is IA q talking mood, you will get story
from him worth listening TO-.
On being introduced 10 MIR. Richards.
found him very agreeable and scholarly
gentleman. He Ism little above the medium
height, strongly built, large head, intellee-
tual features, short gray hair and long gray
Whiskere, He talked freely about his travels,
but was rather unwilling TO press his theo-.
fles as to the breeding Ut blooled horses on
tho public MI. Richards finally extended a
warm personal Invitation to visit his farm and
examine his stock
MI. Rlchards's farm Ii called Blue Grass
Park Il is situated In the suburbs OF George
town, III one Of the finest portions Of the blue
grass region. The park contains about eight
hundred acres, divided into nifty and sixty
acre Enclosures. The land IL very rich and
rolling the turf the oldest In Kentucky while
4 noble forest trees add to the natural beauties
of The place. The royal spring of Kentucky
q State, and 10 the point from which all Of the
original surveys were made. Mr.. Richards
has q race course over the sod similar TO En-
Elish courses. Races we're run here as early
Us 1908. In 1870 Mr.. Rchards's grandfather
converted the place Into deer park, and
many d Jolly hunt was enjoyed by Kentuckys
hrnve SONS over The adjacent fields.
MI. Richards having Inherited love and
\ possess the highest breed and noblest types,de-
termined many years ago to read for him
self The most authentic books On the subject,
and Without prejudice select che stock he pre-
ferrad. whether ut home from the aristocratic
paddocks oil England. the mountains of Mo-
rocco or the deserts OF Arabia. He soon be-
ueved that the thoroughbred English horse
was the best for oil work. In tracing history
y few generations back he came to the Arab,
Barh and Turk. A closer examination re.
veAled To him that some of the best English
horses had not this triplet cross. For years
the English had tried the modern Arab cross
without much success.
While Investigating the character Of mod
ern Importation he found that most of them
had been purchased on the coast Of Syria, In
Egypt, and some from India. With these
facts before him he resolved to personally I'm
<port the best Arabs that could be found Iii the
lucky mares.
MI. Richards made himself acquainted
with the modern importation previous to 1861
by visiting England, France and Spain and
countries. He then went to Morocco, through
Algeria 70 Tunis. thence to Egypt and from
Egypt through Arabia Petrea and the desert I
east Of Damascus as far as Palmyra.
;Mokhladi. gray stallion bred by the Tara
bfne tribe Of Bedouins In Arabia Petrea. In
1866 Mokhladl colt took the prize at Leg
angton IN the ring Of yearlings. Mr.. Rich
ards also purchased while on this tour Mas
soud, o rich chestnut stallion, and a tine gray
mare bred by the Anayza Bedouins One of
Massoud's yearllng tilies received the first
prize both Mt Lexington and ut the State Fair
In Paris In 1856.
More than encouraged by the result Of his
iirBt Journey, Mr.. Richards began preparing
for another trip to the East. Ha believed "a
Layard wrote: II doubt whether any Arab
Of the best blood has ever been brought to
England. The difficulty Of obtaining them IL
20 great that they are scarcely ever seen
beyond the limits OF the desert"
Alter Two years spent IN maturing his plans,
Mr.. Richards started for the desert, accom-
panied by Mr. Edward Troye, the artist Mr..
Richards since his first journey to the East.
Shortly after their arrival 10 Spain the Syrian
died. MI. keene then began to study the Ian
guaRe IN order to carry out Mr. Richards's
plans among the BedOulns. He remained
n Damascus seven months, mastering the
language.
Overcoming many difficulties, Mr. Richards
inally purchased stallion Of superior form
and blood from one Of the Sheiks of the tribe
of Denl- Zahr. This horse was afterwards ex-
changed, with the addition OF large fortune.
He was large for an Arabian, being fully fif- !,
zen hands and OF magnificent form. He was d
he choice OF Mr.. Troye, the painter. Faysal, I
= bright chestnut. supposed to be the best
young horse In the Anayza tribe, a gray colt, Y
TWO Years old, q mare and two dromedaries Q
completed Mr.. Richards importations from /
AS q proof nf the great difficulty In obtain d
ng the pure Bedouin horse In the desert Mr., t
richards relates an incident that occurred to / d
Mr.. NJ. Il. Keene, Mr. Richards's cousin, while Q
,mong th., t Benl zaes He was pricing 4
would load her with gold, the gold would still {
y his. and he would keep his mare" The Q
English have offered immense sums for favor d
70 horses. which the Arabs refused, and the q
anSiish nave been compelled to take the Sec G
There is much trickery practced by dealers Il
% the coast and among the towns on the bor Fl
Ter OF the desert as to the pedigrees Of Arab r
lorses. In the desert there are no regular Il
,edigrees kept OF their horses, but the Blood
i their best Is known to all of the tribe tradi-
ionally. When a colt OF high blood ID foaIed. 3
everal men of the tribe is called in to witness i
be fact. A stain tn the blood Of any family v
4 horses is as we'll known as a flaw In the ii
'edigree of any Of our distinguished trotters t.
nd racers. 8
The. gray colt purchased by Mr. Richards fl
Fas of Koheylan hlood. Nimrod, the famous {,
ritter for the English Sporting Magasine, g.
ITote many years ago that koheylan was L
be finest horse he ever saw. His stock had II
cen In the family Of the Sheik for more than K
10 years. al
Mr.. Richards turned out several winners by 81
liking Oriental and Kentucky blood. Before b
10 war he had breeding establishment in tt
ouisiana, where, In connection with Blue 8,
rass Park, his theory was to be tried on a 70
rye scale. The war, however, was very dis al
'trous to his proidct, and he has not re- at
frsaYs Is ~ Hn 49, | Sc