Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-05-10
IMPORTED BELLFOUNDER.
from the Breeder and Sportsman, San Fran
ciscO.l

known as Rysdyks Hambletonian,
which, when weanling, in 1919, was
sold with its dam to Dutch farmer
named VIM. Rysdyk, the price of both
being Sl25.
The Charles Kent Mare was bred by
Joseph S. Jackson, Oxford, n. Y, and
foaled in 1884, hence was Is years old
when she produced this noted son.
This mare was daughter of old Belfoun-
der, small but powerful horse bred in
the vicinity of Norfolk, England, foaled
about 1915 and brought to Boston in the
ship Rasselas, arriving here July IL, 1922.
He was then the property of Mr. James
Boot, who paid 700 sterling or about
$500 for him in England.
While investigating the history of this
remarkable stallion a few years since,
Mr.. l.. S. Gould brought to light papers
establishing the fact of his importation,
and also card dated 1923, which des-
cribed him as follows:
"This celebrated horse is a beautiful
bright bay with black legs, seven years
old, standing fifteen hands high; his
superior blood, symmetry and action ex-
Gel every other trotting stallion. He is
allowed by the best Judges in Norfolk to
be the fastest and best bred horse ever
sent out of that country. He has proved
himself sure foal getter, and his stock
for size and substance are not to be sur
passed; they are selling at the highest
prices of any horses in Norfolk.
"Bellfounder was got by that we'll
known, fast and high-formed trotter old
Bellfounder, out of Velocity, by Hap
hazard, by Sir Peter, out of Miss Heryy,
by Eclipse; grandom was of good North
country blood, but not thorough bred.
Velocity trotted on the Norwich road,
in 1906, sixteen miles in one hour, and
though she broke fifteen times into a
gallop and as often turned around, won
her match.
"In 1S0S she trotted twentyeight miles
in one hour and forty-seven minutes, and
has also done many other great perform
ances against time.
"Bellfounder, at five years old, trotted
two miles in six minutes, and in the fol-
lowing year was matched to trot nine
miles in thirty minutes, which he won
easily by twenty-five seconds. His
owner shortly challenged to performed
with him Ia miles in one hour, but it
was not accepted. He has since never
been saddled or matched. Old Bellfound-
er was true descendant from the orgi-
nal blood of the Fireaways, which breed
of horses stand unIivalled for the saddle,
either in this or any other nation.
The breeding of Velocity, the dam of
Bellfounder, has been questioned. 1t
would seem from the statement, however,
that she possessed remarkable speed and
endurance, and inherited the trottng in
stinct from some source in a sufficient
degree to endow her son with that
desirable characteristic. In his work on
"American Roadsters and Trotting
Horses" II. Il. Helm-states that the
district of Norfolk, where Bellfounder
originated, ''has been noted for trotting
matches that rival our own" In Il
veterinary work, published in 1885 by
George Skeavington, entitled the "Model
Farrier" we have an account of large
number of trotting performances among
others of a mare called Nonpariel, trot-
ting i'm a vehicle called a match cart 100
miles in nine hours and tifty-seven
seconds" Her sire was Fireaway, own
ed in the County of Norfolk. In the old
Spirit of the times, Vol. IX there APP
peared an article copied from the London
Sunday Times, May, 1899, relating to Mr..
Theobald's stud, being description of
his several stations. The following
relates to one called the Norfolk
Phenomenon: "This extraordinary ami
nal was bred by Mr.. Wayman, of Lilly
put, in'the Isle of Ely. He was got by
Fireaway, out of Shields mare, and is
reputed to be the fastest trotter that ever
stepped. He is known to have perform
ed two miles in FIVE minutes and four
seconds, and is also said to have trotted
|, surpasses the celebrated Phenomenon
mare or any performances of the fastest
American horses. Tie has crest re-
sembling the Godolphin Arabian, is
+ short-leged, but standing oyer great
length of ground. He is as strong as a
|, buffalo; indeed, his great muscular
delineation and the immensely of his
| bone give him the resemblance of an
animal of that class"
From the above it would seem that
the Fireaways were remarkable trotters.
Two miles at the rate of 2: 32 was a
pretty lively clip at that early day, es-
pecially over an English course. 1t
would seem from this that the trotting
instincts received by Rysdyk's Hamblet-
, oman from Abdallah and Bishops
Hambletonian were strengthened very
materially by the Bellfounder cross in