Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-06-17
THE DAM OF DEXTER.
JONATHAN HAWKINS, HER BREEDER,
TALKS ABOUT THE FAMOUS MARE
AND HER FAMILY.

uliS world mas Decn Ollell Cdlleu OF lale,
aud not naptly, that of the brood mare.
While the maternal line has long been
considered of perhaps the first impor-
lance in thoroughbred pedlgrees, it is
only in the last decade that family of
producing dams has come to he regarded
as positive necessity in the pedigree
of trotting stallion, and nowadays the
best credentials that young and untried
horse can be possessed of are dam and
grandam which occupy prominent places
in the list of great broodmares in the
Year Book. The blood that breeds on
in the maternal line from one generation
as positive element by itself, is rightly
gagged as of the utmost worth, and the
great broodmare table is one of perhaps
more interest and value than scarce any
other. As time lapses and the breeding
interest increases and centralzes, it is
as must naturally be the case. becoming
largely increased in numbers; but to
whatever proportions it may attain there
IL
names OF which grow brighter as the
years come and go, as the mothers of
great famlies-as mares which it is
counted distinction and a merit un-
common to trace to, however remotely.
And of these few essentially great stud
mothers the name of none stands out in
bolder relief that that of American Stars
daughter Clara. the dam of Dexter and
Dictator, respectively among the super
lativelv great of the trotting turf and
stud. for so long as the history of the
American trotter may endure will the
name of Dexter remain Synonymous
with all that is great as a race horse,
while that OF Dictator will stand rs rep
resentng Il sire pre-emincnt among a
family of wonderful ones. Jonathan
Hawkins OF New York, who, in con-
junction with his father Jonas, bred and
owned the famous mare during her en-
tire career. was lately in Chicago. and
during the course OF a call upon the Re-
view talked very entertainingly concern
ing her and her family.
Speaking of the McKinstry mare, her
dam, Mr.. Hawkins said "Shc was a
very handsome mare, a brown, about
l5-3 hands, with four white feet, and
weighing say 1850 or 100 pounds, of
very fine disposition and Il great deal of
Intelligence. She was trOtter-not
] fn fnr in, Il
fast trotting-and was not considered
anything out OF the ordinary. Her
| breeding was unknown and could never
be traced. She produced six toals, of
best trotting stallion of his day in our
/ localtv), was the first, and the fifth
Shark, by Hambletonan. He was quite
a trotter and took record OF , :3Ot in
her foals were distinguished by their
markings. Clara had three white feet
her second foal, by a son of Long Is
land Black Hawk, was a chestnut with
three white feet; the third had a blazed
face, white eyes and four white feet the
fourth, by Cassius NJ. Clay, had blaze
and four white feet; Shark had four
white feet, as had her sixth and last
foal, by Magnolia, son of American
Star, while it also had a blazed face and
a white spot on the belly.
"Clara was, as have said. the first
.foal of her dam, and was bred by my
! fnt 81,
and natural trotter. My brother drove
her mile over the Stony Ford track to
skeleton wagon in , :53, and although
never trained, she could trot almost as
fast as Shark. She was very trappy-
gated, but had bold, determined ac.
ton, and was a whirlwind in brush
there was nothing in our locality that
could speed with her. She was of the
most perfect disposition imaginable, very
intelligent and had great deal of reso-
luton. She was ioaled in 1918, and
Dexter, her first foal, May ), 1858.
dexter was bred by my father and
myself, and was by Hambletonian. For
awhile there was story that he was by
Harry Clay, and we used to get letters
by the score about it, but there was not
a particle of truth in it-not the least in
the world; it was owing, presume, to
his markings. The first | eyer heard
about it was the time that Dexter trot
ter his time race under saddle, ridden by
John Murphy. George b. Alley came tc
me after the race. Why he says, John
they say Dexter is Clay. | said lie
is good enough one if he is The fol
lowing winter there was a story circu,
, lated around the country by one Doty
that Clara had been bred to Harry Clay
He (Doty) was interested in the Clays
but he never made an affidavit to it, bu
allowed his name to used in some way
or another by some parties Interested
lie never gave any reasons at all. Their,
were no reasons given; it was simply