The New York herald., 1921-12-25
PETER MANNING Is
OF ST. SIMON TYPE
New King Of Trotters, Unlike
Uhlan, Taller Than He
Is Long.
By @. CHAPLIN.

Peter Manning. :57%. the new king
of trotters. is taller than he is long, ac-
cording to measurements made by J. /.
Markey and published In the Christmas
issue of the Horse Revietc. Mr.. Marltey
makes him Sc inches In height at the
withers and 62 inches in length from the
point of the shoulder to "the swell Of the
quarter" This is what is sometimes re-
ferred to by racehorse men as the ST.
Simon type. the famous English thor
oughbred of that name having measured
63H inches in height without his shoes,
and only 591s inches in length from the
point Of the shoulder to the extremity of
the buttock. These proportions are as
ISOLATED with extreme speed, and In st.
Simon they were exemplified by one Of
the fastest running horses that ever
lived.
Okelly's Eclipse. the st. Simon of $50
years ago among English race horses, rep
resented the opposite type or proportions.
When the French veterinarian, Charles
vial de Sainbel, took the measurements
or that renowned racer, he found that
his length exceeded his height by nearly
one-tenth. When he had finished his
work he wrote his remarkable Essay on
the Proportions oil Eclipse" in which
he set forth for the first time the me-
chanical principles OF progression in
horses. 1t was his intention to follow
up his measurements Of Eclipse with
those Of other great racehorses and
make table Of proportions "by means
Of which," he said. I'VE shall be enabled
to establish the true conformation OF
the racehorse and at any given time to
discover whether the breed has i'm
proved or degenerated" His death.
however. cut short this interesting
project.
Uhlan of Eclipse Type.
When c. x G. Billings was keeping
Uhlan. 1 :5S, at Durland's Riding Acad-
emy and using him as saddle horse
about six years ago. Dr. r. w. McCully,
at the request Of the writer, measured
the then champion trotter and found
him to be 621a inches in height at the
withers, while his length of body was
66 inches. showing him to be of the
Eclipse conformation in the matter of
relative height and length. Though he
was three-quarters of an inch lower than
st. Simon. he was 6h inches longer from
ity of the buttock. and he was AZ inches
longer than the great race horse Or
monde, whose height was 2 inches more
than his own.
Like Uhlan. and every other trotter
that has yet beaten 100, Peter Manning
is little higher on the withers than on
the Group. Eclipse and a great many
of the fastest trotters and runners have
been OF the opposite proportions, stand
Ing noticeably higher behind than before
In the case of Sunol. 2:0sH. the first
trotter to beat the record of Maud s.,
2:0S&. there was q difference of fully
2 inches between her height at the
coupling and at the withers, giving her
what horsemen used to call the "trotting
pitch" In Peter Manning and Uhlan
there is pitch of half an incn in the op-
poste direction.
Perhaps the most striking feature OF
the new champions makeup is his ex-
traordinary length OF leg. All through
the animal kingdom long legs are as
sociated with speed. as short ones are
with power. That the rule holds good
among horses is indicated by the fact
that Peter Manning measures 81 inches
from the elbow to the ground. which is
three inches more than Uhlan measures,
II Mr.. Markey's tapeline did not stretch,
and about the same as the tall, short
ST. Simon. Another noticeable point
about Peter Manning is his remarkable
length from the knee to the ankle Joint.
Uhlan measures only o inches here, ac-
cording to Mr.. Markey, while his sue
cessor measures three inches more-a
difference which seems almost incred-
ibe.
From the hip to the hook, which Is
always regarded as an important part
of the driving power OF the equine ma
chine. Peter Manning and Uhlan meas
ure exactly alike. 40 inches. which is
three inches more than either Lee Ak
worthy. 1:5SH, or Arion Guy. 1914
measures. but of course they are some
what smaller horses than the two geld
ings, the champion stallion standing only
10 hands, while the champion three
year-old Is 15.1H. Lee Axworthy, how
ever, was just as long on the front leg
as Uhlan is. despite their difference of
two and a half inches In height at the
withers, which goes to show that the
gelding Is that much deeper through the
body from the withers to the girth place.