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GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR BREEDERS Conditions Were Never More Auspicious for the Breeding of Thoroughbred Horses There never was a time in the history of this country when conditions appeared to be more aus ¬ picious for the breeding of thoroughbred horses than at present writes Charles E Brossman Con ¬ ditions too are most favorable for the different racing associations are striving with each other as to which one shall hang up the more valuable prizes to be raced for than were ever dreamed of in the lean years of the past when the reformer was abroad in the hind seeking whom lie might devour on alleged moral grounds for political purposes only onlyIt It sometimes seems that it requires a calamity a scourge desolation and war to bring people back to the fundamental principles of democratic govern ¬ ment where all citizens shall be equal under the law and eacli have the same right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness as our constitution guarantees Tiie greatest objectors to thorough ¬ bred horses and race tracks are usually persons tliat know nothing whatever about either have never owned or used a thoroughbred in any capacity know nothing about the actual management of u firstclass race track or the integrity business acu ¬ men and responsibility required to successfully operate any of the leading tracks of the country countryWhen When our gallant soldier boys return from France they will have seen the world from a different viewpoint they will know that many credulous people here have been imposed upon and misled by demagogues and selfseeking politicians and woe e to the future hopes of any politician or office ¬ holder who seeks to depreciate or misrepresent the merit in anything that was of benefit or an ef ¬ fectual accessory to them in their great battles when they were fighting for their lives livesOur Our country has been remiss in this particular Nothing was done by the government to encourage the breeding or develop the desired qualities of the thoroughbred until recently More lias been accomplished under President Wilsons adminis ¬ tration than in all other administrations collectively since the Civil War Several years ago race tracks were tabooed many prominent breeders became discouraged at the outlook and dispersed their studs consequently the number of thoroughbred horses in this country was greatly reduced when the worlds war began A captain of the regular army just returned from France is authority for the fol ¬ lowing statement statementWe We soldiers consider racing a most essential industry in fact it would be a military blunder of the most serious sort to in any way interfere witli the production of thoroughbreds in the United States at this time or in the future futureESSENTIAL ESSENTIAL TO MILITARY EFFICIENCY EFFICIENCYThoroughbred Thoroughbred production on the widest possible scale is as essential to military efficiency as is arms and munition production When Marshal Focli decided that the readiest of the American units were to be used in the great offensive he had long had in mind the Second Division was ordered from Verdun to Chateau Thierry a distance of about 100 miles There were few horses in its com ¬ plement that boasted of any thoroughbred blood whatever just ordinary horses job lot horses picked up in America by buyers with a contract The re ¬ sult was that 80 per cent of the horses of the artillery brigade of the Second Division succumbed to the ordinary mishaps of a rapid march of about 100 miles We got through this officer further states because the French who did not lose more than 5 per cent of their horses on the same march resnpplied us with half and threequarter bred thoroughbreds thoroughbredsBecause Because of the wise foresight of the French government which for many many years encouraged the breeding of the thoroughbred subsidized and promoted racing the horse stock of the country was equal to the supreme test when homes country and the lives of loved ones were swaying iii the balance The French use thoroughbred stallions only to encourage production specifically for military em ¬ ployment and mount for mount tiic French cavalry is the best in the world today The large number of nondescript horses that they have purchased from us since the German invasion of Belgium began have been employed in the transport service but when active vigorous rapid heartbreaking service was required the descendants of the race horse were su ¬ preme and they were one of the chief factors in saving Paris from the HUH HUHIt It is gratifying to those of us who for years have been urging the necessity of thoroughbred stallions at the head of government breeding farms in this country to know that when the acid test came in the most destructive vicious and bloody war in the history of the world that the fighting spirit energy and endurance of the thoroughbred liorse was not found wanting Because of the fav ¬ orable reports of officers and men returned from France as to the efficiency and worth of the half and threequarter bred cavalry and artillery horse of that country many communities all over the country are securing desirable thoroughbred stal ¬ lions and it will not be long when the boys come home until the legislators of the different states will look upon the thoroughbred racing and race tracks from a more favorable angle Therefore now is the time to buy stallions broodmares and yearlings
