view raw text
COMMENDATION FOR AMERICAN BREEDERS. English Expert Impressed by Visits to Brookdale. Blue Ridge, Ellerslie and Other Studs. Lexington. Ky.. May 10. — "I have been to Mr. Harry Payne Whitneys stud at Brookdale, New-Jersey: to Mr. II. T. Oxnards Blue Ridge Farm iu Virginia, sixty miles from Washington: to Mr. Arthur B. Hancocks establishments at Ellerslie. near Charlottesville. Virginia, and at Paris. Kentucky, and to Mr. J. N. Camdens Hartland Stud, near Versailles. Kentucky." said Edward Morehouse, the distinguished English turf critic who is attending the Lexington races, when asked for his impressions of American thoroughbred breeding farms and the horses he saw thereon. "I am hoping to see many other studs during the next few days. All the farms I have been to struck me as being admirably managed. At Brookdale. to which I was kindly escorted by Mr. W. L. Powers. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. James Rowe, whose reputation as a trainer is worldwide. Coder his guidance we iaapeetoi the breeding stock and the horses in training. I came across several animals I had seen racing in England, notably Whisk Broom. which has now-joined the group of stallions at Brookdale. He looks a perfect picture of a horse and it will indeed be astonishing if he does not make good at the stud. Among Mr. Whitneys yearlings and foals there are several by English horses. I need hardly s iy that everything at Brookdale is spick and span. Mr. Rowe. however, would have me understand that I was seeing the place at a disadvantage, owing to the backwardness of vegetation this spring. The new grass was about three weeks lite in making its appearance. English studniasters have a similar complaint against nature. On the other side of the Atlantic we had the warmest Janu try known for fifty years, but February and March were wretched months. "When I reached the Blue Ridge Farm with Mr. Oxnard. who had met me at Washington, I found vegetation more forward that it was in New Jersey. The new blue grass was coming along finely. There were some good appearing yearlings l eing prepared for sale at this beautifully situated and well ordered stud. They are mostly by King James and Su|ier-man. the two stallions quartered at the establish ment. Mr. Oxnard also has another stallion. Sir Wilfred sire of the Futurity winner Trojan, which js this year stationed at Mr. Hancocks farm at Paris. He will bo located at the Blue Ridge Farm next year. Mr. Oxnard had about twenty first rate foals to. show me and the majority of them are highly promising. The stud was founded about ten years ago. A heap of money has been lavished on it and more is being spent, for Mr. Oxnard is a man who believes there is no such thing as finality in matters relating to bloodstock. He has now sixty broodmares running on 600 acres of grass. Some of them are r«cent importations from England. They were bought for him by the British Bloodstock Agency at the sales held at Newmarket last December like other American breeders. Mr. Oxnard realizes that the present is an exceptional opportunity for securing good class British-bred marcs at a comparatively low price. The war occasioned a veritable slump in the value of bloodstock. A bid of ,000 will now secure a mare that could not lie bought for ,000 in 1913. It is practically certain, however, that the market will remain in this favorable state for buyers only so long as the war last::. There were indications" last December that prices will rise substantially on the slightest provocation. "Owners of mares in England and Ireland find it extremely difficult to appraise their value. In October I could have bought privately broodmares with their foals for ,500 which fetched nearlv twice as much, and without the foals at the Newmarket sales iu December. It is expected that there will be a big demand for our mares immediately the war conies to an end. French and Russian breeders will have to replenish their studs, and I supi»ose the Germans also will be buyers. Indeed I have reason to lielieve the Germans are actively buying from us now through Danish agents, though 1 need hardly say that the mares they secure will have to remain in England for the present because our government will not grant i ormits for the exitortatiou of horses to neutral countries in touch with German or Austria-Hungary. The point I wish to make is that American breeders have not had for many a long year and may never have again, so favorable an opportunity of obtaining British-bred mares. "Elerslie was the third stud I visited. Mr. Hancock, with whom my firm has done business for some time, met me at Charlottesville. It was indeed a pleasure to come in personal contact with a gentleman who has so deep a knowledge of matters pertaining to bloodstock, who is a practical breeder on a large scale, and who is striving to establish the American thoroughbred on a broader and surer basis than it has ever before possessed. I have now lieen in close association with Mr. Hancock for more than a week and during that time have discovered him to be one of the most generous-minded men I have ever come across. I spent two days at Ellerslie. Eight hundred feet above tin- sea level, the estate is most picturesquely situated. All around are beautiful woods, the rising ground behind the home richly studded with trees constituting a charming feature of the landscape. There are 900 acres of grass land at Ellerslie and rare good grass it is. The establishment as a whole is workmanlike and the bloodstock could not passibly present a better appearance. The pride of the stud is the stallion Celt. In this handsome son of Commando and Maid of Erin a marc by Amphion, the sire of Snnridge, Mr. Hancock undoubtedly possesses a horse which is certain to make a big name for himself. It was not until the season of 1911 that Celt had a full complement of mares allotted to him. The results aceuring from that season are now to be found in the Ellerslie pa -blocks in the shape of a fine bunch of yearlings. After I had seen the youngsters I said I had never came across a grander lot of yearlings by any one stallion. They number twenty. If I were given my choice I should pick the well-grown chestnut colt out of Network, the dam of Paddywhack and Embroidery. If Networks yearling does not develop into a good-class stake "winner. appearances are deceptive. "Other yearlings by Celt, of which I made special note are those of Belle Fleur. dam of Gaelic; Diamantiua. sister to Network; Sister Anna, the dam of Puggins and Follic Levy. The fillies which appealed to me are those out of Lizzie H.. a sister to Morello and dam of Red River; Logistilla, the dam of Tralee; Andrew M.. T. S. Martin and Eostrc, which has bred several winners. A racy-looking colt is by Ballot--dan and a promising bay filly by Radium out of Pietra. Pietra has at foot a filly by Myrani. brother to Jardy. The foals by Celt I saw at Ellerslie are as promising as the yearlings. "The imported stallion. Wrack, is standing at Mr. Hancocks farm near Paris. He gave a good price for the horse, but even so we could have sold him for twice the sum to an English breeder. A gamer and more consistent performer never looked through a bridle. "I went to Mr. J. N. Camdens stud last Sunday. I regret that this gentlemans health is at present so much Itclow par that he has to deprive himself of all public activities. Me had the stallions Ben Brush and Ieter Quinee produced for our inspection. Though twenty -three vears of age. Ben Brush is still hale ami hearty and looks like remaining in service for a few more seasons. His foals and yearlings tie him great credit. Peter Continued ou second page. COMMENDATION FOR AMERICAN BREEDERS. Continued from first page. Quince, on the other hand, is now in his prime. He is of the type we in Kuglaud attribute to , Stockwell. A horse with so much individual character can scarcely fail to make headway. Mr. Camden lias been strengthening his stud of mares by purchases in England. One of these mares. Double Dark, by Dark Ronald, is now on a visit to the Derbv winner. Lemberg. at Newmarket. Through the British Bloodstock agency he . also bought recently the stallion Light Brigade, bv Picton out of Bridge of Sighs, by Isinglass. The third dam is Bridget, sister to Melton. This i horse was bred and raced by Lord Derby, and he . will remain in his possession until the end of the • present stud season. It was impossible to effect t the transfer at the time the horse was bought because so many mares had been booked for the ■ present season, his second at the stud. Light t Brigade was a winner of sixteen races, worth over • 7,000. According to present arrangements he I will reach the states about the first of August. "Let me say in conclusion that so far as I have been able to ascertain. American breeders are proceeding on sound lines. Moreover, they are doing ! a great national work and deserve every encouragement. The thoroughbred is the foundation of • all breeds of light horses and therefore of all 1 horses suitable for military work. But the thoroughbred cannot prosper unless it is continually • submitted to the race course test. Opponents of r racing must l e made to realize this and be i er-suaded to take a more tolerant view of the . *l ort." .
