Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-02-22

IeTenCc between u0eIn anu OlileT ldtnllltS
in this regard is not so much with the
mares mares of all the trotting families
are apt to get road work; but the fact
that the sires Of this blood have usually
been developed roadsters, while those of
the other light harness families haye
usually been developed on the track
with the light burden only of sulky
behind them, or not developed at all, has
given the Morgans two roadster elements
to the others one. Take two well known
Vermont sires, for example, Waikiki
Chief and Daniel Lambert The descen-
dants of the latter stand, as roadsters,
second to none in the world; those of the
former are said to be greatly lacking in
road qualities. Waikiki Chief was among
the great sres of speed, the shortness of
his life being considered, but he is said
by those who are familiar with his stock
in this State never to have gotten road
ster. He was never developed as trot-
ter, but what work he did do was mostly
to sulky; and he had no roadster expert
ence. His sire, Hambletonian, never had
road experience, and the same may be
said of all his ancestors in the male line
for several generations beyond imported
Messenger. On the other hand, Daniel
Lambert was driven several seasons on
the road, and was called the most superb
roadster alive at five years of age. His
70, hfa
road as on the track and one step farther
back we come to Black Hawk, universal
ly conceded to have been the most perfect
gentlemans driver of his day. For two
generations beyond Black Hawk, in
Sherman and Justin Morgan, we find
two horses that were necessarily used for
road purposes, both with heavy and light
burdens, and both famous for drawing
heavy loads as well as for untiring quail
ity with what was then deemed a light
burden on the road, but now would be
thought killing load. Now it used to
be very easy to run away with the idea
that development on the track and on the
road was essentially the same, but we
have learned better. We have also learned
that in these degenerate days an entire
horse that is good roadster is rarity.
But while it is conceded that like begets
like, and that pecularties, valuable or
otherwise, are intensified from generation
to generation, must it not be admitted
that the roadster quality that Lambert
inherited from his ancestors in the male
line, developed roadsters for five genera
tions, made it more probable that his de-
scendants would be roadsters? and that
the fact that Waikiki Chief did not from
that line inherit those qualities, but
traced through Hambletonian, Abdallah,
Mambrino and Messenger, no one of
which was developed roadster, to the
English thoroughbred families where
none are driven, make it less probable
that he would become celebrated as a
roadster sire? And has not the result
been in accord with the logic of these
facts?
If these questions are answered in the
in this region, where 1t is the ambition of
most breeders to produce the ideal road
ster, great attention should be paid to
developing young sires by road work to
be roadsters themselves. Keep alive the
roadster instinct. Develop the roadster
mucles. Teach the young sire also the
value of the domestic virtues, and make
him family horse, as were his sires of
old. Care less for the sporting mans
track, and more for the honest mans
highway. Let your youngsters boast a
superb driver for sire and a gamey
roadster for dam, and you may rest as
sured that you are not adding by your
breeding operations to the great army of
weeds, sail legs and length" that are now
begging for customers in an overcrowded
market.