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FRANCES INTELLIGENT BREEDING METHODS Recognition Accorded to Racing for High Standard of French Cavalry Mounts Under date of November 11 the Paris correspond ¬ ent of London Sporting Life gave the following ac ¬ count of the sagacious and painstaking ways in which the French government fosters the breeding of tlie thoroughbred first foremost and always hav ¬ ing ii view the provision of superior mounts for the French cavalry cavalryDuring During recent years I have continually drawn attention in the columns of the Sporting Life to the intelligent manner in which the French govern ¬ ment gives encouragement and support to horse rac ¬ ing regarding it as a great national industry as well as a s rt Small breeders and farmers all over the country find it profitable to keep highclass brood ¬ mares for they can have the services of thorough tired government stallions at a nominal fee and even should the produce have i oor merit for racing pur ¬ poses there Is always a chance of selling the horse to the army It is through the race course that the French cavalry has een raised to its present high standard and in the event of a general Euro ¬ pean war military experts best qualified to judge assert that the mounted men of France would sweep all before them just as the French artillery has beaten the German in Turkey The war now raging in the east has in a certain measure been a test between French and German methods The Bul ¬ garians have been armed witli French weapons and trained by French officers whereas Turkey has been relying GermanyThe on lessons and equipments from Germany The result we know Needless to say there is a feeling of great satisfaction which might almost be called jubilation in the military clubs of Paris Nothing is more calculated to preserve the peace of Europe than this demonstration of French sujKjri ority I have often been accused of exaggeration when rendering tribute to the French cavalry and pointing out how far and away in front of the muddling method of England is the system of na ¬ tional horse breeding which prevails in France When horses are required In emergency for the British Army the world has to be scoured and fancy prices have to be paid for third class cattle France is almost in a unique iiosltlon thanks entirely to the fact that her ministers of agriculture war and finance work hand in hand together to produce a supply of highclass horses of proved stamina and speed The government insists on race societies giving a certain percentage of tjieir prize money in the torfii of special premiums to breeders and the state itself also offers prizes for competition At Anteuil and at several of the provincial meetings it gives a special endowment to a number of races on the understanding that the Agricultural Depart ¬ ment has the option of purcliasing the winner at a stipulated price for national stud purposes The French government owns altogether about 2000 stallions of which 200 are highclass thorough ¬ breds that have gained distinction on the race course Its latest acquisitions last week wore Henard Bleu by Fourire and Grand Seigneur by Yinleius YinleiusThe The special committee appointed last year to deal with the question of the National Haras and re ¬ mounts for the army met on Saturday under the presidency of the Minister of Agriculture and Ue termlncd that the breeders of all horses bought for the army shall receive a percentage on the price of purchase Tlie amount of percentage is not yet de ¬ cided 10 per cent was proposed but this was gen ¬ erally thought to be too high Of course only French breeders will participate in this in fact the large sums now voted annually by Parliament for re ¬ mounts are agreed to on condition that the money is spent in France In this way farmers are en ¬ couraged to keep marcs and it is Intended that a number of competitions shall be held for broodmares These competitions will be managed by experienced officers attached to the War Department Much is also being done to encourage gentlemen riders and the Soclete de Sport de France is arranging to give special prizes for races Iwth on the flat and over jumps to take place not only in Paris but at Lille Rouen Lyons Orleans Dinard Pau Havre Com piegne and other places where there are suitable race courses At Auteuil on Sunday the principal race was the Prix de Chalons a steeplechase handicap with 2000 added for gentlemen riders This was won by M du Verdiers sixyearold gelding Le Balafrc IL by Perseus ridden by M de Carcaradec CarcaradecThe The program has just been issued for the steeple ¬ chase meeting to be held at Nice at the beginning of the year It will consist of nine days commenc ing on January 5 and terminating on January 23 The big hurdle race the Prix de Monte Carlo will be run on the first day which is a Sunday and the Grand Prix de la Ville de Kice a steeplechase worth 20000 is fixed for Sunday January 12 A sum of 71900 will be distributed in prize money about 40000 lielug for steeplechases and over 30000 for hurdle races The flat race meeting at Nice will take place in March as usual thg date of the Grand Prix lieing Sunday March 1C 1CMost Most of the French jockeys have renewed their contracts for the forthcoming season ONeill will continue to ride as first jockey for W K Vander bilt and a second claim on his services has been re ¬ tained by Baron Edouard de Rothschild Sharpe is engaged to ride for Prince Murat M Camille Blanc and M Snn Migual their claims being in that order G Stern romalim aa first jockey to M Edmond Blanc
