The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-11

OWN 80 q u tShtt
1 love than C. *. C. Billings of
New York, whose devotion to the
trotter has made his name a house
hold word wherever the American
light harness horse is known.
The possessor of the fastest stallion
IN The Harvester. 2;0l; the f~ieetest
mare in Lou Dillon, 1:5Sh, and the
Incompatible gelding Chlan, 1:5S. the
greatest trotter hat has ever lived
and perhaps as perfect an all round
horse as nature has yet produced, Mr..
Billings has never started a horse for
a money prize. but at great expense
has shared his priceless equine treas-
ures with the sport loving people Of
casion. giving exhibitions Of speed in
cities as far distant as Berlin. Moscow
and P~etrosrad.
MI. Billings differs from all. other
men who have owned champions at
the trotting gait in the past. inasmuch
as he has played a most important
part In the development and education
Of many of his horses both to wagon
and saddle. Robert Bonner drove the
great Dexter. 2:17i.. whose dam, Clara,
by American Star. was the sixth dam
OF The Harvester. and he tool II world
81 pleasure behind the brown gelding.
while in after years he owned and
drove in succession Rarus 2:!3L, Maud
S. 2:OSs. and Sunol 2:0sL. All these
were driven only. and sometimes at
long intervals, and those who knew the
great publisher best in his declining
years say that sometimes the farm
near Tarrytown would not know him
for months at a time. II was not that
Mr.. Bonner was not a keen horseman.
for he was all of that. but in his in
ability TO rid he lost much Of the
charm which comes to hos who are
fond Of horses. In the saddle there Is
that sense of intimate relationship, and
man and horse are in closer com
panionship than ever comes to the
occupant Of any vehicle, eve the
racing sulky of the present day, which
is almost as much a part Of the horse
as the harness he wears.
1t Is as both rider and driver that Mr..
Billings, whom experts pronounce the
best all round amateur horseman of
his time" is so widely known both in
This country and abroad. When a
younger man-and he Is so young and
agile to-day that fit as a fiddle" a
favyn anninI hy M nf hiS GOOD frinnAc
a few days ago, clothes him like a glove
he was fonder If driving trotters to
than any other branch of the
sport. though he can tool a four-in-
hand with anybody. as those who were
wont TO visit the races at Washing
ton Park in the sos when Gen
Phil Sheridan was president of the
aristocratic club which governed
racing in Chicago at that time can
testify.
He came by his love for the horse
naturally, his father having been a
famous horseman in his day. Born in
Saratoga he went to Chicago at an
early age and remained there TIL about
ten years ago, being identified with
many of the leading industries OF
the Western metropolis. He was
a prominent figure at all the
amateur meetings and was early
recognized as an exceedingly skilful
driver. shortly after coming East he be-
gan using trotters for saddle horses
and now hardly a day passes that he
does not ride one or more trotters
whether at his town place. TryOn Hall
az laGth street and Fort Washington
avenue, at his newer estate. Farms
worth. near oyster Bay, or wher
visiting his very beautiful Curles Neck
Farm on the James River, in Virginia
purchased last year. where all his
H"is" breeding operations are carried
On under the supervision OF Ed a
Upton, for many years with the late
Marcus Da,y Of Montana.
'.-llcs a ioyer or the trotter en-
F"1- 20 glance ovcr the list Of saddle
h"..'s in the Billings stable, all OF
NH.'h are pronounced by him as max
i't acceptable mounts, First ami fore
n''' of course, comes Than, 1858
flowed 10y The Harvester, 2:0l
Louis Forrest, 2;OGh Funny Crank
'.''.-, d. Mack, 2:0oA Frank Hall
n'n-r"cnrd son OF walnut Hall
''V''t and Ben Wright. . fast trottel
''Fn"wn breeding, but whose ster'
"hi qualities have o him a high
I'l.' N IN" affection of his master.
'n0"r record horses ridden by Mr.
'"'''- - IN the past but not wne by
nm low are Charley Mitchell, 2:O+A
prosecuted 20 Charles Tanner Il Cleve-
t''H trainer Of the Billings trotters
' many years, who managed thu
''"Itn exhibition campaigns In 100!
and l-N1 Lrl ..La LIl L. .aI.a a..o,