New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-11
DRIVING FAST TROTTERS.
A CHAT WITH ROBERT BONNER.
HOW HIS TASTE FOR HORSES WAS DEvELopED-THs
TROTTER's POSSIBLE SPEED,

| TBOTTERs POSSIBLE SPEED.
Unlike his Office in The Ledger building, the
walls of which covered with the portraits Of famous
trotters and famous authors, Robert Bonners sitting
room at bis private house gives evidence the tastes
OF the owner for horsefesh and literature. Mr. Bonner
who is thckset, youngshlookng man, with keen eyes
and reddish beard IN his easy other even
ing caressng foot with his hand chatting on his
| favOrite hobby TO a TRIBUNE reporter.
al think Imay lay modest clain' said he 10 be an
authority on tile rottng horse and II was, eurousy
enough, mere chance that led to take an interest
which subsequently became engrossng one I'm that
subject. more years ago than care to recall that
came to this city from Hartford The CouGnt which
cit had been working tn literary capacity Boon az.
ter my arrival started a venture which took ny
whole care and attention. For years worked day
and night till my health began 10 give way One day my
old family physician walked into the Office, and after tell
lug me how I'll looked, sad Robert, want check
for $500, What for q asked. To buy you horse
answered he. Well. he did so. and for while tried
saddle-hOrse exercise, but soon found that IT
did not agree with me- Then / took to driy-
ing, and I have driven ever since, and behind
pretty fast horses too, let me tell you have
great changes though since the day first drove out by
my doctors orders gain health and strength In those
days the owners OF fast rule either
sports (which then another name for gambersl
butcherboys and the Ike For several years old Com
mOdore Vanderbilt Colonel Harper the senior member Of
the publishing frm and myself were perhaps the only
n
proud Of driving fast trotters A man then was
given to deprecaDg the speed Of any horse be owneda
state Of mind which is curously nowadays, when
mans powers Of imagination rather incline to the con-
trary order Of things Little by little, however 1t began
to be recognized that could drive fast horse and
still be respectable member Of society. Speaking for
myself I may say that from the first day
I took the lines IN my hands I made
resolve which have r1gidly adhered to. It that
under no circumstance would allow horse owned by
me TO compete the raeetraek for stakes As
horse enters my stable his public Is II
the knowledge OF this fact which prevented my securing
Dexter earlier In his at much lower price than
subsequently paid for him. and this Is how was:
George Alley, dare say you know, bought Dexter for
5000 odd the original check with which he paid for his
purchase being I'm my possession today Under Alleys
ownership Dexter began 10 develop his wonderful
powers OF speed Well day Alley, who was then
suffering from pecuniary pressure, TO and offered
the horse for S15 0OO stating that he had made
tain time which then below the record. was not
very eager at that time for the horse, but told
Mr.. Alley that IL he would make that time
In my presence at Fleetwood 1 would buy him.
We went out to the track but the wellknOwn driver
who then had him In hand did not want me to become
his owner, as he knew that would be tantamOunt to
the horses retirement nom the race-track He &C
cordingly pulled him IN when making the trial. and
fused repeat the experiment Of course SAID the bar
gain was of, and short time after Alley sold him at
auction to a man from Chicago for $4,000 friend Of
this about year after asked me If would give him
commission supposing he obtained the horse for
S33 900 assented. and thus really paid $4,000 for
the horse, who is In my stables as suppose you
know"
Do you think the present system of trotting exhibit
lions preudeial g.
s." think 1 must answer yes. Every true sports
men fears the degeneratng OF his sport into
a form OF hppOdroming, and, judging from
recent disclosures and the facts I know myself,
that is what things are coming to- This trot ting
for the gte-money aud the prevalence Of pooselng
matches cannot TOO severely condemned and the latter
should Ike to see severely punished and vigorously
repressed ny the authorities"
Don't you think that these public trials OF speed have
done much 10 develop the trotterP
"No. I think they principally serve to develop the
gains the gamblers. myself make rule Of never at
tending public match unless want to horse
or one think Of purchasing"
To what do you attribute the rapid and marvellous
lowering of the record in the last twenty years -
ITO several courses In the first place what may call
the mechanical aduncts the sport have been wonder
fully improved. Our modern sukies and buggie:
represent almost the perfection of scientific skill applied
minimum. while strength and stability remain maxi
num- Then, several seconds nave oeen galned by me
on my own farm for instance after using Tor some
10 try the novelty which is used at Fleetwood, and
found had gained two seconds at least by doing so
this direction fact, think this latter invention has
almost revOluonzed the science OF trOtting and will
have a powerful influence on future breeding. t
Is TO careful breeding, after all. that we
must look for the greatest results in the
future development OF the trOtting horse Our original
trOtting stock You may know. came from Canadahe
KaHUck stock ii called; then Orange became the
great breeding centre and little better blood was bred
from Kentucky. which for generations has been the
home of the thoroughbred is sending US our best an
mais That think, Is the great sccretthe Introduction
OF thoroughbred strain. do not think that one can
breed good rOtter straight from thoroughbred mare
but you take the product of trOtter and thorough
breed that again to good trOtng stock, you
are likely get good results That is the
history OF ,Iay-Eye-Sce's success. He has the
stnying properties Of his thoroughbred ancestors,
staying united 10 the action OF good trOt
ting strain will make the ideal rOcr OF the future, and
the action Is nowadays become greater matter or GER
tanty thanks the kindly assistance OF the toeweghs
Without those. for instance, Maud s. would never have
become the horse that she Is"
"What do you think will be the ultimate speed at
lainedl"
well can only say That have horse I'm my stables
that has trOtted quarter in 30l when we manage
by breeding tn obtain that staying power spoke Of
suppose tWO-minute record Will he common enough
thing worthy mathematical professor has.
been calculating that the trotter VIII eventually equal
he running horse in his speed. Every holSeman must
know this Is absurd nonsense ut first glance horse
hat has 10 be pulled in with tremendous force rs not
exert himself tho utmost equal the speed
who is given HIS head and proceed by series
" bounds as II and almost fly through the AIR
PrOtting Is, after I'll, artificial gait and must OF
be shower than natural ONE