Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-02-12

while not one of the eight had as many
winning heats in 2:30, 2:20 or 2:15. And
further thar that, no two of the eight
trotters having faster race records than
Walter E., at close Of 1893, had started
in as many races, nor no four OF the
number had trotted as many miles in
actual contests with other trotters.
Surely there were race trotters in
those days"
Perhaps the most remarkable stallion
ever owned in the West was Star of the
West, $685.. The first look at this stall
lion by Columbus was obtained in 1882,
at which time the horse was twenty
three years old. and they were talking of
racing him again that season. Star of
the West raced fairly well in 1881 at
twenty-five years old, and we are in
clined to believe that he was started
once or twice in 1882.
At our first visit to Star of the West
he never showed by act or look his age,
reminding one of a horse right in the
prime Of life. He was able at the time
TO step a portion of a mile at a 1920 gait,
and could doubtless trot a mile in 2:30.
Our second visit tor Star of the West
was made in 1890, the year preceding
his death. AT that time the old horse
was harnessed for our especial benefit
and hitched to a Frazier road cart. He
was stabbed at the fair grounds adjoining
Clinton, Ia, and owned by James Seeber,
a partner of Judge Walter l. Hayes.
MIR. Seeber logged the horse half a mile
and then allowed him to trot a quarter,
which he did in forty seconds. After
dismounting, Mr.. Seeber told us that he
could drive Star of the West a mile in
2:40 with two weeks preparation.
The exhibition was one never before
witnessed by the writer, and not likely
to be repeated. That old black stallion
reminded one of the war horse referred
to by Job. The very moment he was
given his head he rushed away as though
in actual contest with other horses and
necessity compelled him to put forth his
hest effort. Surely such IA trotter vas
entitled to be styled d remarkable horse,
and we so referred to him in a com
munication to The Western Horseman,
published the last week of April. 1890.
Star of the West 666 was IA black stall
lion, foaled 1859. and sired by Jackson's
Flying Cloud 1874, sol of Bla * Hawk 5,
by Sherman Morgan. Flying Cloud was
out of a daughter of Andrew Jackson 4,
founder of the Bashaw and Clay fam
lilies of trotters.
Grey Fanny, dam of Star of the West,
was likewise dam of Divorce dam of
Silas Wright, 2 1884, sire of Badge, 2:O64,
etc. and Jannette dam of Victory 2:24s }
Eureka, sire of Grey Fanny, was a son of
Long Island Black Hawk "a, by Andrew
Jackson 4. Star of the West has been
styled a Morgan horse, but he only car
ried one cross of that blood and did have
two nearby crosses to Andrew Jackson
and several to imported Messenger.
Eureka, sire of his dam, was out of
Lady Moore, daughter of Mambrino Pay
master sire of Mambrino Chief son of
Mambrino, by imported Messenger.
Kate, the grandam of Star of the West,
was sired by Vincent Messenger, son of
Dover Messenger, by imported Messen-
ger.
The dam and grandam of Star of the
West were gray mares, and in a large
majority of his descendants, even down
to the third and fourth generations, were
found gray hairs in flank or tail, or in
both flank and tail. In Kansas, prac-
tically all the descendants of Joe Young
had the gray hairs referred to.
Star of the West was bred by David
Graves, of Sherman, Conn, stood 1915
hands high, weighed 900 TO 1850 POUNDS
in his prime, and was an attractive,
handsome stallion until old age robbed
him OF a portion of his strength and
comeliness. The greater portion of his
life was passed at Rochester. Mimi, al
though he made seasons in the stud at
Cedar Falls and Oskaloosa, Ia, before
going TO Clinton, at which place he died,
Just one year after the writer saw him
trot a quarter of a mile in forty seconds
C.o-Lf A., Mat a. ~ A... IAr-A -
time of death. OF this stallion the writ
er wrote, in 1890, as follows: Star of
the West, originally a black horse, is
growing gray with age, and with reason,
AS he is now thirty-one years old. The
Year Books tell us that he vas foaled in
1860, but Judge Walter l. Hayes, who
brought the stallion to Clinton, and
other parties having knowledge of the
facts assure us that he was foaled in
1859. He is still possessed of a vast
amount Of snap and vim. and looks near
ly as vigorous as when we last saw him,
eight years ago.
"In his younger days he was a horse
of great action, good looks and style, and
had as much substance MS any horse OF
his size in the West. OF necessity. he
must have had substance, as he trotteG
races all over the country for eighteen
successive years, beginning in 1863 and
continuing untiIlSSl, apd perhaps raced
some in 1882.
lis there another stallion in the world
!, that accomplished what this old fellow
did-raced over all kinds of tracks, anC
with a dozen different drivers behinC
him-and remained sound until hi
thirty-frst Year, Should there be sucl
! a horse, name him. He was "A good
game race horse %trotter, n has III,
fastest mile to his credit ever trotted by
a twenty-two-y year old stallion. Toda,
he can trot faster than any horse tina
|. ever lived at same age"
>Star of the West is accredited will
: trotting thirty eight races, and doubtless
many of his contests were never record
ed in a turf publication, as his racing
career began and closed prior TO the is
sue of a Year Book. We find that il
TWO Of his races he was defeated b.