The Washington times., 1903-05-15
DESERTS SULKY FOR
THE RUNNING HORSE
Dick Benson, Veteran Train
Ell, to Sell His IrOtters.
He CONDITIONED THE ROMAN
For Many Years Had Charge Of C. C.
Christie's Stable Of Stars-Made
EnviabIe Record
He CONDITIONED THE ROMAN

DICK Benson, the veteran trainer of
harness horses, now IN charge of c.. C.
Christie's stable, has announced that
he will soon desert the sulky and cast
his lot with the runners Mr. Benson,
however, will not sever his connection
with Mr.. Christie. The latter intends
to sell his harness horses and purchase
a stable of runners. Mr. Benson will
probably have charge of these
For twenty years or more Dick Ben
son has been one of the best known
trainers and drivers of trotters in the
country. He is regarded as one of the
greatest conditioners in the business,
and has had a remarkably successful
career on the trotting turf For the
past several seasons Mr. Benson has
had charge of Mr.. Christie's stable. TAX
ing 1t around the grand circuit in the
summer and wintering it in Mr.. Chris
ties stable at the Driving Club
Trained Ryland T.
Some years ago Mr.. Benson had charge
of the erratic but sensational trotter,
Ryiand T.. 2:oS14, a horse which had
two minute speed. But of all the bad
acting horses ever seen on the turf, |
Ryland T. was known as the worst. !
Once in a while he would take a no
ton to race, and then Benson and the |
owner of the horse would make a kill |
ing. Ryland T. was range bred horse. |
but his exact breeding was in doubt. He
is said to have been one of the greatest
horses ever seen on the grand circuit in
70 Of had
a reputation for himself with the homely |
brown gelding and he will always rank
with the great trotting horse trainers
OF the world
Last season Benson had an excellent
showing with c. C. Christie's fast and
consistent trotter, The Roman, 2:095h
The Roman was one OF the trotting SEN
sations OF the year and raced from De-
troit to Baltimore, winning an almost I'M
broken string of victories. He closed
the season early in Baltimore, not be-
cause he was raced out or outclassed,
but simply because Benson thought him
able to win all of the 2:10 class trots
this year, and concluded to hold him
over until the campaign of 1903 No
horse ever closed a campaign in better
shape, as he worked mile in 2:07A at
Baltimore just before being shipped to
Kansas City for the winter
The probabilities are that Mr.. Chris
ties stable will be sold at the Cleveland
sale.
His Stable of Stars.
Benson is now at Memphis with big
stable, and while The Roman is of course
the star, he has several other great
horses. owned by himself and Mr.. Chris
tie. They are:
Nat Gordon, black gelding by Silver
horn, green trotter which showed a
mile in 2:15 late last fall. is very highly
by the experts at Memphis
Sable Kid. black gelding by Sable
Gar, dam by Arthurton, is a very hand
some and shapely horse. has shown ex-
IRENE speed and is a very high class
rotter
Miss Johnson, 2:16A, by Robert Rivers,
by Onward, dam by Garfield, son of Gen
sral Knox. is one of the handsomest
mares ever seen in the grand circuit
and acts like 2:10 trotter right now.
SILK Trader 80, by Prodigal, dam Red
Silk, 2:10. by Baron Wilkes 3D. dam Nan
lie Edicoat, great brood mare, is one
If the richest bred young stations in
he land and acts like a coming cham
Dion. There are twenty or more green
rioters in the Benson string and re-
ports from Memphis say that it is re-
sarded as one of the strongest stables
II horses in training there and great
surprise Is expressed that 1t is to be
broken I'D.