Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-05-11
TALKS ABOUT HORSES.
COMPARATIVE MERITS OF LAMBERTs AND
HAMBLETONlANS.
wv. II. Bliss in Rutland Herald

w. H. Bliss in Rutland Herald
A discussion of much interest to such
of our breeders as are trying to produce
trotters has recently appeared in the
Granville On. " Republican. ''Ver-
mont" therein maintains that breeders in
this region should follow the Hamble-
tonian line if they desire to produce trot-
tiers worthy of the name of race-horses,
while "Vermonter" contends that their
chances will be better if they stick to the
Lambert, "to the manor born" The
discussion grew out of part of one of
this series of articles forwarded to and
copied by that paper, and as it relates to
one of the most important questions that
can be presented to the breeder of fine
horses, further examination of it cannot
lack interest.
The disputants are not far apart on dis
puted questions of fact, as "Vermont"
practically admits that Lambert had
three newcomers to the 2 80 list last sea-
son, instead of one as he assumed, while
"Vermonter" will haye to concede that
Hambletonian was the sire of three in
the . 20 list, instead of one, as he errone-
ously stated. But when, the COMPARE
son of these two sres being extended,
"Vermont' says "Hambletonian never
went to Kentucky, yet he has fl in the
2 80 list and it only took him y years to
do it, Il question arises as to the legiti-
macy of the argument. Hambetonian
was foaled in 1919, and got over 1900
fOals before his death in March, 1876, of
which 40 Cor one in 32) have got records
of = 80 or better, in 26 seasons from Rob-
ert Fillingham Geo. Wilkes in 1862 to
the last in 1887. Lambert was foaled
nine years later, in 1858, and has got on
ly about 800 foals, 81 of which Cor one in
25) have got records of 2 80 or better in
10 seasons, from Nonesuch in 1869 to
Annie Laurie in 1887. The average
record is a fraction of a second in favor
of the get of Hambletonan but in the
number of heats trotted in 2: 80 or
better, the get of Lambert are over 20 per
cent ahead. The records of three of
HambletOnan's 10 were "tin cup records"
made against time, only single heat in
2:30 or better, by horses that never won
a race. Only one of Lambert's 81 made
his record against time, and he was then
winner of four races with record of
1872. Lambert has sired five winners of
20 or more public and recorded races !:
HambletOnian but two. Lambert is sire
of nine trotters of 80 or more public and
recorded races; Hambletonian but two.
There is very strong probability that
within the nine years due to Lambert to
make his period equal to Hambletonian's
present one, Lambert's 2 80 list will out
number the present list of Hambletonan.
and will ultimately outnumber it, not
withstanding the great preponderance of
numbers from which Hambletonian has
to draw. These facts are beyond dispute
and in the light of them | fail to see how
the get of Hambletonian can be said to
excel in point of racing quality the get
of Daniel Lambert. This position is not
answered by sweeping the country over
for the multitude of more remote descend
ants of Hambletonian, sifted as they are
from numbers like the sands of the sea !:
the result of most ingenious system of
advertising, which began as far back as
1867, when Dexter made his record and
which at one time threatened to drive
every other family out of the market.
To meet the argument that because
Lambert and his sons are successful in
this region and the get of Hambletonian
are not, it is wise, in this region to breed
to the Lambert rather than to the Ham
bletonian line, "VermOnt" says: "Ver-
monter furthermore states that If Lam
bert had gone to Kentucky, and If Wilkes