The Detroit times., 1912-01-29
R. 7. c. MAY HAVE Been
A FARM HORSE BUT HE .
WAS A WELL BRED RACER
Young Farmer Who First Cor
rected Champions Faults
Gets Credit
BIGGS WAS FIRST TRAINER
Then Tommy Murphy Got the
Gelding and Burned Up the
Grand Circuit
3IGGS WAS FIRST TRAINER

IL notice" remarked veteran
horseman. at light harness conflab
recently. that the man who discov-
cred the champion money-winner trot-
ter. X. T. c., 2.06 "a, whose earnings
on the grand circuit in 1911 exceeded
So 900. is willing 10 give the young
| farmer, who broke and drove the
geding during his colt days some
OF the credit for making the son OF
| Princemarch the great horse he is to-
day
Il like that, for IL indicates the
proper spirit and leaves something to
the horses natural ability Most train
| ers like 10 have folks believe that
horse would remain in obscurity un-
less he happened TO drop INTO their
/ hande.
1T was a mistake 10 term r. r c..
2.0s 81 the pillow horse trotter, but il
sounded we'll Some folks had men
! tai picture OF the geldinS pulling
pillow in a Delaware corniield one day
and beating the grand circuit cham
piOns the next month or tNo. What
really happened was this:
A well-bred trotting mare with a
hig' turn of speed happened 10 be .
owned by a Delaware farmer who
mated her with good trottlng stall
lion. one speedy enough 20 take
record OF lib IA 8nd win many races
tas his sire before him had done. The
progeny happened to be foaled on the
lfaIp. and in common with the other
lhcrses placed by destiny on the same
| farm to do mental tasks, was put at
work and performed we'll whatever
Itask was allotted to him.
The fact that he was well-bred
trotter had nothing at all to do with
lit: in fact, | think. he was all the bet
ter fitted for general purpose per-
iformances because OF that fact, for
| have frequently seen a half-bred or
ltrottrg.br horse OF 100 pounds or
more make horses of commoner clay
OF several hundred pounds greater
weight take a back seat when mat.
tier q hard work was the test. Blood
will tell always in man or beast. and
lrll wager r. r. c.. 2.06 "a, held up
his end no matter where they put him
But he didn't blow and harrow all
the time When there was an errand
in town which called for speed trips
he was hitched 10 a light wagon, and
lin the evening. YOU know, the average
country lad likes 10 take his sweet
heart for a buggy ride.
y "a level stretch OF road with the
moon shining down it's length and a
pretty girl by your side are inspiring.
and Delaware folks say that r. T.
c. cot most OF his education at the
trot under such circumstances. As
trainer. Biggs. who subsequently
bot ght the horse for $3.50. says X T.
lC.. 200 "a, was never trained till |
got him but he had been To night
school
You will infer that young woman
lrrobably had something to do with
the discovery OF the gelding's natural
Ispeed. and IL was another woman who
was directly responsible for his rae
ling career. Trainer Biggs. whom
everybody in Delaware and Maryland
lLnoNs and swears by. was driving
laong a Delaware turnpike one day
accompanied by his wife. A fast
mare with a record close TO 200 over
Ia half-mile track was between the
shafts
"A young man driving rangy
lchestnut geding came along and chal-
iienCed the professional reinsman TO
ian impromptu race on the road. Biggs
Thought he could pull the extra weight
land beat any trotter thereabout, but
Ito his amazement the gelding beat
him easily. Mrs Biggs teased her
husband about IL that night and urg.
cd him to buy the geldlng. Biggs
had learned that the owner was
farmer named Cochrane.
NJ: Cochrane offered to sell the
horse for $500 and Biggs tried to in
terest a couple of wealthy horsemen.
apparently being loath TO take a
l L. aoIT Of 10 mo
who came TO look al the horse would
not let him be hitched or even brought
out of the stable when he saw the
collar marks on his neck where tho
white hairs gave evidence of hard
work. Biggs was to have had "A com.
mission OF $40 or 10 per cent, for
making the sale, and his wife finally
got him up to point where he put
up $3.50 of his own cash and effected
the transfer.
~, appears that Biggs had his own
TROUBLES when he attempted TO train
Ibis purchase. X. T. G. could go like
a bullet out OF a gun on n straight
away, but when he attempted to trot
tho turns IL was all of. He hit his
knees and played Old Ned with him
self in general.
Then q series OF experiments COM
lmenced and it was some time before
the right sort OF genius in the shape
of & blacksmith was found II you
have never had anything to do with
a knee-hanger, you can't appreciate
how frightened horse is under such
punishment. II takes months 70 get
one over Il, and sometimes they never
do become thoroughly reliable. This
blacksmith with Biggs' assistance, Ak
ed r. T. c. up so that he could trot
a turn at 2.10 clip and never brush
a boot
Then the gelding started to win
! and he was the hngpin of the half
mile rings in 1910. when Tommy MUIR
ply. the wizard OF Poughkeepsie,
IheOrd about him and induced Louis
Neidhart. OF Jersey City, TO buy him
Biges says that II his peach crop had
not been a failure that fall nobody
but himself would have pulled a rein
lover the trotter in 1911. You know
how Murphy went through the grand
circuit and never lost a race last see,
|