The New York herald., 1921-10-02
Justin Morgan in Bronze.

Justin Morgan in Bronze.
The unveiling Of a monument to
the stallion Justin Morgan, the foun-
der of the type of horse which bears
his name, by the members of the
Morgan Horse Club at Middlebury,
Vermont, yesterday was a fitting |
tribute to one of the most remark
able horses this country has ever
known.
Justin Morgan-he was sometimes
called Figure--was foaled in 1888,
and his fame has ever been connected
with the hills and valleys Of New
England, though his descendants,
when taken to Kentucky or Tennes-
see or across the borders into Can
ada, played their part in developing
the qualities of the families with
which their blood was intermingled.
He was by the charger True Briton
or Beautiful Bay, according to Jo-
sEpH BArTELL, who founded the Nor
gan Stud Book True Briton was
ridden during the Revolutionary war
by Colonel JAMES DE LANCEY, New
York Tory, from whom the horse
was captured by the Continentals.
Historians of the period say the
horses lineage was Arabian on both
sides, and the physical characteristics
of his son would seem to bear out
this contention.
No authenticated portrait OF JUS
tin Morgan has ever been seen, but
tradition has handed down descrip-
tion of the horse which is generally
accepted as. portraying the qualities
for which he was famous and which
he transmitted with marvellous pre-
potency to his progeny to the sixth
and seventh generations. A writer
named LINsEY who made study or
the horse and his descendants de-
scribed him in 1856 as being four
teen hands high and weighing $50
pounds. He was a dark bay with
black legs and black name and tail.
His head, while not small, was lean
and bony. The eyes were of medium
size, very dark and prominent, with
no white around the lid.
The body of this noted horse was
1long, but the oblique shoulders and
sloping hip bones resulted in the
; short back which is distinguishing
characteristic of the breed and made
: its admirers declare the Morgan the
true type for cavalry purposes. The
full, prominent chest, the short, thin
but wide cannon bones and the
sparse growth of long hair at the
fetlocks are other attributes Of Jus.
tin Morgan which have come down
from generation to generation as un.
erringly as the quick, nervous walk
and short, wide trot which make
Morgan horses a delight to ride OF
drive. Their sure footedness, another
desirable quality, is proverbial.
1t is related that Justin Morgan
could trot mile between three and
four minutes. His action is described
as being low and smooth. 1t is not
; surprising that he should play a par
in the making of the trotting family
: OF the present day. His blood assimi
: lated readily with that Of other ligh
horse families, and it is certain tha
II is found I'M many of our tastes
trotters. Uhlan, joint holder Of thu
worlds record of 1853 with Pete
Manning, has 1t through Rattler. ;
son of Hills Black Hawk, which sire'
his third dam. Another good trotte
:, that had it to such an extent tha
4 he was entitled to registration as
!, Morgan was Lord Clinton, which too
a record Of 2:OS% when that mean
something in the way of speed.
The monument to Justin Morga
was executed by FREDERICK II. RoTl
of Englewood, New Jersey, who STUD
led many living types and old print
in search OF standard. 1t wi
serve to remind all those who lov
good horse, no matter what hi
4 type may be, that though Justin Mo-
n gan died OF neglect at the age Of g.
a. his inherent greatness earned fo
\. him at the end OF hundred year
< the grateful recognition Of men VIII
h found his descendants delightful aid
N in the cultivation of the soil and
II the pleasures OF the road and bridl
1t path as well.