Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-10-19

aware of the history and description of
the thoroughbred horse. Now there are
several points in regard to tins thorough
bred horse Cock of the Rock worth
noticing in this discussion. lie was bred
on Long Island by Nathaniel Coles,
foaled 1914, sold when three to G. w.
VanRantz, and, in the fall of 1919, by
him to Gen. Bainum of Nergennes, Vt /;
again by him, fall of 1929. to parties In
Orange county, n. Y, and in 1888 was
taken to Tennessee by Judge Barry aud
others, where he stood for several years,
and died. 1t is certain that Il horse adver-
tised to stand IN Tennessee in 1884 and
| 1885 was not owned that latter year and
kept by Ira Coburn in New York. Again
| in our work on "Ihe Horse" not yet
published, but rapidly approaching com
pleuon, will appear two very accurate
descriptions of Cock of the Rock, by
Duroc; the one by MIR. Van Rantz of
New York, who owned and ran him for
several wears; the other by the late Gen.
Grandey of Nergennes. VI, who knew
him well and bred to him when owned
both describe him as bay without
marks Now we submit that che chest
nut horse with blaze face, two or three
white feet, and silver name and tail,
owned by Ira Coburn in New York in
1885, was not and could not have been
that year or any year the bay horse
without marks, owned and ran by Van
RantZ, and afterwards owned by Gen
Barnum in Vermont. In other words
we have established an alibi. and in the
second place have shown beyond any
possible question. alibi or no alibi that
the Coburn horse was not Cock of the
Rock, son of DurOc. III
But again, from several distinct
sources, all of them reliable, it is proven
that the Morgan Cock of the Rock was a
chestnut horse with blaze face, two OF
three white feet and silver mime and
tail. This is precisely the horse de-
scribed by Mr.. COburn's daughters as
owned bV their father and precisely the
horse described by John Moore of Fleet
wood Park. one uf the most Intelligent
horsemen that we have ever met, a;
coming from New Jersey and standing
lat his fathers barn in Norwich, y. y.
inAS3Q In this connection we SHOULD
sax-tf1at our notes show, though this il
not stated in the book, that Mrs. Quicl
of Brooklyn said that Ira Coburn, he
father, kept both of these horses in New
Jersey. at one time.
Another point. We have the Morgan
Cock of the Rock advertised 1892, 33
"a and again in 1896. 81, 80, 80, 40. il
Vermont and Massachusetts and know
that he died at Greenfield, Mass, wher'
his skin was stuffed and kept in "A sad
dler's shop for years. Mr.. I.insley say
in his work on Morgan horses. publishe,
in 1857. that Morgan Cock of the Roe
stood for time in New York. Hi
time is all occupied except in 1885, so h
must have stood there then. And her
comes in the direct testimony of James
G.. Stebbins of Charlestown, y. H.,
most creditable witness, that he under
, stood that the horse was taken to New
York by John Bellows, liveryman o
New York city, who went there in til
twenties from Charlestown, y. II.
There is ample evidence, as given il
: the book from dozen witnesses, al
most intelligent horsemen and reliabl
: men who knew the horse well, tina
Seely's American Star very much re
sembled IA Morgan horse. The same
. proven true of his sire, Coburn's Stal
This case is too strong for doubt. an
there will be no doubt about it. Coo
2 of the Rock, by Sherman Morgan, wa
. owned by Ira Coburn of New York i
| 1885. He was the sire of Coburn'
American Star that got Seely's Amer
can Star.
In connection, let us consider the sig
nificance of this pedigree in the grea
problem of breeding. Seely's America
Star got the dam of Dexter, the tastes
of the get of Hambletonian; he got tn
dams OF some of the best of the sons c
Il Hambletonian. Without him ther
would have been no Dictator, and yer
5 large share of the fastest and games
q trotters that have appeared on tn
American turf, would not have existed
1t is the old story oft repeated, of III
= Morgan leaven that leaveneth the who
n lump.
Truly yours,
JOSEPH BATTELL.
This resume of the statements in Il
Morgan Horse Register is far more col
: elusive than the evidence IN the wor
: which it digests, because there is found
j. great deal of eXtraneous matter whic
e tends to confuse the reader. Mr.. Ba
e tells plan in his book is to present a
: that anybody writes him that seems
+ be honestly meant, and his witnesses al
r frequently permitted to stray from II
= point at issue. What he says in his le
: ter to me is clear and to the point, an
Il makes very strong, if not perfe'
d case. The Registry association shout
T. take up this matter. 1t is idle to dsmi,
u it with the remark that Mr.. Battell is a
a enthusiast or crank on the Morga
+ horse. Facts are facts, cranks or Il
o cranks, and must be respected. n
). careful student of pedigrees has ev,
# felt satisfied with the generally accepte
e version of that of American Star, an
o he was such an important factor in tro
# be settled, beyond dispute, and rs 500
- as possible.
l. THE MORGAN PEDIGREE.