The sun., 1909-05-02
GRAY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FAMOUS OLD COLOR GRADU-
ALLY GROTING IN FAVOR.

ThorouEhbred Stallion Gray Leg Doing
| Good Work Toward Making Herod
strain PopuIar-views on PecuIiarl-
ties or Breeding-The0ries Of Color.
| Among the followers OF the turf and
the hunting field the gray horse always
has been popular. and his practical dis
appearance from the race course hns
been regretted by all lovers Of the thor
,oughbred. For generations the doings OF
the gallant gray have formed the lead
ing theme in sporting song and story.
and there are innumerable instances OF
grays being the horses Of great sports
men. Experience shows. though, that as
q general rule grays are-esther very good
or very bad.
1t is long time since gray won the
Derby, but in Flying Fox's year there
was the i'll fated Holooauste, and perhaps
he would have been the winners most
dangerous opponent hut for the fatal
mishap. At the present time II is noficed
that the gray is gradually making its
appearance again on the English turf
/ and on the subject an expert says: AT
the present time the old color seems to
be making headway again. Ie Sancy, the
sire OF Holooauste. has left behind him IN
France a number Of high class daughters
some OF them Of his color. and for all we
know tnere may be a son OF mis- good
enough to carry on the color In his own
country. At any rate there waa worthy
son OF LIE Sancy in Nabot. who proved
his merit. and that. too. under adverse
treatment in his youthful days.
"In England We have at last high class
sire in Gray Leg at the service OF the
public, and 1t is to be hoped that he will
continue to court patronage by producing
more OF the class Of Bass Rock and Gray
Plume, both worthy scions Of the race.
He, moreover, has in the opinion OF some
breeders the extra recommendation that
he hands down the blood OF Herod in
direct male line through his stout de-
scendant lon and thus forms desirable
out-cross for mares already full to re-
pletion of this latter day all conauering
and fashionable Blackjack blood. 1t
may. he that gray daughters Of these good
horses will again graco the choicest studs
OF the land, and recently we saw at Eaton
a gray mare. Gray Lady by name, which
more than held her own in looks among
the picked matrons there.
why have the grays ceased to be COM
mon among our thoroughbreds? Is 1t
to he accounted for by the doctrine OF the
survival Of the tittest, or can any more
| cogent reason be given for their marke ed
decline in numbersP Probably from the
great influx OF Eastern sires in former
days grays we're very strongly repre-
| sented at every race meeting. 20 many OF
these imported Arab or Barb sires being
| OF this color; brt each ten years OF the last
century found them fewer, and We think
| the reason is TO he found in the physio-
| logical fact. FOR which wo can offer no
explanation, that apparently tn produce
gray horse one Of its immediate parents
must be gray. In other words, no gray
horse is TO be found whose sire or dam
has not been gray. That like produces
| like or the likeness OF some Progenitor
a recognized AXIOM Of breeding.
and atavism, or a relapse to the FORM
color and peculiarities Of an ancestor
more or isss remote, il fact known TO
| the breeder of every kind Of stock.
Blood introduced into Pedlgree can
| never be entirely effaced, though the
effects may OF course be min mined by
and this will account for the appearance
now and then OF animals bearing no re-
semblance to their more immediate
parents. In the same way good and bad
! qualities are equally transmitted, as we'll
| as form and color, and may likewise I've
dormant for time to appear later. Ata-
! vsm has nothing whatever to do with
what 10 termed 'telegony.' and though the
two are frequently confused the very
existence of the latter PHENOMENON Is
not yet scientifically recognized and may
have only the relation to the former that
astrology has to astronomy. 1t should
be, mentioned that in spite OF the lack of
scientific corroboration plany breeders
OF experience are firmly convinced Of
the truth of telegony and the theory
has many adherents, more especially in
the canine world: hut in the case OF gray
horses we shall find on minute investiga-
tion that the color once lost never re-
appears in subsequent offspring and Is
not subject to the law of atavism. This
fact may be q surprise to many; perhaps
some breeders may be unaware OF it.
but it will in practice be found II we in
oure into the matter that every gray
horse We see. whether racehorse. hunter.
a parent OF this particular color
"The wonder then is not that now there
are 80 few grays to race. hunt. to mount
that very distinguished regiment, the Royal
Scots Greys, or convey the bridal party to
church but that there are SO many, when
one reflects how easily the color Is lost.
So very few horses are destined to be used
at the stud and become fashionable sires.
in comparison with mares that it would
be on the latter principally we must rely
for the perpetuation OF the color. Let us
see how readily il is obliterated. II a gray
mare on being put to the stud does not pro-
duce gray filly, or if her gray fillies, from
one cause or another. are not bred from,
the color Is gone from her family forever.
Take the stud book for couple Of years
back and see what il shows about the de-
scent OF the color In gray horses. In the
volume of 1905 there are only twenty-eight
gray brood mares among the 5000 re-
corded on its pages. 80 only about one mare
in every 200 is Of this color.
at may here be observed that certain
strains OF blood produce horses whose
coats are tioked over with white hairs,
though in no cqse does the coloration
amount to q real gray. Such markings.
for instance, are very characteristic OF the
descendants OF Bir1catcher and Venison,
both foale in the same wear, 1888 20 much
so that the Birdcatcher mark has passed
into proverb. This popularity Ia doubt
less a heritag ge from the original mare OF
the line, 30 far as she is known to us, and
is most commonly found in the descend
ants OF the "Sedbury Royal mare" OF the
first volume Of the stud book. she being
the tap root Of MIR: Bruce loves No. XI.
family This mare was imported into
England by Charles H.. showing to what
ties are retained in q family.
That the rule OF an immediate gray
parent being essential to produce a gray
applies to all sorts and conditions OF
horses and not merely to those Of pure
blood may not he 40 easy OF incontro-
vertible proof, as there is not the ad-
vantage Of the carefully accumulated