Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-11-27
HORSE NOTES.
News of General and Local Interest to


Our readers are requested to send to "Grif-
nm, + U BOX 634, Middleburl any news of
deaths, sales, foaling, perform tnces, etc . ot
horses that are OF enough conseq uence to be
noted In this department, which win be main.
tanned with a view to making it of Interest
both local and widespread.
Regarding the breeding of Fly,
grandam of Lou Dillon, 1854, the idea
that her place as grandam of the new
Queen of the trotting turf really belongs
to the thoroughbred mare Lady Fairfield
was effectually demolished in this de-
partment three weeks ago, and then
promised to recur to the subject should
any more light be thrown upon it. No
question in this line could be more full of
interest, but l regret to say that, thus
far, nothing definite has been ascertained.
although there have been numerous
attempts at investigation. However,
now place before the readers of the
Register the substance of long letter
to the San Francisco Breeder and Sports
man, which comes nearer to touching
bottom facts them anything else that
has appeared:
''Since Lou Dillon made herself world
famous by her mile in two minutes at
Readville, her breeding has been under
discussion wherever horsemen have
gathered. Her dam Lou Milton. the dam
OF three others with records, has been in
the Great Brood Mare List since Vol. vi.
OF the Year Book was issued. That was
in 1890, the year that Ethel Mack and
Rpdwnnd W of hor h.,
took records. In that volume Lou
Miltons pedigree was given as by Milton
Medium; dam Fly, not traced, and it
has not been changed in the records
since and may never be. In the old
stud cards of Redwood, Fly was des-
cribed as the Ralston mare, supposed to
be thoroughbred. She was called the
Ralston mare, because at one time she
had been the property of the late Will
liam q. Ralston of San Francisco. This
seemed to be all that anyone knew of
Fly, and 1T is not on record that any
very determined effort was ever made to
trace her breeding any further.
"A few weeks ago the writer received
letter from Mr.. Charles E. Berry of
kelseyville, in which it was stated that
there were two mares in Lake county
years ago, one of which was afterwards
claimed to be the dam of Lou Milton
and was owned by Green Thompson,
now of Santa Rosa. The first oppor-
tunity had to visit Santa Rosa came on
Saturday last, and l embraced it.
Reaching the pretty city of roses l hunt
ed up my friend DR.. Summerfield, the
well-known veterinarian of that city,
who kindly helped me find Mr.. Thomp-
son. AS had suspected, he proved TO
Ill N 3 4
and after old times had been recalled !
stated my mission, and Mr.. Thompson
told me the story of Lou Milton.
'In 1880 Green Thompson was living
at Pine Flat, which is in Sonoma County,
close to the Napa and Lake County lines.
His friend, John Mendenhall, of Lake
County, then owned Milton Medium, son
OF Happy Medium, and believed him to
be a great horse. Mendenhall became
involved and wished to go to Oregon
with Milton Medium. expecting to make
money with him there in races and in
the stud. Before leaving Mendenhall
turned II colts and fillies by Milton
Medium and the mare Fly, in foal to
that stallion, over to Mr.. Thompson for
$1,000, with the understanding between
them that on his return he could have
them back by return of the money and
payment of the pasture bill on the
stock.
Mr.. Mendenhall at that time told Mr..
Thompson that he had purchased Fly
from Mr.. j. 5. kimball, the well known
carriage manufacturer of San Francisco,
to whom she had been presented by
William G. Ralston. That if he never
returned, to take great care of the mare
and her coming foal, as they would be
valuable property. Mr.. Thompson de-
scribes Fly as a dark chestnut mare
about 1913 hands high, one hind foot
white nearly to the ankle. She had
star, and a strip that started a little
below the star, and extended to the nose,
where it broadened out. MIR. Thompson
describes her as almost a counterpart of
Lou Milton in conformation, was mixed
gated when jogging and could trot a
$3.50 gait The only thing Mr.. Thompson
can remember in regard to her breeding
was that it was said she had Belmont
blood in her veins, but whether it was
WilliamsOn's Belmont or Belmont "a, he
does not know.
THE following spring, when she was
twelve years old, Fly foaled filly now
known as Lou Milton, the only foal she
ever had. When the filly was six weeks
old, his boys were riding Fly one day,
and reaching home Just at dinner time
tied the mare to the fence and went in
to dine. When dinner was over Mr. |
Thompson went out and found the mare
dead. She had lain down, and in an
effort to roll over had choked to death,
as she was tied on side hill. Mr.. |
Thompson took the filly and raised her
on cows milk. He states that she was
a beautiful little thing, and he naturally
l.. 4. 4