Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1909-09-24
INTELLIGENCE AND
GOOD BREEDING


men always precedes an appreciation
of good breeding in domestic animals
There is no business in the world i'm
which profit and pleasure can be
more surely attained and perfectly
blended than i'm the breeding and
development Of the speed of 1.-The trot-
ting or harness horse. Many invaIids
have been fully restored To health
and happiness by the invigorating
influence of turf sports. After HUI
manitarian consideration there is no
more laudable ambition for mankind
than 10 reach the highest possible
state OF perfection of the animal that
has been AN essential factor i'm the
achievements OF man since they
emerged from barbarism and mater
Tally aided our early ancestors in dis
Polling the love for the brutal sports
that made courageous the victims Of
hoof, horn, teeth md claw.
Th9 rapid strides Of progress with
which the American product known
and classified as the harness horse
has bound into fame is only equaIed
by the rhythmical sound OF the har-
monious music OF his measured foot
steps which enchants the ear and eve
OF the most Gu tured scions OF civil
Iizat ons.
In view OF the fact that pleasure,
profit, health and happiness result
from the development OF the harness
horse ii becomes a matter OF the grea-
test concern that Intelligence should
govern Our efforts 10 make him the
most perfect animal in mans
domain, and 10 do that it has been
found necessary to establish a system
Of registration based upon prescribed
qualifications, changing them as
those in authority deem tit, and in
this il is OF the highest importance
that wisdom instead OF caprice or
avarice should rule.
After the great progress OF more
than half century OF tests il would
appear retrogTessile for any individ-
ual 10 east aside the result OF careful
selection and begin anew with an
untraced sire and dam, and rs n mat.
ter of fact no thoughtful breeder of
this day would be so reckless as to
risk his time, talents or money in
breeding 10 "A stallion outside the
STANDARDIZED family.
1t Is tue and has been frequently
verified that an infusion of thorough
herds close up in the dam as resulted
in wonderful performances, but the
necessity for this experiment offers
little hope for the breeder OF limited
means. Disappointments To the man
who can only afford TO keep a few
mares drives from the ranks thou
sands who love the trCtler next 10
their families, and on the other
hand may others who see meritor-
ious performer or producer bring
fame 10 his possessor leap into the
arena To attract attention or gratify
greed.
In the latter class you find lob
lot of sHcophanls and scofrers OF
pedigIees, always ready with the ster-
eoty ped expression, II don't care
how he is bred 50 he can go, " etc.
This class OF superficial observers are
ever ready to kick TO destruction the
structure established by men whose
aim has been to build up a founda-
ton cemented with production and
performance prepotent in past and
present.
TTuthfully speaking an unknow N
dam proves nothing for the contender
OF the cold or common horsebIood
as source OF speed. The fact that
The foaIs OF dam Of unknown breed
ing have the capacity to defeat oppo-
nents is no proof that they are not
bred in identically the same lines of
those on the registered list. SO, after
all, the capacity must come from
those that had the prepotency to pro-
duce IL, and in no case can it come
from those that do not have it.
The muscular activity and trot-
ting conformation is as surely trans
as is the white face OF the
Hereford, though crossed on an -Aber-
deem, or the white feathers OF a
Branma and Black Mirorca. In
domestic animals that have been
bred for a single feature, color or size
that are visible to the eye, the desir-
ed end is much more easily attained
than The multiple objects OF speed,
disposition, endurance, soundess and
Intelligence, all essential characteris-
lies OF the harness horse.
The absolute insincerity and pre- (,
-entiousness OF the "carpetbagger"in (
he trotting ranks who ridicules the
'alue of pedigIee is invariably ex-
,