Dexter, Ethan Allen and Mate
date: label: Date made
content: 1868
name: label: maker
content: Kelly, Thomas
label: printer
content: Robertson, William C.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Color print of a race between three trotting horses. One horse (Dexter) pulls a sulky and two others (Ethan Allen and his mate) are harnessed to a single sulky.
label: Description
content: A color print of a race between three horses, a brown, a bay, and a black. Ethan Allen and his mate are harnessed to a single sulky in the front, while Dexter is in the rear. The drivers are intent on speed and direction over a dusty track.
label: Description
content: Dexter was foaled in Walden, Orange County, New York in 1858 by Jonathan Hawkins. His sire was Hambletonian and his dam was Clara. Dexter had four white stockings, which was traditionally considered unlucky in a racing horse but a superstition he proved unfounded. In 1862 he was sold for $400 to George B. Alley, who broke him into racing. In 1863 he was sent to Hiram Woodruff and showed 2:42 to wagon. George Trussel paid $14,000 for him in 1866 and placed him in the hands of Budd Doble. Dexter followed Flora Temple as the world’s premier trotter, dominating races between 1864 and 1867. His fastest time was 2:17 1/2, recorded in Buffalo on August 14, 1867. Following this record, he was purchased by Robert Bonner for $35,000. His versatility made him very desired, as Dexter could trot under saddle, in harness, and hitched to a wagon. Dexter’s main rival was Ethan Allen, and on June 21, 1867 on Long Island he raced Ethan Allen and his mate, Charlotte, F. Dexter lost the race but was still considered impressive since he raced the pair alone. Dexter died in 1888 at thirty years old and was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame as an “Immortal” in 1956,
label: Description
content: Ethan Allen was foaled on June 18, 1849 by Joel W.Holcomb of Ticonderoga, NY. He was sired by Vermont Black Hawk, a distant descendant of Messenger; his dam was Poll. On the Holcomb farm, he was treated as a family pet, which continued through his public career. Orville S. Roe of Shoreham, Vermont, bought half an interest in the colt, so during the earlier years of his life he was owned jointly by Holcomb and Roe. That was the beginning of his many owners. In 1862 he was sold to Frank Baker, who, after a time, sold him to Dan Mace and I. D. Walton. In 1866 he was purchased by J. E. Maynard of Boston, who sold him to Eph. Simmons, but afterwards bought him back, and again sold him, November 5th, 1868, to Wesley P. Balch of Boston, who in turn sold him to Col. H. S. Russell of Milton, Massachusetts. Ethan Allen was known for being the most handsome trotter in the races and had one of the longest racing careers, spanning 18 seasons. In 1853 he set the 4-year-old record of 2:36. In 1858 he reduced the stallion record to 2:28 for the mile. The great achievement of his life occurred on June 21, 1867, when, at age eighteen, hitched with a running mate, in 2:15, 2:16 and 2:19, he defeated Dexter to harness, at the Fashion Course in Long Island. He won a total of 33 races, 22 in a single harness. His titles included Champion Trotting Stallion of the World, Champion of the World at Four Years of Age, and Champion of the World to Pole, with a best time of 2:25 ½. Ethan Allen was also highly popular at stud, with his fees reaching $500. He produced six under 2:30 trotters before he died at Sprague and Akers Farm, owned by Colonel Amasa in Lawrence Kansas on September 10, 1876 at age 27. Ethan Allen was buried at the entrance of the trotting course in Kansas, with a monument to commemorate his career. Later, his skeleton was exhumed and displayed at the Museum of Natural History in Lawrence. He was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1999 as an “Immortal.” The popular trotting horse weather vane was based upon his silhouette.
label: Description
content: Charlotte F., Ethan Allen’s running mate, was the thoroughbred progeny of Scythian and Sally Polk.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
label: depicted
content: United States: New Jersey, Morristown
topic: label: Subject
content: Horses
label: Subject
content: Chronology: 1860-1869
label: related event
content: Horse Race between Dexter, Ethan Allen, and Mate, Rematch
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content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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content: Clothing & Accessories
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content: Art
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content: Peters Prints
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content: Domestic Furnishings
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content: Horses
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Harry T. Peters "America on Stone" Lithography Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.60.3533
label: catalog number
content: 60.3533
objectType: label: Object Name
content: lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: image: 17 3/4 in x 24 3/4 in; 45.085 cm x 62.865 cm