The New York herald., 1921-05-29
KENTUCKY'S FIRST
SIRE OF TROTTERS
Pedler's Horse of Unknown
Blood the Fountain Head
of Extreme Speed.
BY GURNEY G. CUE.

lAOlIHB HORSES mas yet pTOuuctu anu as
one of the most potent animals In the
history of live stock breeding, students
Of heredity are constantly advancing new
theories to account for his wonderful
character the like of which few in
dividuais OF any breed, species or genus
have shown. One of the latest of these
theories is that his double cross to Old
pilot through his son Pilot Jr. is the
key to the mystery.
II his day which was almost CEN
tury ago, the "little black ram. as Old
Pilot was commonly called while he
lived on account of his striking physical
and temperamental attributes seems to
have stood out among stations of his
type even as his great descendant now
stands out among living trotting sires.
There is perhaps no horse in harness
racing history of more obscure origin or
romantic career. He was really the first
trotting sire in Kentucky, and there has
never been time since he was In the
flesh when his descendants were not
fighting in the front rank for the fastest
records and the richest prizes of the
trotting turf
II was in the fall of 1880 that Elias
l.. Rockwell, a rowing Yankee of horse
trading horse racing proclivties, drove
into Norton's livery stable in New Or
leans one night with a sleepy looking
cld quarter horse and this blocky little
wagon He had driven all the way
from Norwich. n. Y. making match
races as he travelled along, and making
far more money in this way. 1t was af-
terward said than he eyer made by
selling Yankee notions. While In New
Orleans he matched Pilot for $1,000
!, side. but the race fell through when it
leaked out that Rockwell had ridden
him two miles in 4:47. The black pac-
tr's bursts of speed were described as
prodigous and uncomfortable. TIE re-
strain him in these wild rushes the in
genious Yankee had rigged pair OF
reins running through pulleys attached
to the bit and securely anchored by
breeching. Unable to make any more
matches after the stories of his speed
got abroad, Rockwell traded him off for
81 900 worth of sugar. and he passed
irto the hands of D. Heinsohn of Louis
Vile who sent him to Kentucky. he
was kept in the stud there until ne died
IN 1853.
Was .Incarnation or Speed"
MANY graphic descriptions of his ap-
pearance, his spirit and his speed have
been written by old-time horsemen who
knew him in the flesh, but the pen
picture which brings the old black PAGER
back to life is one by Richard c. Ander-
son of Dayton. Ohio, which appeared
nearly fifty years ago in the Spirit OF
the Times that Incompatible reposi-
tory of early American sporting history.
Mr.. Anderson's mother was the daugh-
ter OF William H. Pope, who bred Nancy
Pope the dam of Pilot Jr., and the
nephew saw the old horse constantly
on his uncle's farm. He said:
That wonderful little locomotive on
legs, with his Northern hardihood and
cast iron constitution. was as black as
n crow. without white hair. He was
the very embodiment the perfect incar-
Nation of strength and speed. quick
action and supreme self-will. Only
one person could manage him about
the stable or ride him at his exercise
his black groom, Uncle Ned. possibly
the same who has been immortalized in
song. as he was very bald and very
pious and has long since gone with the
old horse where the good horses and the
good niggers CO. Many time have !.
as a boy. in, utter and open-mouthed
amazement, seen old Uncle Ned, with
leather enough in his bride for the cable
and iron enough In the bit to anchor a
small schooner, give the old stud his
head on the turnpike. or big road as
we called 1t in the country, and, quick
as an arrow from the bow. or an eagle
from his perch and powerful and reso-
lute as a lion on the spring. Old Pilot
in the twinkling of an eye. amid the
dust, and outstripping the wind, man
and horse would disappear, their career
as swift and impetuous as the terrible
rush of thunder cloud
1T was not the poetry of motion (for
his action was nervous. spasmodic and
ierky and seemed struggle Of one
side to separate from and outstr1p the
other). which pleased the eye with the
easy. flowing grace and cloclSlike reg
ularity, but the overwhelming and al
smost. appalling exhibition OF power and
fearful resolution of a living, breathing
pnimal which overpowered the magma
.tion. His mighty neck was clothed in
Mhunder and whether like Jobs war
horse. he would have said "Ha. Ha!'
among the trumpets or made some other
equally pertinent and warlike remark /
cannot affirm. This, however, l can
safely avouch, that he always seemed
10 be snuffing the battle afar off and
manifested a perpetual and highly COM
mendable readiness with nerceness and
rage" TO swallow the ground" or make
n meal of any lady or gentleman. Uncle
Ned for friendships sake. alone ex-
cepted. who came In his way.
"Rugged ms Old viking
'"The mute in Eugene Sues exaggerated
and highly wrought romance was not
moro deVOteuly Attached To that noble
and despised son of the desert the Go
dolphin Arabian, than Uncle Ned 10
Old Pilot, and I have often wondered
what the old mans emotions would have
been had some king held before him
such a glass as was presented to Mac
beth and shown him the future glories
Of the old horses house and their tri-
umphs on the turf. and 'the line that
will stretch out till the crack or
doom" Whatever feelings our pious
friend Edward might have had, the
strange development of nervous force
and lightninglke quickness in this old
Canadian stallion. his wonderful indi-
viduality and force of character. the
vast powers so concentrated I'm his
small frame, first set my mind to study
ing the PAGER of this grand type as a
highly important if not absolutely es-
sential element in the breeding OF trot- !
ters, and even at that early day before !
this theory had ever been broached, 1
felt assured tact some great son of this
mighty old pacing wonder would sue
ceed him and hand his name and fame
down In the trotting chronicles to the
remotest generations.
mo royal blood couraed In his veins.
II IN rue, and I am a great stickler for
blood, as / know IL will tell. in man or
horse but rugged as an old Viking In
s.S Northern Drawn and gristle his In
domftable spirit and iron limbs. he had