The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-29
THOROUGHBREOS
ARE DYING OUT
All Countries Save United States
Are Improving Quality
of Horses.
NO INCENTIVE TO BREED
Death OF Racing Killed Hitherto
Profitable Industry-Con-
dition Deplorable. :!

I New York. December 2s.-Every
country in the world is gathering up
Thoroughbred horses. either by gov
eminent orders or by individuals. eS-
cept this country There is food for
though: In a recent disposal OF horses
at New market. which was started OF by
the sale of Mr.. Waldorf Astor's Lady
Cynosuie. a highly priced brood mare.
The nnal bid came from Sir Gilbert
Greenan. who paid s21.o00 70. her.
| There were bids from various European
governments to get possession of this
mare.
The sale lasted for five Gays, ana
breeders from all parts OF the world
made the bidding very liveiy-that Is,
all parts except the United states.
which had representative. Tae to-
tai aTnoInt realized from the sale OF
$50 head of horses was sl,2oe.55, an
averag/ OF sl.S.5 per head AS the
Lona.a Sportsman says: This is so
per cent mere than the total realized
in 1911. and nearly double the amount
of the receipts IL 1908"
As an idea OF what other countries
are doing 10 advance the thoroughbred
industry and improve the breeding OF
their army horses, representative or
Italy paid $4,000 for the stallion
Lally son of Amphion. Now that
Peter Pan has been sent to France, as
well as kocksand, only a few stations
iaemain in this country that are worthy
the name.
When the reformers attacked racing
! in this country, which meant a ter
4 ri. ne thorough
bred MFR. Belmont said: The damage
will take many years TO repair, and
millions of dollars must be expend-
| ed This was hve years ago NJ.
oeImont's prediction is becoming truer
every day. Every horse that is worth
calling a horse has been sent abroad.
Every horse breeding State has lost
the cream of its stock. until to-day
there is little left except hack ma
terial
Few Breeders Now.
A few years ago there were sales OF
! horses every autumn at Sheepsheao
Bay, where hundreds of thorousnorecs
were disposed of as they are at New
market Hundreds of thousands of dol
lars were expended b. rich owners
Breeders received substantial prices for
their stock. Breeding thorouSnoreds
was a paying industry To-day stock
| farms of i've years ago are cabbage
patches and toecco fields
When one reads of the recent sales
at Newmarket with representatives
| from all countries willing 10 pay top
I prices for thoroughbreds. it is bitter
dose to think that d country OF this
magnitude is looked upon by for
eiSners to be OF about as much i'm
portance in the turf world as Camden
| is to New York
That racing needed regulating in
this country is true enough, but TO
Kill a sport to provide the material
/ for which became an industry has
| struck a blow that has proved almost
fatal to the horse some day there
will be a realization of the situation.
and there Will be a reaction
IL cannot come too soon. for every
day the thoroughbred industry is be-
ing dealt blows which are more and
more severe.
Sane legislation viii help much Any
regulations that will permit owners
to race their horses for stakes ana
purses OF value will encourage the
breeding Of the thoroughbred II horse
racing could only be controlled b. the
government as IL is in European coun-
! tries and be free from the attacks
! of officeholders. reformers and unscru-
pulous political influences. II would
become more popular than IL ever was