Discussion of a Coming Problem, Daily Racing Form, 1911-12-08

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DISCUSSION OF A COMING PROBLEM. One could not help noticing the remarkably low prices obtained for some thoroughbred yearlings recently sold in America, and comparing these with the prices obtained both in Englaud and France during the last few months. It is an old cry how the best produce of Kentucky and other American stud farms is being sacrificed and the breeding stock scattered among countries outside of the .United States. It is perhaps out of my province, not being a citizen of the United States, to call the serious attention of the government to what will happen in a decade or two, but it is a sufficient weighty problem in my own country, where those interested in the quantity of reserve horses, a national question, are continually prodding the administration into doing something to encourage horse breeding. The latest decision of the largest public vehicle company in England, the London General Omnibus company, to do away with all the horse omnibuses and run these with motor traction only, has swept away what has been in the past the principal supply of reserve animals. Duriug the South African war the company just referred to was able to reply to the requisition of the war office by supplying many thousands of horses, and there are no sources yet discovered which can replace those depended upon in the past. The success of American-bred horses on the English turf is sufficient to warrant them fetching a high price, although England has yet to learn that an American animal can properly stay over a considerable distance of ground. European markets will continue to absorb all the good blood stock which is sent them. I notice that a three-year-old by Meddler won a nice race while others scored in recent weeks. I notice that Mr. J. R. Kcenc had a lot of two-year-olds in the catalogues, including colts by Voter, Ben Brush, Delhi, etc. There were not so many continental buyers as usual going to the sales at the turf headquarters of England, as the minister of agriculture in France has issued a decree directly in favor of native born horses. I presume that there is such a thing as a horse census in this country. Of course, it must be a national question, but assuming that the battles of the United States might have to be fought on the sea instead of on land, the horse topic might fail to raise the same spirit of questioning, although apart from the general topic of horses of all kinds for war or peace service, the question Inevitably presents itself as to where would all the horses come from, if racing were thoroughly reinstated again, as it surelv will lie? Big racing stables and stables of fine thoroughbreds are not gathered together too easily. As well might the picture galleries and the museums have been despoiled and how many years, if ever, would it take to replace them? Marquis of Quecnsbury, in Chicago Tribune.


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