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RACING INSEPARABLE FROM BREEDING Noted Belgian Army Officer and Horseman Points Out Valuo of Thoroughbred Blood WASHINGTON D C May 19 The cabled an ¬ nouncement that foreign governments would send representatives in the near future t the United States for tlie purchasing of horses nnd mules in lnrge numbers brought the following comment from Lieut Count de Kenesse of the Belgian army tin accomplished horseman who has tnkcu an active part in the encouragement of the horse industry in his own country countryIt It is fortunate that the United States despite the heavy calls which have been made upon her by her allies whose horse supplies nave been depleted still lias a reserve We in Belgium have long Jiail a distinctive type of draft animal The Ioniums took most of them however and we must begin all over again Only those who were near Holland and were able to get their studs across the bonier In safety have si nucleus from which it is hoped to reestablish the breed breedWe We have had for years a splendid type of army horse or what you would term a general purpose horse which we secured through mating our good Belgian mares with thoroughbred sires but hcse too have wellnigh disappeared and we must begin till over again The thoroughbred improves any horse family and we have for many years imported sires from France England and Ireland which had shown their quality by their performances on the flat or through the stecplcchasing field Horses from Ireland because of their size and bone have been eagerly sought by our breeders and they have had the preference preferenceIn In order to test our horses thoroughly resumed the count we had u race from Spa to Ostcnd a distance of ICO miles before the war open to French Belgium and Dutch cavalry officers Full equipment was called for and each horse carried 250 pounds The contest aroused tlie greatest in ¬ terest and was witnessed by a huge throng It was won by a thoroughbred All our officers prefer tlie cleanbred horse for a charger but tlie haltbred for the cavalry and light artillery artilleryI I am glad to learn that racing is increasing in popularity in this country We on the continent regard it as inseparable from horse breeding and with your vast grazing communities and good native marcs to cross with thoroughbred sires you should produce a general purpose horse type the equal of any hi the world
