Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-06-12
BLUE BULL PRAISED,

Editor HorSeman The breeders of
Rush county, Indiana, the home of Blue
Bull, always read with much pleasure
articles referring to that great sire of
trotters. 1t is unavoidable where tradi-
ton must become authority on many i'm
portant points that errors should often
appear in the articles that have from
time to time been written, and so it is
with the article that appears editorially
in The Horseman of February ). One of
the minor points that | shall mention re-
ferring to said article is that when James
Wilson purchased Blue Bull he was not a
cripple, but he had as perfect legs as any
horse, but was afterward the subject of
an accident that manned him for life.
Secondly, Mr.. Wilson did not purchase
Blue Bull for $500, but paid for him in
cash $1,000. first owning half interest
and afterward the whole, but the point |
am seeking to correct is the theory that
Blue Bull should have descended from a
stock of dun-colored, striped-back horses.
foaled light dun. However this may be,
he, when matured, was a pure chestnut,
and of the dark type, and his gait was
always the pace. 1t is said by parties
now living that he could pace ? 10 gait
after his leg was broken.
Upon the theory that like begets like, if
Blue Bull was a descendant of the strip
ed-back horse, is it not reasonable that
some of his progeny should have carried
tins mark, and that the dun color would
have appeared somewhere in his get or
that of his sons? 1t is fact that of the
many colts sired by Blue Bull only two
were duns, and these two had dun dams.
As to his being pacing-bred sire, you
theorize that because his , 80 list has so
many trotters that the trot must have
been handed down through his maternal
lines, but you seem to have lost sight of
the fact that most of his trotters were
converted, and would if given their natur-
al bent have been PAGERS.
SO much has been said about this mys-
FERROUS phenomenon that the public must
of necessity be greatly confused and
doubtful of many statements that have
been furnished the press, but here, where
the old hero has carved unaided. as you
have truthfullv said, his way to fame,
the belief is well grounded that from
whatever place or from whatever foun-
tain Blue Bull has descended, he carried
in his veins the blood of the best of the
land, and if those of his sons who have
been preserved are given to their en-
brace the daughters of the Wilkeses and
Nutwoods the cry that Blue Bulls sons
are failures will be forever hushed. X.
TOPEKA. Kan, February 10. 1891.
Editor HorSenun We noticed in your
last issue a column and more on that
great horse Blue Bull, eulogizing him
highly it is true, but not half As highly
as he rightly deserves. am fully con-
WINGED that If Blue Bull could have had
tirst-class opportunities in the stud he
would have been regarded as the greatest
sire America ever produced. George
Wilkes, Electioneer, Nutwood, Belmont,
Harold, Robert McGregor and many
Others unnecessary to mention have had
every advantage that money, training.
rich and abundant food, good tracks, the
best care and attention horses could have,
access to best brood mares in the world,
their colts trained and worked in every
way to make them great, while the
grand old horse Blue Bull had nothing to
support and back him but his own prepo-
tent powers. When the honest historian
shall at last come to write the fair and
honest history of horses, Blue Bull will
then receive the praises that he so Justly
merits, but which he has been deprived
of all these years.
In the article that called out this letter
you state that Blue Bull was a light dun
horse. remember as distinctly rs if it
was but yesterday of seeing Blue Bull
twice at Rushville, Ind, and remember
him as a chestnut horse with strip
down his face and one hind ankle white.
I II NJ