The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1921-11-18
MORGAN HORSE WINS LAURELS
IN 30O-MILE ENDURANCE
CONTEST.

Castor, the 800-pound registered
Morgan horse that was placed fourth
in the United States mounted service
endurance test of 300 miles in five
days, which was completed on Oct,
10, is the property of the United
States Department of Agriculture and
was bred at its Morgan Horse Farm
near Middlebury, VT. He was sired
by General Gates, the premier stall
lion at the farm for many years,
and out of a mare by Bob Morgan,
another remarkable representative of
the Morgan breed.
In 1914 Castor was first used on the
remount breeding work in Vermont,
he being then 5 years of age. He
was continued in this work for three
years. The third year Castor finish
ed the breeding season in bad condi-
tion, due to improper feeding on the
part of the groom. This occurred
at considerable distance from the
Morgan Horse Farm, which made
frequent inspections of the horse by
the superintendent impracticable. 1t
did not appear that he would ever
recover from the effect of this mis-
treatment, so he was castrated, but
as has been his custom, he recovered
and by the following spring was
again. in excellent spirits and flesh.
Needing more horse power on the
farm, Caster was utilized at various
tasks during 1917 and 1918.
The first official endurance test
held in 1919 brought a demand for
Morgans from army officers at Fort
Ethan Allen, VT. Castor was turned
over to Capt. Hurlburt, who trained
and rode him in the test. Due to
fatigue, the rider grew carless on a
steep hill on the last day of the test
and, as a result, Castor received a
bad fall, resulting in severe cut to
his knee, which caused him to finish
lame. With his handicap he finished
the test in the second best time of
any of the contestants.
Upon being returned to the Morgan
Horse Farm, Castor was used as a car
riage horse and gradually put into
good flesh. Later that fall he was
shipped to Washington, ID. c., and
with a mate was used for the Secre-
tary of Agriculture's carriage. The
following spring he was shipped to
Norwich University in Vermont,
where he was prepared by a cadet,
under an officers supervision, for the
1920 endurance test. Before the test
he appeared to be overturned, but
he made a good showing, drawing
seventh place in the final awards.
After another rest, Castor was
turned over to the forester Of Middle
bury College (Vermont), who used
him continuously for riding over
mountain timberland until his intens-
i've training for the 1921 endurance
test was begun at the Morgan Horse
Farm. Due to his hard work in the
mountains and to rather limited re-
tions, Castor was very thin and put
on little flesh during his training,
but he grew strong and hard and
improved in spirit
His intensive training lasted little
over go days, during which time he
covered from 20 TO 80 miles per day
over various kinds of roads, and the
weight was gradually increased until
he was carrying 225 pounds the
second week before the test began. !
During his training Castor showed no /
lameness or soreness, and he was al |
ways a good feeder.
A slow journey by rail caused him
to be on the cars FIVE DAYS in going |
to Camp Alfred Vail, n. j., and with
two days intervening between his
arrival and the start Of the test, he
began il under a slight disadvantage.
not as fast as several in the
test, he made a consistent perform
ance throughout and carried his 245
pounds (nearly one-third of his
weight) without developing any leg
trouble. His temperature, respira-
ton, pulse, and appetite demonstrate
ed conclusively that he was up to the
task and had been properly eondi-
toned. His loss of only 1914 pounds
was a remarkable part of his per-
Torrance, especially considering the