Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-01-25
OLD PILOT, PILOT, JR.. AND OTHER
SOUTHERN HORSES.
AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH
SPURS"


MONTGOMERY, Ala, Jan. II, 1889.
have interviewed at length today Mr..
c. W. Kennedy of this place, known as
"Spurs" to readers of sporting papers,
very reliable gentleman now of "A years.
Mr.. Kennedy was born and educated at
Baltimore, Md. moved from there Oct.
8, 1884, to Louisville, Ky, where for
several years he was employed as IA clerk
and aflerward was for several more in the
employ of Mr.. Heinshon, who at that
time owned old Pilot and afterwards Pr
lot, Jr
Mr.. Kennedy says he did not see Pilot
at Louisville the season of 1885, but did
directly after. (The season of 1885 Pilot
stood at James l.. Bradley's, six miles
from Lexington on the Maysville Pike.
sold Pilot was a regular Canuck, very
remarkable horse; most pow horse
ever saw in my life for his size, II hands :;
very low to the ground, not over LIP
anyway. He was black, no white hairs
that remember; very heavy name and
fail and neck looked short, but he was
not really short-necked horse. AS fine
a head as any thoroughbred, wide be-
tween the eyes; good eye, stuck out :;
nothing coarse about him. A remarkable
horse and one remarkable thing about
him is, his hind leg was as straight as a
post. He was so fast-in those DAYS
time watches were scarce, but | believe
lie could go at any time to quarter in 30
seconds. Heinsohn was afterwards part
ner with me in the ownership of Pilot, Jr
sold Pilot would get off very quick. 1t
was impossible to start him with another
horse. He was cross in the stall; always
groomed by one man who handled him
with big stick; knocked one eye out
They had window to put his feed in. His
groom was sick; another man named
Jerry was told to feed him. He lead him
out loose by the bride, and when spoken
to said, 'The horse isn't going to hurt me
If don't hurt him. And he didn't. He
was PAGER; always paced. 1t was two
or three years before Mr. Heinsohn found
he could trOt at all. Never drove him in
harness except to sleigh. He never broke
when pacing. | remember but once when
he broke into run. l leaned over on
him and he broke into run, but stopped
quick. think, though, he could have run
fast if he had tried.
''His temper was brought about by re-
sistance to abuse. He was not bad tenn
pered horse after Mr.. Bell got him.
"They matched him against Buck Tail in
Cincinnati. Woodruff said if he had rid
den Pilot he could have beaten. A great
many of his colts were trotters. Bear
grass both paced and trotted.
''fhere was a little roam fellow by Pilot
called the Mouse. Pilot would weigh
1000 pounds-900 to 1000. a tremendous
horse for his height. What a horse he
was. His colts were generally of fine
size; depended upon the mares. All had
some gait. We used to think we must
bave some Canadian blood to breed a
trotter on one side or the other.
at was told of Pilot when he first came
from Canada he came in the hands of a
pedlar. The first known of him was at
New Orleans. The pedlar called him Pi-
lot; am sure of this. Dubois was the
most prominent horseman in New Or
leans at that day. A respectable, good
man. The pedlar told Mr.. Dubois his
horse could beat anybody's horse, and
rode him trial in
dubois bought him and sold him to
Mr.. Heinsohn, whose agent, Baker, |
think it was, brought him to Louisville.
think the only race Pilot made was with
Bucktail. Do not think he was at New
Orleans long. Probably went there in
the fall Heinsohn sold him to Robert