The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-04-03
TRoTrlme HORSES.
The Grewth and Development
OF This Animal.

ton, than the American trotting horse.
lie came from original elements that
had little trotting inheritance or devel-
opment.
The trotting race-horse is an Ameri.
can creation. Half century ago he
was scarcely known. Now tho trotting
record embraces at least 10000 horses
less than tnroe minutes. We may al i.
most affirm that the trotter is an arti-
fetal creature, because no time less
than 2:30 to the mile was known until
the animal had been Subjected to severe
training and breeding continued through
many years, for several generations Of
successful strains.
This has been done exclusively in
the United States, and the trotting horse
is therefore an American growth and
an institution indigenous here. For
two or three decades after the breeding
and trotting of racers in harness had
been going on in these States, the idea
was dominant that the thoroughbred
running horse was himself destitute OF
the instinct and anatomical formation
necessary to fast trottiug.
IL was assumed for long time that
the distinctive qualities of the trotter
must como to him from tho cold blood
parent or ancestor. 1t is fact that
down to within quito a late period there
were no celebrities Of he trottins calen-
dar that did not trace back to some half
dozen or moro cold bloodcd genealogical
dams.
The first venture of crossing the cold
blooded trotting horse with tho thor
oughbred running horse was made with
the descendants of old Messenger.
noble horse, imported from England to
New York in ITS, and 1t Is r. morally
conceded that imported Messenger was
tho fountain head OF the American
trotting horse, and from his progeny the
fast trotting horse of today springs.
Messenger did service in the stud in
New York. Pennsylvania and New Jer-
sey from 17SS uatil $685. when he died
and was buried with military honors
under large oak trco at Flushing, l..
l. The writer has passed his grave
number CT times.
When We look at the Improvement in
speed in tho trotllng horse within tho
space of three quarters OF a century, it
is with wonder and almost incredulity.
Tho first record of horse tr0tting a
mile in three minutes was at Boston,
Mass. in 1906. when gelding called
True Blue trotted milo in 1853 in a
match race OF $500. The race was tror-
ted over straight mile on tho road
and the horse was ridden to saddle.
True Blue was son Of old Messenger.
The first race track in America was
started and completed at Philadelphia
in 1908 and the same geiding, True
Blue, trotted n mile in race over that
track in August 1908, in 2:4s to the
great astonishment of large crowd of
people. In this race tho horse was
driven to sulky weighing 1875 pounds.
Most of the early races in those days
were made and trotted to saddle, the
sulkys being cumbersome and heavy.
From 1S0S the records commenced to
come in slowly. In 1921, b. e. Top
Gallant trotted race, and covered
mile in 2:432G; May, 1926, Screw Driver
Rattler trotted mile in a race in
2:36M. These races were all made to
saddle.
In 1887 is the first recorded evidence
that the old fashion watch that m arked
the one-third fractions on the dial was
displaced for the quarter second chrome
meter watches In 1874 Lady Suffolk
trotted a mile in race against Grey
Eagle in 2:,0. Lady Suffolk was the
acknowledged queen of tho turf for
many years. Her first race was trotted
at Babbalop, N. Y, in 1910. In this
race she trotted to saddle and was ridden
in her maiden race by tho renowned
driver, Hiram Woodruff, who was at
that time but a young man. We will
speak of him and his good traits later.
nd Sufr - r1y 10
mare. She was gray marc, Is hands
1 inch high and was sired by Engineer,
who was a son of Messenger. She was
unfortunate in being owned and driven
by cruel master, who imposed upon
her tasks that would have killed any
common horse. She held her reign as
Queen OF the Trotters longer than any
horse in the succession. She trotted
more races and earned more money than
any horse in her day. She held the
fort from 1874 until 1856, when Flora
Temple ascepded to the throne and
trotted mile over the Union Course,
Long Island, in 2:24]6, in a race against
Tacony.
Flora Temple was also remarkable
mare, and her history reads like 70.
Sis, being an unruly, obstinate, good
for nothing jade She passed from one
party to another, for SIS, S25 and $50,
until she was purchased by Jonathan
Vallee. OF Washington Hollow. N. Y,
in whose hands she began to behave
herself and in short time became
queen Of the turf. She continued to i'm.
prove after her race and record Of 2;24E
until 1850. when she electrified the
world by trotting mile in the third
heat OF race at Kalamazoo, Mich, in