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GENERAL WOODS REPORT AIM INCENTIVE TO ACTION Friends of the Thoroughbred Will Make a Determined Effort to Obtain Modification of New Yorks Stringent Anti-Racing Laws 1 1 ; ! , i . ! " ; ; - - New York, December 25. Commenting on the action of Major-General Wood, chief of staff of the United States Army, in calling the attention of Congress to the deplorable conditions brought about by the wholesale shipment of thoroughbred horses out of this country, as a result of the enactment of anti-racing legislation in various states of the Union, a prominent Kentucky breeder of a few years ago, who has practically been forced out of breeding by reason of the restrictive laws against racing, said: "Much of the harm that has already been done to tlw thoroughbred industry, by reason of the persecution of racing, cannot be overcome for many years, and with a continuance of this persecution it will mean the stamping out of the breed altogether. As a matter of fact, I am surprised that there are as many thoroughbreds left iu the country. They arc-left for the reason that some breeders had some thing more than the market in view. They are men who could afford to breed horses; men who sent yearlings to the sales ring, but who were not dependent upon the prices realized for the upkeep of their establishments. "With no racing it was natural that the bottom should fall out of the market, and when stallions of the most fashionable lineage are sold for five dollars and mares of irreproachable pedigree are bought to be used for the breeding of mules, it is time for breeders to quit, unless they breed for their own amusement. "I sent my mares to England, and while I did not realize what I would iu America when racing was nourishing, the prices were incomparably better than would have been had iu any market here. "The havoc that has been wrought by those who would for all time break down racing is more in the loss of the mares than in the loss of the stallions. The sires can be replaced, but the matrons are gone, and hundreds of them are distributed to the four corners until it would be impossible even to trace them if it was desired to have them back where they properly belong. "The only reason for the present condition is the restriction against racing, and General Wood has the right idea when ho blames this senseless crusade as the cause of the serious crippling of what should be one or the greatest of American industries. "No country in the world has the same facilities for the breeding and development of the thoroughbred horse. With our natural advantages, and the wealth that has been expended, America should lead the world. Its broad, rich grazing grounds, its climate and grain, make it the natural home of the thoroughbred, and had racing continued to prosper it surely would have taken that place within a few years. "Should racing return, under proper safeguards, it would see the rehabilitation of many of these big Kentucky farms that have been put to other uses, and the breeding of the thoroughbred would come back. It would take some time to overcome the ravages of the enemies to the horse, but he still has many loyal friends and friends who are willing to invest fortunes In the betterment of the breed but the only salvation is the return of the sport." Major-General Woods report to Congress included the following language: "As a result of recent state legislation affecting racing there has been and still continues to be a very extensive shipment out of this country of the very best thoroughbred blood. . These shipments in some cases consist of entire studs of thoroughbreds and are assuming the magnitude of a national cal amity so far as the effect on the breeding of thoroughbred stock in this country is concerned. "This matter touches the mounted service in such a vital way that the War Department cannot be Indifferent to it. While other countries are spending immense sums of money iu imported thoroughbred stock many of our most renowned breeders have entirely sold out, shipped abroad or are gradually reducing their establishments. "The loss of thoroughbred stock to such an extent as is now taking place threatens the further improvements in the American horse and will gradually reduce the source from which the army can secure a proper mount. This matter is one of such importance that it is thought the attention of Congress should be invited to it." It is hoped that this report from the chief of staff will awaken lawmakers to a sense of their responsi bility for the conditions that prevail. From the time of the first thoroughbred the race course has been the only testing ground. Without racing there is no test. General Wood has been using every endeavor to save the horse, and this report is an evidence of his sincerity. At several of the amateur race meetings held hereabouts during the past season General Wood was a steward, and he gave his sanction and support to the races that were put on for the army horses and the army officers. These races have done much already to improve both the riders and their mounts, but a recollection of the poor showing of the Americans in the army classes at the recent National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden shows the necessity that exists for better horses. Largely through the efforts of General Wood several thoroughbred sires have been secured for service at army posts, but they are still inadequate to meet the demands, and the dispersal of the big breeding establishments and shipment of mares to foreign lands leaves the country in a sorry way for horses. As a result of the statement of General Wood that legislation hostile to horse racing in this country has hit at the eiliciency of the cavalry department of the United States by causing the removal of important studs to European countries, another attempt will be made to have the New York Legislature repeal the laws that are responsible for the suspension of racing. Turfmen have begun to figure the loss to the state and to interested persons through the crippling of Hie turf industry. At the present time more than 1,000,000 worth of race course property is lying idle. A high official of the Jockey Club said today that the campaign for the revival of racing will be car-1 riod on conservatively through the distribution of literature among the voters of the state. The Now York Sun, in commenting on the recent sale of the famous Castleman Stud near Lexington, Ky.. by James H. Keeno to David M. Look of New York, who will breed trotting horses on the ground where some of the greatest of American thorough-: breds first saw the light, says that it is a sign of the times and goes on to say that "it marks the passing of the greatest nursery where pure-bloodeil horses were bred scientifically in America and in its dissolution the horse breeding Industry at largo receives a severe blow. "No man who lias made a study of the blood line? of thoroughbred families of this country and England surpasses in knowledge Foxhall A, Daingerfield, wlic for many years lias had charge of Castletou. Tin result of Ills wisdom was attested year after yeat in the successes achieved by the horses bearing the white with blue spots of his brother-in-law, James R. Kecne, who had Induced the quiet, soft- voiced Virginian to move to Kentucky and take charge of the stud he was establishing there. Ii onp season the horses he had see? develop from baby- hood won over hB100,000 and the skill on the part of trainer Howe or the jockeys who rode them in their races would have availed nothing if they had not possessed the siced and stamina coupled with a constitution that made them stand the ordeals of the race track. "The best strains of blood to bo found in England and America were blended with the cunning of an alchemist in the Castleton product, and the results achieved amazed the turf world and caused all but the closest students of the science of breeding to despair. It was openly predicted a decade ago that if racing continued long enough, the Kecne horses would win the bulk of the rich prizes offered by the various racing associations, and this state of affairs practically existed when the anti-racing legislation came into effect. Many will argue that the lavish expenditure of money for English mares of demonstrated families was responsible for the success of Castleton-lfred horses, but if there hadnt been a proper comprehension of the merits of the various blood lines behind the money to dictate the selections, millions would not have secured the results at Castleton year after year. "It is a calamity, in the opinion of students of the horse, that Castleton should be abandoned as a breeding stud, not because the new owner will not rear trotters of a type that has made America famous the world over, the trotting horse being truly characteristic of this country, but because so much has been done for the horse family in general by the thoughtful, painstaking student who will now return to Virginia and perhaps give his attention to some other pursuit than horse breeding iu the declining days of a busy career. "No exierienced student of horse breeding will deny that the thoroughbred is the horse par excellence when it comes to the betterment of any type of horse. His blood is essential If improvement along the lines of courage, beauty, stamina and bono is to be the goal; and even devotees of the trotting horse are divided unequally when it conies to the question of speed, most of them claiming that the cross of pure blood close up in a pedigree of the trotter is helpful. "If the trotting instinct is strong enough to keep the individual possessing it on that gait exclusively there is no gainsaying the contention that the thoroughbred cross will make him tight out the race more resolutely. Nearly every pedigree of note on the trotting turf has more or less thoroughbred blood in it, and there are many half-bred horses, Palo Alto, for instance, that have been champions. Therefore from any point of view the passing of Castleton and kindred establishments which gave to the world horses of superb breeding, matchless courage, extraordinary beauty and perfect dispositions is to be deplored. "The fact that the trotter will be reared in the paddocks which once only knew the thoroughbred, is not going to save the day for the horse interests of the United States, useful horse as the trotter is and perfect in ills own sphere. If the government is to have the type of horse necessary for its cavalry and artillery, the thoroughbred horse is its only salvation. "The nation is face to face with a serious problem. Many of the best of the stallions that were the pride of the United States are being sold to go abroad, and if some of those who still own good examples of the blooded horse do not follow the example of August lielmont and donate horses to the governmental stud, there will be a situation to be dealt with at a later day. "There was a practical illustration of the value of thoroughbred blood at the recent National Horse Show in New York, when Hon. Adam Deck, chairman of the Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission, won in two classes with a brown gelding named Hydro. The competitions were for heavyweight hunters and the classes contained some strong material. This gelding Hydro is by Hillctte, a thoroughbred son of Riley, by Longfellow, a horse that Edward Corrigan raced all over the. country more than twenty years ago. His mother was a small mare, not 15.2 hands high, and of uncertain breeding. She looked as though she might have been by a trotting horse. Her son Hydro, by the thoroughbred Hilette, is seventeen hands high, or very near it, has the splendid conformation essential in a hunter, sloping shoulders, strong, short back and tremendous quarters to propel him safely over his fences. His bone is enormous, more than nine inches below the knee, while his length of rein is most unusual. A well-poised, shapely head saves him from even the suspicion of coarseness. Where did he get it? He got it from the same source as his stable companions Sir Thomas and Sir Edward, both good winners at the same exhibition, from an unbroken line of thoroughbred ancestors. On the sires side, Sir Edward is by the American-bred Tupelo, a son of the English sire Esher, imported to Kentucky many years ago. Sir Edward won the championship in his class at the great international Olympic show iu London and was again adjudged the champion at the recent show iu Madison Square Garden. "He is over sixteen hands high, weighs 1,220 pounds and was pronounced by Major Allen of the United States Army the finest example of the sort of horse the government is trying to produce for cavalry purposes. Sir Thomas is a son of Philosophy, by Longfellow and is second in quantity only to Sir Edward, the latter being up to 190 pounds. The success of Hydro in the heavyweight competitions vindicates the judgment of his owner, who a year ago showed him in the rough to The Sun representative, at that time predicting that he would win a heavyweight championship some day at Madison Square Garden. "The horses which Mr. Belmont donated to the government were good specimens of the thoroughbred, and one of them. Octagon, proved his worth at the recent show when one of his progeny won for the head of the Jockey Club in a big field of competitors. Octagon should be a tremendous factor in the work of upbuilding the standard of American horsellesh as conducted under the watchful care of . the bureau of animal husbandry. He has size, bone and quality and the best strains of blood of the French and English stud books are commingled in his veins. Mated with mares of the proper sort, : his influence on future generations in the horse family should bo commanding. Henry of Navarre did not possess the rugged masculinity of Octagon, I but he too should leave his mark, as there were few better race horses than the handsome sou of Knight of Ellerslio and Moss Hose. ! "The question which naturally comes to the front 1 concerns the successors of these and the other thor-i oughbreds that are in the government stud and in ! the breeding bureau of the Jockey Club in New York state at the present time. If the thoroughbred is i an exile from his own country, driven fortji because I there is no proving ground upon which he may ex- hibit his worth and recomiieuse his breeder, whither ! is the nation to turn for its parent stock? To Eng- land, France, Germany or some foreign power, where ; vast sums have been expended on the breeding prob-, lem. It is not a comforting prospect for patriotic Americans to contemplate. "Thirty-five or forty years ago most of the big l horsemen of Kentucky bred both thoroughbreds and trotters. Thqn the thouroughbrcij obtained, the as- cendancy in some portions of the state owing to the larger prizes offered in racing competition and the fact that the breeder was enabled to turn his product into money so much more quickly because of two-year-old racing, the contests for light harness horses being of such a nature that mature development was demanded. Because of their superior earning capacity the thoroughbred, except in isolated cases, yielded a greater return at the auction block. The thoroughbred had the advantage of being marketable at one year old. Thus the cost of production and maintenance was all in their favor as against their diagonally gaited brothers and sisters. "With the crusade against racing and the closing of the great race tracks in New York. Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, San Francisco and other points where large stakes and purses were offered, the earning capacity of the thoroughbred was restricted to the Canadian tracks, to Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Mexico and a few other places where meetings were held that elevated the quality neither of the men nor of the horses that took part in them. Thosfs who liked the sport and who wanted to enjoy it without hindrance and whoso pocketbooks could afford the outlay, shipped their horses to England or France; and there they will remain until some degree of relief is secured. The meetings mentioned above will serve to keep a few persons breeding thoroughbreds, but the pursuit will bo engaged in in only a limited way. "In the rush to unload thoroughbreds, one breeder, I. II. Wheatcroft, a millionaire of British Columbia, who had upward of 150 mares and four or five stallions on a leased farm in Kentucky, chartered special trains to convoy his entire stud to Vancouver, B. C, whence they were shipped to Australia less than a month ago to be sold in that country to the highest bidder. TheHaggin horses were dispersed in England. Germany and Argentine, while other breeders sought bidders in every part of the country. The studs of August Belmont near Lexington, and Harry Payne Whitney near Bed Bank, N. J., are not dispersed. The former in racing a few of his horses in England, but the bulk of his breeding operations is still conducted at the historic Nursery Stud, where the 25,000 English stallion. Rock Sand, holds court. Mr. "Whitney has several mares and a few horses at Brookdale and a draft from the stud is sent to England each year to be raced there,"
