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AMERICAN MARE RHODA B. Laid Foundation of Success as a Breeder for Richard Croker. - Her Son Orby Not Only a Wonderful Racer but a Remarkable Sire. ,NnW YORK, X. Y October 29. Xp single individual, taking the number of years lie lias been connected with the industry into consideration, has ,hart greater success in breeding thoroughbreds tlian Richard Croker, the one-time leader of Tammany, but long a resident, of Ireland, who is paying his annual visit to New York in company with Mrs. Croker. Mr. Croker enine into racing through his friendship tot Michael P. pwyer. and he was for a time associated "with General W. H. Jackson In the ownership of the Belle Meade Stud in Tennessee It wasnt till he went abroad, however, that lie began to do big tilings in the way of. bloodstock production, . The foundation for his success as a breeder was laid with, the American mare- Jthoda B;, by nanoyer, dam Margerine, by Algerlne, .which he. Viought from Hilton Auiing of Kentucky for ,uijtl as n yeprlins. Ithoda 15. went abroad in ISO." as u yearling and won races at Nt-wniarket. It was as the founder of a family if race horses, however, that, the tpuperh mare, was to become, famous.. .She achieved, fame at once through the prowess of. her sou Orby, by Ornie, which won lilt; Epsom Derby in 1907. Her glory was enhaiired when her daughter Kho-dora won the One Thousand Guineas in the following year. Orby in. turn startled the turf world by the excellence of his progeny, lie sired Grand--Parade, which was bred by Mr. Croker and sold as foal for COO guineas. Grand Parade won the Derby in 1919. Others of Orby!s children arc Disi-le.m, the crack sprinter, of the English turf, her brother Diadumenos, and Orpheus, winner of the Champion Stakes last year and this, and the acknowledged champion of the British turf at the present time. Unfortunately death tool; Orby when he was at the height of his career as a sire. He lias never been replaced by Mr. Croker, and the seventeen mares now at bis Irish Stud, of which eight are daughters of Orby and regarded by him as priceless, are gent to the best horses in the United Kingdom. Sun Star, Pommern and Bachelors Double are some of the stallions patronized this year. INCIDENTS IN ORBYS CAREER. Mr. Croker is a true Irishman and, like the majority of his race, has a keen sense of humor. At .SO his mind is as unclouded as a boys, while he possesses a physical vigor amazing in one of his years. Ho enjoys recalling the incidents in connection with Orbys Derby. "Orby was a great horse," said Mr. Croker, in his suite at the Savoy a few days ago, "and if he hadnt been raced as a two-year-old would have trained on to greater things. You know he was a bit straight in front and the hard races and trials against older horses at two knocked him out. That fall wo sent him to England to Mr. Persse. who has many friends in the United States. He got him in pretty good condition and the colt took his work so well when he came home the next- spring that lie won the Bal-doyle Derby, in which a iield of twenty-four-started. Ten days after that race he was back in England to win the Epsom Derby, and within another ten days bo had returned to Ireland to win the. Irish Derby. That made three Derbys in thirty days and constituted a record which still stands." At this point Mrs. Croker, who is an ardent lover jf the thoroughbred, remarked: "It was the first time a horse trained outside of England had scored for the Derby. It was something the British experts believed impossible tip to that time, so that makes another record for Orby." Mr. Croker chuckled good hunioredly as he resumed, "You know our liorse3 are never blanketed, and when Orby arrived at NewmarKet for the Derby it was a chilly morning and the colt was shivering. None of the crowd would look at him. It was a different story after the race. They gathered around us when I led him in, and one of the bystanders asked me where he was trained. I told him in the garden back of my house in Ireland." Mr. Croker here showed a picture of his beautiful home, Glencairn, constructed of granite quarried on the place, with spacious grounds stretching away in every direction from the mansion. IRISH LOVE A GOOD HORSE. "The upper classes in England take their sport seriously," resumed the veteran, who is a keen oliscrver of men and things, "but the masses show their enjoyment and get a lot of fun out of racing. They are fond of a good horse, hut if you want to Bee the thoroughbred in the country where everybody loves him come to Ireland. The priest, the farmer, boys and girls and the old women in fact, everybody who can afford to own a mare is a breeder, illie climate is milder and the water and grass better than in England. Ireland will always produce great horsas. "The Irish know how to keep their pastures clean and sweet. They dont let them get horse poor, but run bullocks on them. My own plan is seven bullocks, to each horse. This keeps down the ammonia. Our yearlings run with the entile, which of course are dehorned, and they are boss of the job." Mrs. Croker at this point remarked that the Irish had three cardinal guides in their breeding ventures breed, feed and weed. They believed in blood first, and then in giving the mare arid foal their r-hance to make good through proper nutrition, nnd when failure resulted to clean house with a vengeance. Mr. Croker is unable to sense the reason for the activities of the reformers in the United States. Hp Ms- of the opinion that the element attempting the enactment of blue laws will find thpmselves up against a stone wall when the full purport of their campaign is understood by the public at large. "Sunday is a lay of recreation in Ireland," said he. "After church the young people have their athletic gapies. There are point-to-point races in certain districts whore hunting is keenest, and great crowds gather to see the events, which are over a country that .tests the quality of both mail and horse. It is little wonder that Ireland pro-; duces the best jumpers in the world. Everybody gets out in the open, and the Irish are a finer and healthier race because of their devotion to sport of all kinds. No movement tiat restricts the liberties of the people has a chance of becoming permanent." Mr. and Mrs. Croker will be in Now York for another month and then return to Ireland for the holidays, after which they will follow their usual custom of spending the winter in Florida.
