The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-16
He IS 4 TERROR
Wonder of the World Is
Wichita'S Trained Horse.
C0MPL IMEN1S CHANDLER
Peter Sterling First and Fore
most in Public Eye.

| yesterday the Wlchita trained horse,
driven by Wichita man, won a race and
$1,000 Peter Stirling is destined to cover
himself with glory. If he can tear away
such time at three years. what will he be
able to do at six?
The whole country is talking of the
horse and the men who drove him. After
yesterdays performance, when he won
the Louisville stakes, he will stand first
and foremost in the public eye
H 7. While, the great authority on
! harness horses. writes this about the
| kNichita-trained horse, Peter Stirling his
driver. Mr.. Chandler, and the winning
/ at Lexington:
That the race fell 10 Peter Stirling was
great surprise to the Kentuckians, who
thought Walnut Hail the best trotter Of
his age in the land. The clean cut work
Of Peter Stirling, which. the manner in
which the race was contested, showed to
the best possible advantage, was a reve-
lation to the southern horsemen. Walnut
hall they knew about and were pre-
pared TO admire. He had won ,he 2-year-
old division of the race last fall, trotting
one OF his miles in 2:20A IN such manner
as to indicate considerable reserve speed,
even at that age, and it was known that
this season he was close to a 2:I0 colt
with all the circumstances favorable.
More than this, he was trained by Ed
Benyon, young man who, without copy
ing the methods Of others who have Deen
successful with colt trotters, has done re-
markedly well with a limited amount of
material.
That Walnut Hall did not win last week
was not due to any lack OF merit IN his
own performance, but simply because he
met in Peter Stirling a colt. whose equal
at the age mas not often been seen. In
form Of action he is not in any way an
impressive colt unless one looks at him
after he has won such a race as the
Futurity. "All winners are handsome"
is a turf adage. and it will apply to
Peter Stirling. He is in no sense an ugly
colt, and when he is going a-2:1O clip and
beating his opponent by a magnificent
brush down the homestretch no sight
could be more impressive IN the eyes of a
horseman, but regarded as just a plain
horse without knowledge of his trotting
power he is not one that would strike
the fancy OF the average man.
It is as a trotter that Peter Stirling
shines. Either at speed or on a job he
is gated to please the most fastidious in
such matters. In action he is what horse
men call "chipper-gaited." There is no
bold, showey way of going such as that
which makes Boralma the idol of those
who admire beauty. Peter Stirling simp-
" goes along on a plain, ordinary trot.
Regarded with a technical eye his gait is
the perfect motion, as there is no waste
action. He is a trotter, just as was Maud
S, who is stiu recalled as the fastest
trotter that ever Wore harness.
And in other things besides his gait the
colt that won the Futurity is devoid of
frins. He needs none of the elaborate /
riggings so often seen on colt trotters /
1t is just a case of a colt and a harness
and suIky. after which he is ready In /
manners-that point in which so many 1
colt trotters are almost necessarily def /
cient-he is perfect, IN the Lexington I
race there was never. from the first score I
to the finish of the deciding heat, the .
sign of a mistake. If the others came to
the wire at top speed Peter was there with
them. If they took a leisurely gait he
accommodated his stride TO theirs. When
the word was not given he was checked
in his flight by the slightest pressure Of
the lines stopped and logged back 10 the
starting point as if he knew all about it
and rather pitied his rival, Walnut Hall,
who was forever tugglng at the bit
pacing when going the wrong way of the
track, ana indulging in wild plunges when
turned around TIC score for the word.
With his teeth firmly grabbing one end
Of the bit, his head set sideways most of
the time, and his evident nervousness,
Walnut Han was the greatest possible
contrast TO Peter Stirling, and his waste
Of nervous and muscular energy in the
race would more than have accounted for
the difference between his effort and
hat Of Peter Stirling when it came to the
brushing finish in the first heat or the
lrive from wire to wire in the second
nile, when the second quarter was trot-
ted by these two great colts in sos, 4
$50 gait. even for single quarter, Is
something Of which few 3-year-old trot-
crs are capable, and when the work is
lone in heat the time OF which is 2:l1h. !
'oming right after a mile in 2.l3 and
preceding 81 third one in 2.14 it means
hat two Of the greatest young trotters
lie world has ever seen have met when
10Th are good"
in sprint down the homestretch or in
desperate battle from the instant the
word was given until one or the other
hould falter it was the same story with
Peter Stirling. Speed and eameness were
like az his commend. IN the first heat
.e stood the test of speed. in the second
nile that Of speed ana gameness COM
lnea. bat in the third one there was an
Their can on him. Walnut Han had fallen
thoroughly beaten colt. 1t was thcn that d
cctt Hudson. o1e CT the most determined Z
len or the turf ana driver who seems {
o inspire his horse with the spirit 90 !
attic TO the last gasp made his drive I
-ith the big roam hlly Hawthorne. Peter I
rirling was naturally tired after his Won Il
errul work eff the two previous miles. T
handler kDew what was coming. He had =
oted the disappearance from his side OF
Walnut Han and he heard the footsteps q
( The roam Elly ecboilg from the hard [
rack witl ominous rapidity and regular q
s.. He took Peter back Just q trife for O
FINAL effort Every horseman knows j
hat it IS when cola IS 5ired from doing 2
be best he can that il is most difficult Z
, keep hin en- a trot and al the sar,e 5
me rouse him fo- a final effort. Gem Il
lrea wish Peter Stirling ard Walnut Han p
hawthorne had gone Two easy miles. ana 6
be- was dangerous on that account rather r
,en from The fact that all thinss even. 4
be ranked with the ether two. s.
Peter Stirring did net fan his driver n n
Pc crucial test Of thar final quarter mile q