The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-09
Ivy y. q. TERNEyHOUGm,
b. ". n, 10. g.. Statc Veterinarian.

-. v. ~. II. s., State Veterinarian.
Willie 1t has been the pleasure Of tlio
Iwriter to attend tho local county horse
shows In Virginia now for the last
| ten years. yet he was never moro high
~ entertained by the local officials and
exhibitors, nor better pleased with tho
classes OF liorscS shown, than lie was
ut tho Pulaski Horse show. at pulaski
City, yn. 2Sth and goth OF last August.
| Every farmer for miles around had
some OF Ills horses entered. Many o.
| them had brood mares nnd colts IN their
class. also his driving horse 8(bugsy
| horse) In the proper cNss, and espe-
ciaIly the clnss for farm teams (where
the farmers showed their teams right
| from tho furn, to tho farm wnBon).
was 80 VOL filled that the ring--wliich
Is as large as most local show rings
could Just afford room for the teams,
1 to .line up"
Then came tho class for dodble
| teams in light harness. and this was
the best filled class OF It's kind that 1
| have over seen at horse show any
| where. In fact. lie am not mistaken,
there were sixteen double teams
this class, ana every team was worthy
of tho attention and admiration OF any
man who knows q good buggy team
when he secs one. But this Is not all.
these teams belonged to the young
men--especlally tho counting men---of
| that section OF the country. They were,
| with tho exception, of two. / believe.
local teams, with tho owner driving the
same team which he uses every Sun
day to take his best girl to church.
and the sweethearts were In the grand
stand to see and cheer "her team" as
II passed indeed, this local enthusiasm
was. from start to finish. a most at
tractive feature OF the show. Nor was
this with the young people alone; In
the class for tho best mare and foaI--
heavy draft, must be sired by regis
tered horse--there were fifteen good
| mares with their foals by their sides.
In this class never saw anything to
equal 1t before; tho farmers In the
stand had picked first. second, ctc..
and the colts. or 10 lB. were so good
as class that, while the Judgment
of most Of the gentlemen in the stand
was beyond doubt good. yet no four
men seemed to agree upon the win
ners, and 1t was up to the poor Judges
to do what every one who has filed
the position OF Judge realizes to be
8 very unpleasant .task--to place only
three ribbons where he knows there
are fifteen or more good candidates.
Again. In the ladies' saddle class. ms
well as the driving class, the Same
local competition came out--every elias:
we'll filled. Even the gentlemen's rid
fng class called for twelve gated sad
!. die horses, and twelve were there, too
! In tho stallion classes were to b'
; seen tho very best Percheror stallioni
q. tho land. Tho gated stallion elias:
! called out some SPLENDID individuals
!. too.
However. the beauty OF the show e
e me was the fact that nearly ever,
. farmer in the vicinity thought enough
OF his private animals to enter an'
show them against any horse. 1t mat
tered not what horse 1t was. But
want to say that every horse hrough
into that ring was good animal, IL
0 his class. No "scrubs' were shown
g the PULASKI Horse Show. yet neve
9 saw anything to equal the number o
local horses entered at any other snow
d IN the State.
/ die horses, and drivers as Wen, LOT ''i
:; chow. the farmers had done the same
n the merchants had even entered thei
), delivery horse and wagon, and tn
I Young folks all had the horse FEVER
g for weeks before the show.
4 T have given time and space 10 IN
i. above subjcct-local interest IN TN
( county horse show-bccause thinR
Q IL ono Of the most important feature
= ~ our exhibits do not believe
does our farmers much good to VIII,
Il ,n.r about the high schooled amman
h which belong to some regular sl,o,
8 man. nor does he want 10 speho Nei
= much to see trained horse sho" hois
80 90 thcy make the annual ROUNDS
4 but what we do want ~ 10 olts. 80
d arrangement to every farmer 10 no
s a,I,, breed good animals. but to kee
b tbem In condition from start to fihisl
iest his neighbor takes the blue rlpooi
n rrom ,hm at the "horse sho" heA
Y time" 4,o+ an nm
:, .o,,rd horse will not win at hors
\ .how ~ the unsoundness Is detecteS
q ,rherefore IL a man has Nn unsouh
/; hor.o he as rule. does not war
!. ether people to know that TINS no
u ia unsound thus he Will seldom en-. -.
such a horse. This is JUST VIA, "
j. want the public to know-,n ,n ~ sn' nr,z,
J. and best only, IS apt to win we "
a NvhiIe know that every snow
J. sbo,,ld have some classes open 10 a
,,arses az that particular class -.n '''
&C. allow horses from anywhere 20 con-
|, IN and compete for the prize IN soi''
:, o,,sse.-vet on the whole pelieN
/, tat we have got to make our 1oca
l. o,,ntv shows for the local count
l. neonle. or at least State people III,
l. arrange the said classes accotuins
=, the horses in that section; tneH u. ea ~.
n o.hih;t,on give the blue ribbon to tn
a. best animal in the class, and the locs
" horse shows will do what they Wer
Intended to do when first organizea-
10 Improve the horses In that particula
he section. When farmer sees that
~, he has got to do is to beat his neisr
~ . bor by having the bost farm team, an
IL keeping the same In the best cond
in ton, etc. lie is going to get tired see
W ing this neighbor take the blue RIB %
It, each year. The same Is true with tn
e. young man and his saddle horse {
81 buggy team. The same is truc with N
- hunter, If it is local matter. bt
allow people to enter regular tralne
at animals purchased by rich person
es and kept simply for that purpose, an
j.. tho sensible local business man is NJ
ry going to take his horse which he USE
" daily and even enter the said hors
because in many cases he does ~
even know what he is entering asalh