Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-03-22

Olution from a Tory officer. Capt. James
De Lancy, who was serving with the
British troops. The horse was stolen near
Kings Bridge, n Y, and was then taken
into Connecticut and sold. Selah Norton !
of Hartford finally securing possession.
True Briton, otherwise known as "Beauti- !
full Bay" was imported from England by
Capt. James De I.ancey, first cousin of |
the officer of the same name from where |
the horse was afterward stolen. This De- !
Lancey, the importer of the horse, was
the son of James De Lancey. provincial
governor of New York, and was probably
the wealthiest man in America at the
outbreak of the Revolution, while he
was certainly the greatest connoisseur in
horseflesh. He owned the great Bowery
farm in Manhattan where New Yorks
Bowery now runs. On this farm he had
a half-mile track with all the requisite
stables, paddocks and outbuildings and
had his horses trained there until the
outbreak of the Revolution. In 1772 or
1878 De Lancey gave True Briton, a
bright active bay, about Is hands high,
to his uncle, Col. Oliver De Lance V.
On the outbreak of hostilities Col DE
Lancey gave the horse to another
nephew, also named James De Lancey,
who was a dashing Tory soldier About
the middle of October, 1880, this Capt.
James De Lancey, who was stationed
with the British troops near New York,
rode the horse one day when he went to
visit his mother at her estate "Rosehill,"
situated where the Bronx park now lies.
De Lancey fastened the horse outside,
and while in the house heard the sound
of hoofs. He rushed to the window to
see True Briton being ridden rapidly
away. Although pursuit was made.
True Britons speed an endurance were
too great. In this way the horse was
stolen and afterward sired Justin Nor
gan the sire of the famous Morgan line.
Early in the last century New England
in general and Vermont in particular
were famous for their Morgan horses.
]
compact, and very good roadsters, with
powers of endurance little short of re-
markable. From Vermont they were
distributed over the entire United States
and over a considerable portion of Can
ada, the blood entering into the light
harness stock of both countries and hav-
ing an effect of great value. The princi-
pal effect was the endurance and stam-
ina which it gave. With few exceptions
it did not produce extreme speed. For
this reason the passion for speed in the
light horse, at all costs, caused Morgan
breeders to neglect conformation and
quality, and even that stamina for con-
tinuous travel for long distances for
which the Morgan was noted. The
small size of the Morgans was also q
fault when market requirements were
considered. The result was that Morgan
mares were matched, with standard bred
stations of other strains to get speed
and increased size, and the Morgan type
was very largely bred out. These stand
J ard-bred horses were not of the Morgan
; type, and in many cases they were not
desirable individuals for breeding pur
poses. Even in Vermont the effects OF
these crosses are found on every hand
In the southern part of the State it il
hard to find horses showing the Morgan
type, but farther north they are more
, common.
Believing that the Morgan characters
tics were too valuable to the horse
: breeding industry to be lost, the bureau
, of animal industry of the department OF
J agriculture last year established stud
in cooperation with the Vermont exper
! iment station to revive the interest in the
, Morgan breed The type selected is thai
of the old Morgan, with size and quality
= With increased size the Morgan horse
will answer the requirements of the
= market for light horses and will be
3 profitable horse for farmers to raise.
Nine mares and two fillies were bough
. last June. They are uniform in type
2 with full-made bodies, fine heads anC
5 necks full hind quarters, good legs anC
feet, and abundant quality. Sever
mares and the two fillies were bought il
Vermont, and two mares in Kentucky
= Those bought in Vermont are by sucl
S sires as General Gates. Bob Morgan
: Young Ethan Allen Ia full brother il
/, blood of Daniel LAMBERT, Denning Allen
1 Rocky Mountain, and Gillig. Genera
e Gates is owned by Mr.. Battell and il
i full brother of Lord Clinton sswhos
e 20Sf trotting race record was the tastes
d gelding record at the time, there thel
f being only one faster stallion and tw
a faster mares. The Kentucky mares ar
!. by Harrison Chief, out of Morgan mare
e and were in foal to the saddle stallion