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NEW YORK BREEDING BUREAU RESULTS. Now Yorks Farmer Breeders Delighted with the Product of Their Mares. The annual fair of Livingston County, held at Avon, New York, recently, demonstrates to the fullest that The Jockey Clubs Breeding Bureau is is destined to prove a tremendous success in the production of good horses in the Empire State, and particularly in the region of the Genessee Valley, j There wero thirteen breeding classes adjudged by Messrs. If. V. Colt of Geneseo, G. L. Stryker of Derby and C. J. FitzGerald of New York, witli five thousand enthusiastic fanners and horse dealers looking on. The unanimous opinion was .expressed that in at least two of the classes, those for weanlings and yearlings, no competition of equal merit has ever been seen in any show-ring of this country. When The Jockey Club inaugurated its breeding bureau, some thirteen years ago, and distributed stallions of size and quality in various counties throughout the State, with the ultimate object of improving the general horse product, the venture did not meet witli the success it deserved. It was not until such enthusiasts as Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Wadsworth, Major W. Austen Wadsworth, Henry and James Colt, S. J. Macy, N. C. Shiverick, William Littauer and others in the valley lent their active co-operation that the project assumed an aspect which was encouraging in the extreme. Ever since the elder Wadswortli had the noted trotting stallion, Henry Clay, in the stud in the vicinity of Geneseo, and Thomas Hitchcock and Herbert Wadswortli sent such splendid specimens of the thoroughbred as Barrett, by Bonnie Scotland, and Otis, by Uncas, into the region, good horses have been produced in the valley. It was only natural that when sires of the type of Wonder Boy, Goodrich, Shot Gun, Spring, Merry Task and Otis were placed that hunters and saddle horses would be produced which would go out into the world and do things to focus the attention of horse lovers on this region, which lias been pronounced the Ireland of America because of the quality of the heavyweight half-breds reared in this locality. There were twenty-five weanlings in the open class for foals by stallions of the Breeding Bureau, and a most interesting spectacle they made when paraded in the ring by the side of their dams, which were of varying types, from the three-quarter-bred to the mare of mixed trotting and draught lineage. The winning youngster was a filly of rare size and quality from the Ashantee Stud by Otis Badinage, by Margrave. Second premium was the portion of a lusty gray filly by Wonder Boy out of a mare by Goodrich, the next dam by a Percheron, while third honors went to a handsome gelding by Shot Gun out of a three-quarter-bred mare from Homestead, the beautiful home of Major Wadswortli at Geneseo. None of the Ashantee products wero shown in the special classes for prizes offered by that organization, it being Mrs. Wadsworths thought that the breeding interests would be best served by leaving these open to the bona fide farmers in the valley. There was great joy in consequence among the old breeders who have to depend upon grades for their matron supply when a colt by Wonder Boy out of a dam of mixed standard bred and Percheron breeding was adjudged not only the best foal in the special class open to all youngsters by breeding bureau sires, but also for the 0 award for foals by Wonder Boy. This colt was a decided improvement on his mother in every respect, having great length of rein and more quality at every point. He was not foaled until late In July, but there was every evidence that he would develop into a high-class hunter at maturity. The yearling competition brought out nineteen excellent specimens of the half-bred, and Mr. Colt, who is an acknowledged expert, said there were at least a half dozen that could win in any country. The blue went to a handsome chestnut filly by Hippodrome out of a mare by Otai, while second place was the portion of a stalwart gelding by the same sire out of a dam by a Percheron sire with the next dam thoroughbred. The filly was bred at the Ashantee Stud and is one of the most highly prized youngsters that has ever come from that farm. The gelding is owned by S. J. Macey, who thinks he has a budding champion in the sturdy white -faced yearling which had a peculiar attraction for the farmers because of his breeding on the dams side, there being quite a number of high-class grade Percheron mares In the valley. Several owners of these mares announced their determination of breeding to Bureau sires, which would suit their marcs to perfection, judging by what Hippodrome has done for them. In this connection it was remarked that Mr. Edward McLeans celebrated heavyweight hunter, Alarm, was bred in exactly this way, and If they could secure a hunter of anything like his type they would feel more than compensated. In the broodmare class, foals, to be considered as well as the dams, first prize went to a handsome mare by Beau Gallant, a horse raced some years ago with considerable success by the then Tammany chieftain, Richard Croker. Her foal, which had considerable quality, was by Jubilee, the son of Compute, which stood in the valley for a short period. The gray mare by Goodrich out of the Percheron dam was considered the best of the others, witli third honors going to a sturdy half-bred from Mr. Austin Wadsworths Homestead; There were seven stallions paraded in competition for breeding bureau size. All were in perfect condition, with the exception of Arabo, which was a trifle low in flesh. They made an imposing ar ray and attracted a great deal of attention. The gigantic Wonder Boy, which stands 17.1 3-4 hands and weighs 1.G50 pounds, caught the eyes of many of the fanners, for there is still truth in the saying that "a fanner loves a big horse." While the gigantic son of Watercress lias demonstrated sterling qualities as a sire, lie does not possesses the refinement of some of the others, and he, as well as Shot Gun, Otis and Arabo, were passed over in favor of Square Deal, Estimator and .Merry Task, which were placed in the order named. Square Deal is a newcomer in the breeding bureau, as is also Estimator, both having been donated during the past summer. The former is a son of the St. Simon horse Simon Square, and it would be difficult to find fault with him as a sire of hunters. He has a splendid shoulder and the shortest of backs, while his bone is extraordinary for his weight. He was more restive than some of the other stallions, and later on may show some of the St. Simon temper, but it is certain he is destined to leave his impress on the horse product in the valley. Estimator, which is only three years old. was weighed the night before the show and tipped the scales at 1,208 pounds. A big-bodied horse on short legs, and with the finest of dispositions, ho cannot fail to be a successful sire. He is a double Hanover, being by King Hanover, while his dam. Estimate, is by Compute, a son of the great Dwyer champion, whose blood is so highly esteemed lioth here and abroad. Third nrize was awarded to Merry Task, by Octagon out of Merry Hampton, by Hampton, a most engaging type, but not possessing the masculinity that is looked for in great stock horses. Merry Task will undoubtedly play his part in the valley. The excellence of the Hippodrome youngsters was commented upon widely. There were four yearlings by him that would be hard to beat anywhere. It Avas the hope of the Ashantee people when the Keene horses were sold that Hippodrome would find a permanent home at Avon, but Price McKinney outbid them for the son of Commando. When lie learned of the eagerness of the Ashantee organization to possess the horse, like the gooil sportsman lie is, he loaned Hippodrome to them for a year, and the blood of this highest type of thoroughbred development as evolved by the late Major Daingorfiehl, will breed on through the daughters he lias left in this vicinity. It is interesting in this connection to note that Hippodrome is the only one of the Keene horses that has ever been bred to cold-blooded mares. Nothing the Jockey Club has undertaken in connection with their breeding bureau has given quite the satisfaction nor made as many friends for racing, as the placing of a number of mares of the proper type in this district under the care of the Genessee Valley Breeders Association, an organization which was fonued by Mrs. Wadswortli, N. C. Shiverick, and a number of the most progressive farmers and horse breeders of the valley last winter. Upwards of thirty mares were donated by public spirited citizens, or acquired by purchase by Mr. F. K. Sturgis, chairmau of the breeding bureau, and these are all now safely in foal to the stallions of the valley. The farmer has the use of the mare when she is not actively engaged in the duties of motherhood, and the fact that he owns the resulting foal carries its own appeal. Mrs. Wadsworth said a few days ago that she had applications for more than twenty additional mares and has no fear they will not be forthcoming in due time.
