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FATE OF RUSSIAN THOROUGHBREDS Most of the Good Brood Marcs Stolen by the Bolshe ¬ viks in Their Raids From the day the Bolsheviks gained control in Russia very little news has reacheel the outsiele weirld concerning the fate eif the many hundreds if valuable thoroughbreds that were in the late Czars dominions when the war began We had the good feirtune to receive In October from Mr Alfreel Zoppi a budget of facts which we feel sure will be of interest to our readers Mr Zoppi was for ¬ merly a prosperous manufacturer in Petrograd Shortly before the war or at any rate befeire the evolutieni he disposeel of his business and invested he proceeds in Caucasian oil wells His fortune is therefetro luckily still Intact In happier days lies was erne of the leading men on the Russian turf inel when his country emce more becomes settled s likely te play an active ami prominent part in helping as HI owner and breeder tei restore the speut to ils former status feir he has great am ¬ bitions Mr Zoppi writes writesI I left Pedtava and Clinrkeiff at the beginning of January lull At that time there were it the Crown Stud Poltava formerly bcleinging to he late M Lazareff the stalliems Floreal by Flnri cl II Demosthen by Darley Dale ami Teetun y Zinfandel At Cliarkeiff were Saltpetre by St Simon Aboyeur by Desmemd Plackaeleler by ISay irelei and lAiuviers by Isinglass IsinglassAll All the stallions at Charkoff were saved when the Polsheviks entered the town the first time What happcned later I cannot say Meist eif the irooel mares were however stolen by the Rolshcviks i piTMjnirlly had seven mares at Charkoff last Feb ¬ ruary and have hcarel that only eme was saveel harlotte by Dark Uonald out of Chataigne Nearly ill other owners of brood mares suffereil a similar oss Practieally all the crown studs sitnated south ast of Charkoff were riiincel riiincelTiie Tiie wellknown stuel eif M Leon Mantacheff north of the Caucasus was ruined ami all the Uorses stolen In all probability M Mantacheff has i few mares left in Poltava province I expeet that my brood marcs and yearlings in the same listrict were saved by the local peasants peasantsAt At pre seiit there is smiie racing at Kostovon Don and Fkaterlnodar with horses saveel north of he Caucasus In 1U1S some racing took place at 1jatigorsk but in the end the Polsheviks eleslreived verythiiig verythiiigAt At Petreigrael racing ceased in 101 and at Meis ow in 1017 In 101S there were at the Moseenv lice course about ISO horses including the hest class inimals I hail twelve herscs in training there At Miat lime I was trying te arrange with the Itolshe iks to alleiw racing to be resumcel at Moscow but failed In July they nrresteid me 1 however nanaged tei eseape but had to leave my heirses in he hands of my trainer All either owners hail to letf alsei The Peilsheviks nationaliseel all horses nit allowcel them only three and onehalf pounds if grain so of eourse racing then was out of th mention What has happened to the horses since t left Moscow I elo not know knowIn In Odessa there were good raevs in 11I1S The best twoycareild was a filly named Franzia iy Floreal She eame from the Crown Stud for nerly M Lazareffs It had been intended to raw it Odessa again this year but when the Freiicn vacuated the place in April owners trainers ockeys and stable boys saddled the horses eighty five of them and left at i oclock the morning of the elay the Kolsheviks cntcreel the town Thev ntenelid going to ISuciiarest but when last I hearil liey hail reaeiied Warsaw My brother went with he horses belonging to the government ami a few f mine mineThis This is all I can tell you about the sport in emr loor Knssia which will I hope soon receiver so hat we may cnne to Kngland to buy horses horsesThere There we have in bald outline a pitiable steirv iinie day soon it may be possible to fill in details Meanwhile sportsmen and lovers of the thoroughbred ill the wenId over will extend sympathy to their Ifnsshin brethren who have endured such terrible xpcriences these last two or three years IIood tcek Uevicw
