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EFFICIENCY OF THE THOROUGHBRED. By Christopher J. Fitz Gerald. New York, October 31.-H The Coaching Club of New York, during its recent outing of four days to the Maryland estate of AVilliam Woodward, president of the Hanover National Bank, demonstrated that there are still in the possession of the members of that organization some horses of quality, and that the thoroughbred, though out of his natural element, played his part most notably during the final stage of the journey when the conditions were least favorable of the entire trip. In speaking of the occasion, F. K. Sturgis, vice-chairman of the Jockey Club, in active charge of the breeding bureau, himself a breeder of high-class heavy harness horses at his farm in the Berkshires, said: "We had a most delightful trip, leaving the Knickerbocker Club at 9 oclock on the morning of October 11. and passing the first night at Princeton. The second night we spent at Wilmington and the third at Baltimore, reaching our destination, Bellair House, Bellair, Md., on Wednesday at 3:30 p. 111. AVe employed during the trip sixty-four horses, of which all but twenty-four were furnished by members of the Coaching Club, and every horse, including those hired from dealers, was of good strong coaching type that stood up to his work admirably and made the occasion tine to be remembered with pleasure. We averaged eleven mile to a stage. "That portion of the trip which impressed us all. and should carry a lesson to the horse breeders of the country at large," continued Mr. Sturgis, "was the final stage, on which Mr. Woodward furnished the horses. There were four thoroughbreds, while the cock-horse was also clean bred, and there wasnt one of them under 10 hands. They were big, hefty specimens, which whirled us along over the loose sandy roads at an amazing rate of speed. The Pioneer, with its passengers anil guard, weighed 5,300 pounds, and the ability of this team to handle such a load in the manner they did was a splendid tribute to the bone and sinew of the thoroughbred as a harness horse. "We remained at Bellair House," resumed Mr. Sturgis, "until 3:30 p. m. on Sunday, and returned to New York by train. I am glad to say that it is Mr. Woodwards intention to engage extensively in the breeding of thoroughbreds at his farm, which consists of 2.500 acres of good land. He has a good sire in Heno, the sire of He Will, and mated with the right kind of mares he should be a success." Mr. Sturgis. like many other members of the Jockey Club, is fond of the standard bred, and believes that the blood of the best trotting families nicks with the thoroughbred most acceptably. In speaking of this he remarked. "The trotting sire of the right sort bred to thoroughbred mares of size and quality has proved the efficacy of the blending of these strains. At my place at Lenox I have bred harness horses of the highest quality in tliis manner. They were animals of great endurance, balance and action, and had beauty as well." New Yorkers and all who come to Gotham to attend the approaching National exhibition at Madison Square Garden will have a chance to see a notable example of the trotting top cross on the thoroughbred dam in Melrose, a member of Sir Adam Becks string of half-bred hunters from London. Ontario. This sensational performer was sired by the trotter Adbaron, while his dam was clean bred. He has as much quality as Sir Edward and St. Thomas, stable companions by the thoroughbed sires Tupelo and Philosophy, respectively. He was good enough to cross the water a few seasons ago and win a championship at the Olympia Show in London, England, over a closs of more than 300 competitors. Horses of mixed trotting and thoroughbred lineage are notably successful in the saddle classes, but few with the trotting top cross achieve championship honors over the timber, while a great majority of the champions are the result of the mating of the thoroughbred sire and the trotting dam. This is an interesting fact and Avorthy of the attention of the student of breeding problems. The management of the National is coming in for much commendation for the manner In which they have catered to the thoroughbred this year. If they will print the breeding of each of these contestants of pure blood in the catalogue, visitors will be able to follow the fortunes of the clean-bred entries when they try conclusions with the half or three-quarter-brcds in the open competitions.
