Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-04-19

"Blue Bull, the PAGER, may have surpas-
sed IIambletonian in the number of his get
of standard trotters, in the first genera
ton, but he has very few grandsons and
granddaughter in the 2 80 class, which
shows that the pacing element has failed
to nick well with trotting magnates in this
instance, beyond the first generation.
Whether this will be the case with all
pacing sires is yet to be demonstrated"
This paragraph is calculated to mislead
the public, on account of facts mingled
with error. The deductions are wrong.
Circumstances should always be consider
hands of Mr.. James Wilson, it is quite
probable that he would never haye sired
, 80 performer, even if he had been
coupled with the same mares. All horse
men believe that many foals born into
the world with the essential elements
of , 80 performers have been doomed to
obscure drudgery for want of opportun-
ity. Their misfortune consisted in the
ownership. Had Maud S. remained in
the hands of ordinary men she would
have been unknown to the turf world.
Natural gas has been in the bowels of
the earth for ages, yet could not and did
not benefit man until the opportunity
was provided. Nature is profuse with
blessings, but we are slow in learning
how to appropriate them. For the same
reason many naturally grand horses have
been doomed to oblivion. No sire can
become great without opportunity, and
opportunity must embrace at least two
essential requisites in addition to the
inherent qualities of the horse: 1st,
Capital to develope the speed. 2nd.A
disposition to use the capital in that direc-
ton. These are axioms. Now apply
them to all the sires that have won fame.
The absence of these are just as fatal as
the want of natural speed
Old Blue Bull and his offspring have
been heavily handicapped in this very
particular. His great rivals were crossed
upon the best and finest bred mares of
America. The dams are entitled to a
great deal, if not one-half, of the credit
that has been bestowed upon the sres.
But Blue Bill was coupled with cold
blooded mares, and the offspring aston
iShed the world and crowned him king of
sires. The owner of Blue Bull had nc
surplus wealth to lavish upon the hero
of his produce. He possessed enough
wealth, however, and the disposition &c
use it, to give the horse undying fame
Who else did it: The opportunity Mr.
Wilson gave old Blue Bull excelled the
efforts of all other men combined. The
whole affair is most wonderful. Mr.
Wilson was not blessed with favorable
circumstances to push the enterprise, but
as pioneer, without teacher or leader
or even co-workers to aid and stimulate
with a horse unknown to fame paved
the road to unrivaled success. But about
the time Blue Bull died. his owner was
striker and fingered for years, during
which time he required the watchfu
care of the family, while the enterprise
so auspiciOusly begun had to languish
This was most unfortunate for the fame
of Blue Bull. Here "ere the grandson,
and daughters of the hero without any
one to champion their cause. For thi'
reason, more than all others. the number
to enter the , 80 list has been limited
The farmers, who were the principa
patrons of Blue Bull, had not the surpu;
cash or the disposition to develop tn,
progeny. 1t was not in their line OF
business. Then the produce made sucl
superb farm animals just the ideal o
what the farmer wants-for there is NJ
class of farm work but what the Blue
Bull is suited for, and on the road he i;
mire; and when the farmer raises
surplus, the ubiquitous buyer pays f;
handsome price and the fine driver i,
consigned to road work in an eastern city
when he should have won laurels on tn,
turf. For these reasons scores of Blue
Bulls grandsons and granddaughter:
with capacity for 2;30 performers will
never appear on the turf. They simply
lack the opportunity.
If millionaire were to drop down il
Rush county and buy up the first anC
second Blue Bull mares, and go to breed
ing and developing the off spring, i
would require but Il few years for him u
rival the famous Glen View or Palo Alt,
farms. 1t is mistake to suppose that
the pacing element, in this instance, fail'
to nick we'll with trotting magnates be
You'd the first generation. lin the frs
place in the majority of cases they die
not get chance to nick at all. In tn
next place, if this pacing element vii
not nick well with trotting blood, how
, was 1t, when there was some one to pusl
the enterprise, that it nicked so wei
with cold-blood? Is cold-blood a bette