New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-16
So Asserts John S. Mcdonald,
Who Has Made Study OF
Conditions Abroad.
HORSE VALUES ADVANCING
THURMAN Declares That Decad-
ence of Racing Has Cost
United States Millions
of Dollars.
lFrom No Tribune correspondent. ]

am interest i'm horse racing and the breed
ing of bloodcd stock on both sides of the
Atlantic. has Just completed study of
the conditions governing thoroughbred
horse breeding in Europe. more particu-
larry in its relation 10 the supply of ser
Viccable horses for military purposes
The remarkable system in operation IN
France, where the government is spend
ing fabulous sums OF money in substituting
and maintaining thoroughbred horses,
prompted Mr.. Mcdonald. i'm an interview
with a Tribune representative. TO make
comparison between France and the
United States. which is by no means fiat
tcring to the latter country.
1T is impossible for the lay mind to
conceive the demand for the thoroughbred
horse of size. bone substance and con-
formation that exists in Europe to-day"
said Mr.. Mcdonald. The demand exceeds
the supply. BY this 1 mean that not
every thoroughbred will make a sire, or
will be expected as sire. 1t is only
the ones of undoubted soundness, fully up
20 the type of what is known as the
trooper. gunner and officers mount.
ITO secure this class of horse England
md ireland have been carefully combed
over, until II is impossible 10 secure a
stallion that has performed fairly well on
the turf and has retired sound in wind
and limb. Only a few years ago ii was
a comparatively easy matter to come TO
England and select sons OF famous sires
out of mares supposedly as good as the
sires TO which they were mated The fees
a.. II, on
anywhere from 10 guineas TO 400 guineas;
therefore, it will be seen that the produce
of such mating certainly possesses all
that is desired to reproduce high class
animal when mated with mares OF good
conformation and up TO the military
standard.
Such horses could formerly he pur
chased at anywhere from 800 10 ZOO
Cuineas. but lit is impossible to do so at
the present time. Any thoroughbred with
a turf record and bred in the purple that
possesses the foregoing qualifications is
row rated at from 5000 to 1000 glineas.
Wherever you so to make a purchase and
YOU demur at the price, and quote TO the
vendor the fact that Laly, a superior
horse in breeding and performance.
sale at Newmarket. you will be answered
bv the remark. oh. but there are many
persons who would give 1000 suineas for
lin now
This is only a single quotation of the
answer given 10 a comparison in prices
when one wants TO purchase a stallion
for breeding purposes to-day. 1t must be
taken into consideration, however. that.
no matter what the country may be.
whether it is Argentina, the United
States. Russia. or even France or Ger
many. which are only across the Chan
mel the blood Of their thoroughbreds must
be renovated from time TO time by fresh
importations from England
Three generations of the thoroughbred
in France without being reinforced by
fresh infusion of English blood will pro-
duce horse finely turned. well admit,
heavily boned. but coarse and without
the fineness of the original source whence
he sprang. The constant infusion OF new
blood however-for the FTenchmen are
Intelligent breeders-keeps up standard
uneXcelled by any other country.
The French trooper or cavalry horse.
gunner or artillery horse is superior, TAX
Ing the average. to those OF any other
rountry in the world. England must look
to her laurels, for the French govern
ment, under a series Of able and energetic
Commissioners of Agriculture has estao-
lished breeding bureaus where 23S thor
oughbred stations are stationed.
I'm addition TO foreign purchases, the
French government, through the Societe
announcements, are giving twenty-four
new races TO be run at the different
courses. in which horse Will be entered
TO be sold for 1000 francs, and the gov
eminent has the option Of taking the
winner at that price and Of claiming any
othsr horses taking part in these races.
Many stakes have been increased In
value. For instance. the Prix de Caudron
will be worth 10000 francs TO the winner
this year
mo other country in Europe, with the
single exception Of Russia, is so well
equipped. In regard to Russia, her agents
are constantly buying high class thor
oughbred stations and placing them at
the different government breeding estab-
lishments all over the country. There is
little known of Russian methods, but
should anybody doubt the quality Of their
horses. they have only to visit the mill
tary encampments at Warsaw, Krasna,
Sebastopol, Kharkoff Moscow and num-
erous other places, and they will find that
the Cossacks and the cavalry arm Of the
Russian service are superbly mounted.
Ais accounts in a great measure for
the high price OF English horses that
come under the standard OF military
excellence
Now In regard TO Germany. The Ger
mans have not been behindhand in Sc
curing horses for the purpose Of breed
ing for military uses. and the Kaiser Is
earnestly interested in the Improvement
Of the German horse. This is evidenced
by his desire TO improve the quality of
racing in the empire and his determine
ton 10 have every meeting conducted
with an eve to the benefit Of the army
and OF clean. wholesome sport. Austria
and Hungary also are in line with these
other countries, and even little Rumania
has imported many horses in recent years
and the race meetings held in that coun-
try are rapidly approaching the excel
lence Of those in Austria and Hungary.
las TO the future of the United States.
il can be easily said that there is no
future for horses In a country where they
thrive best and that should be the mar
kct for the re.1ounts of the civilized
world Twelve years ago "a per cent OF
the horses I'm the German army were
imported from the United States. 1t IS