Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-08-15
RUNNING RACES IN FAVOR


Running Has Increased
Anyone stopping TO reflect rnornart
on equine sporting events in this couD,s.
must notice the increasing popularity ~
running races and decrease in thu
tenuon PAID to trotting events. Tbs
decrease of Interest in the latte, 49,
not, doubtless, correspond exactly vi,L
he increase of interest ia the for,,.
Running races have awakened an iptere.t
among many who were never ATTRACTS
by trotting. They have taken lsait6-
start aud forged apidly ahead. Trotnr,
has not only been far behind, but he
quite naturally suffered decline. o.
people watched eagerly for the Derforr
anCes of Goldsmith Maid, St. Juber
R4rus, SmuRgler, Clingetone, Dick'SxivsI'
Ter, and Maud S. Now their suoces.o,.
on the track arouse only passing iu,e,-
est. The feet runners capture an thu
enthusiasm. Upon the performances Of
sJoh as Raceland Spokane P,oct or Knot,
Eurus, Terra Cotts, Bella B., aud Gsorgo
is leyished the attention of sport.loyi1,
people. Rich lovers of horse flesh havs
emptied their stables of tr9tters ANA
filled them with runners of rare pedigrss
The systemmaiic preparation of running
horses is atudied as never before j. this
country. Great attention is paid TO ,bsi,
feeding and training, 10 the adjustments
of weight 20 the iustructing OF lock "a
who, ii export, command enormous ssIa-
les, and if Garrison aud Mclaughlin ~.
fair exam plies of their class, they amass
comfortable fortunes.
The change cannot be said TO have
come about suddenly. 1t has bsen
gradual. Neither is it to be canes a
craze, likely to be soon over with. It j,
a d -velopment thoroughly in accord with
the developing conditions of the times
Running races are by no means
new thing in this country. They
we're INDUCED in TO limited extent in
Maryland and Virginia as early as the
middle of the seventeenth century In
the early part of the last century famous
runners in England were imported
to this country, and im portation con ,inued
up 10 a time a. late as 1910. Six winners
of the Derby were brought 10 this country
before 1900 But meanwhile the constitution
of horse trottiDg was developed. It comes
nearly being peculiarly American for In no
country, except in Russia and Canada.
hasl the sy stemmatio breeding and training
of the trotting horse been pursued. The
sport took a firm hold on the American
people for various reasons. One can
doubtless be found in the change from
| the early common methods of travel from
! horseback riding 10 riding in vehicles
| The natural idea in developing the speed
of horse in the harness was to develop
/ az trotter. Trotting races became
| feature of all the country fairs aud the
systematic development % horses as
trotters to the highest possible standard
WIS the most natural result. What has
| been accom- piished in this direction is
due entirly % American horremau. The
| first public trottiug race in this country
OF which there Is any record was 1878
when the gray ge!diDg B,stou Blue was
matched To rot a mile in three minutes,
a feat then deemed i'm possible. Breeding
and training and accident brought the
record down TO the remarkable one made
by Maud s. That record is likely to
stand as the best for long tune to come.
1t will never, in all probability, be sur
passed till the tide Of human interest has
again turned and left running in the
rear again, and II may never turn.
There are reasons, ana sound ones, for
the decline of trottlug and the Predomn-
ance of runping races. The latter Offer
better opportunities for breeders. The
problem of breeding trOtters has been
found to be much more oum pick one
than that or breeding runners. In the
latter it has been fouud id this country
as well ne in England, that pure blood
lines of long recognized value could be
relied upon, while IN the former some of
the best results have constantly been
obtained from the most unexpected
sOuroes. Moreover, runring races are
by their nature more attractive. They
are more fair. they call for greater
skill in the handling of the reIns. They
are more picturesque. They are free
from the awkward sulKy. Though there
are Opportunities for the arbitrary and
unfsir work OF judges in all races, there
are fewer in running than in trottlng
races The best trotter will "break," and
Judges are not always fair in their
determination of how much the hcrse has
gained 10y the "breaking' and how much
he shonld be set back.
The advance in the interest in running
races may, when all things are considered,
be regarded with satisfaction by sport
loving people. If at the same time 1t
renews and strengthens the health and
pleasure giving habit of horseback
riding among the people generally and
there are indica ions shat It may, Il
il has not already the change will be
further satisfactory