The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-22
HORSE WHISPERERS.
Their Mysterious AscendanCy
Over Vicious EQuines.
The Wonderful Achievements
of Con Sullivan Of Cork.

lIS VOIlQGTI Ql ACllISFGliGIiIS
of Con Sullivan Of Cork.
It is commonly believed, says the
Farming Word, that there are IN
doubtediy mysterious Influences by
which al immediate ascendancy is
gained over the horse Independent Of
the process of teaching or p7omptings
OF aT ction. There was formerly living
in the county of Cork, Ireland, family
who lail claim to tho possession Of a
secret 10y which the widest or most vi
ciou5 horse could bo tanned. This Sc
crct is said to have boon original ly i'm
partol by a Bohemian gypsy to the
then head OF the family, a century and
a ha,f ago, and to have been regularly
transmitted, as a parting legacy at the
time of death, from the father to the
eldest son. Possibly there my be il
the county Of Cork scion of the family
still practicing, with more or less sue
cess, the art of ''horse whispering" but it
is an indisputable fact that at the COM
mcnccment Of the present century the
fame OF Con Sullivan, the then head Of
the family, for miraculous cures Of vic
ious horses, had spread far and wide
throughout Ireland. Among the ma2 y
we'll atte ted accounts Of tho wonderful
achievements of Con Sullivan, "The
WhiSpcrcr," " the services which he rem
dered to Colonel Wastenra, who after
ward succeeded to the title Of R)ssmoTe
were the talk OF the whole country.
The colonel had splendid race horse
called Rain bow, and he WAS anxious to
run him at the races on th3 Curragh Of
kildare, but he was so wild and vicious
that his owner found that h3 INST give
up all thou ,hts of bringing him ou.
and running him. H. would bite
very one who went near him, like the
present Lord FAImouth's s brute. Muley
Edits, who "savaged" the late Fred
Archer's arm, and it was necessary to
tie up his head when the groom who at
tended him was with him. If a horse
chaaced to b. near he was sure to bite
him or try to; and the legs of the jockey
who attempted to mount him did not
escape his fangs.
Lord D 3ncrvllc said he knew a per-
son who could cure him and a wager of
5000 was laid oa the matter. A mes
seagyr was despatched for Con Sullivan
who was known throughout the country
side as 'ths whisperer. from the sup
position that he whispered into the
horses car, by which means he quilted
such as were unru,y. When he was told
the state Of Colonel Wastenra'5 horse
lie desired to 60 into the stable to see
him. 'sYou must wait till his head is
tied up" was sail and repeated By
those present. 90 OCCASION" sal /
Con, che wont bite me- So in he
went, after peremptoriiy ordering no
one to follow him till given sig nal
should imply that they had his permis-
IL.
viable tete-a -tctc. In little more than
q quarter of an hour the sig
nal was heard. Those who had been
waiting in alarm for the result rushed
in and found the horse extended on his
back playing like kitten with the
whispercr, who was quietly sitting by
him. 3 til horse aad operator appeared
exhausted, particularly the latter, to
whom it was necessary to administer
brandy aud other stimulants before he
could be revived. The horse was per-
fectly tame and gentle from that day.
In the spring of 1904 NJ. Whaley' 5
King Pippia was brought out to run al
the Curragh of Kildare. lie has been
described as horse Of the most savage
and vicious disposition; he had habit
of flying at and worrying any person
who came near him. Wlcn ho could
turn his head round he would seiz1 his
riders leg with hi, teeth and drag him
from his back. The difficulty of man
aging such horse may be conceived, and
on this occasion it was impossible to put
q bride on him. The whisperer was
now sent for. He remain ed shu. in the
stable all night. In the morning King
Pippin was seen following him like q
dog, lying down at the word of com.
mand, and permitting any person with
out resi5ta" ce to put his hand into his
mouth, while he stood "gcntle as s
lamb" He was brought out in the
course OF the meeting, was run and won
the race.
The fame of the whispcrer had now
spread throu 5hout he country, and his
services were in extensive demand.
This extraordinary person had been
noticed in many and various publica-
tions. Crotton Crocker speaks of him
in his "Fliry L'gends' as an 'ignor-
ant rustic of the lowest class" while he
bears ample testimony to his extraordl-
pary powers.