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SATISFACTION EXPRESSED By Admirers of Thoroughbred Over Result of Endurance Test. Vendetta and Norfolk Only Living Up to Traditions of Their Kind in Every Country on the Globe. BY C. J. FITZ GERALD. NEW YORK, N. Y., October 2S. While no effort has been made by the Jockey Club to participate in the endurance tests of 300 miles held annually in the East for some years past and in the West in 1922, the thoroughbreds taking part in them, competing in the names of individuals, or, in a few instances, for the Federal Remount Service, the result of the competitions this year in New England and Colorado have been received with unmixed satisfaction by admirers of the horse of blood. In Avinning their respective tests Vendetta and Norfolk Star haAe only been living up to the traditions of their kind in every country on "the globe. In the New England test the twenty-one horses started in admirable condition. They Avere mounted by experts. Their task Avas a daily grind of CO miles for five days, Avith a minimum of nine hours for its accomplishment and a penalty of one-fifteenth of a point for every minute beyond that period. Speed and condition were the only qualifications taken in consideration by the judges, Messrs. Garner West of GarnersAille, N. Y, ; Henry L. Bell of Bayside, L. I., and II. M. Hare, master of the Radnor Hunt of Philadelphia. Each horse carried 225 pounds. The Aveather at times Avas bad, Avith snow, rain and hail. ESTABLISHES A RECORD. When Vendetta won in 45 hours and 17 minutes, with Major Louis Beard of the Federal Remount Service in the saddle, she established a record for such tests in this country, despite the fact that she carried 235 pounds, her rider being over Aveight Something about this remarkable mare will be of interest to horse breeders ecrywhere. She is a dark bay Avith a strip in the face and both hind ankles white. She was born in 1915 and stands 15.2$ hands. Her girth before starting Avas 74 U inches larger than any of the other .horses in the race, except one Aveighing 172 pounds more. Her loin measurement Avas 73 inches; front cannon bone 7 inches and rear cannon bone S?i inches. Her Aveight before starting was 1,012 pounds, and at the finish 972 ; a loss of 40 pounds, the least of any of the twenty-one competitors, some of which had a shrinkage of 125 pounds. Vendetta was bred by Captain J. Watson Webb at his stud near Shelburn, Vfc, and she started in the race as his property. She was broken at three and hunted at four, five and six years of age. In 1920 she was played in polo practice, her owner being one of the leading experts at the game in this country and a member of the crack International Four. She was a little too big for this purpose, however, and was returned to the farm, where she ran Avith the other hunters until July 1. Vendetta was not asked to carry the full weight called for by the terms of the test, and in all her Avork site Avas ridden by a man Aveighing 160 pounds. Her daily stunt Avas from 12 to 1G miles. This is all the preparation she had for the ordeal through Avhich she came Avith such credit to herself, the breed she represents,- and her gallant rider, Avho is given a full measure of credit by everybody for the part he played in achieving the notable Aictory. MAJOR, BEARDS SKILL. In speaking of the race recently Wayne Dinsmore of the Horse Association of America, Avho was chairman of the contest committee, paid a strong tribute to Major Beard, not only for his skill in the saddle, but fpr the general quality of his horsemanship. "Major Beard played a star part in the test," he said, "and he Avas largely responsible for the victory of Vendetta. He rode standing in the stirrups, leaning well forward to place the weight Avhere it could be carried Avith the least effort when the mare Avas on a trot. She cut herself in interfering a little the first day, and in order to learn the cause the Major and his associates, Major Scott, Avho rode Pathfinder to follow him in order to locate the trouble. It deAeloped that Vendetta brushed her hind ankles Avhen pulled up sharply at the hills, Avhich were always taken at a Avalk. She Avas restrained more leisurely and the interference disappeared. "In giving credit to the rider I dont want to take a thing away from the mare, Avhose action at the trot is beautiful; low and of the quality known as stealing. It was splendid to see her reel off mile after mile at the rate of four minutes. She proved once more that the straight-going horse that doesnt interfere is the one for the road." Mr. Dinsmore was in the car with the judges and had an opportunity to time Vendetta at a rate of speed Avhich many regard as beyond the powers of. the breed from Avhich the American trotter sprang. VENDETTAS BLOOD LINES. Something of the blood lines of Vendetta will be interesting. Her sire, Allan-a-Dale, Avas by Hclma, son of HanoAer and Julia L., by Longfellow, one of Leamingtons best sons; the dam of Allan-a-Dale Avas Sudie McNairy, by Enquirer, another good son of Leamington. Helma Avon the Kentucky Derby and so did Allan-a-Dale. The former Ava3 taken to France by W. K. Vanderbilt, Avhere his blood enriched the thoroughbred -families of that republic. Marcotini, dam of Ven-t.etta, is an imported daughter of Marco, sire of Omar Khayyam, and the next dam Tristesse, by Tristan, the next dam Mither- less Bairn, by Rosicrucian. Gladstone, the second horse in the test, had a score of 45 hours and 58 minutes. Ha is a registered Morgan, owned by the United States goA-ernment. He Avas foaled in 1913 and is by General Gates, Avhich was a full brother to the noted trotting horse Lord Clinton, 2 :03vi. Both horses were by Denning Allen, out of the thoroughbred maro Sally Scott, by Revenue, the next dam said to be by Copper Bottom, a pacing horse. Gladstone Aveighed at the start 924 pounds and lost 109 poinds in the race. He girthed 65 inches at the start. He has a lot of bone 8 inches in front and 94 inches behind. This horse has been used for years in the carriage of the secretary of agriculture at Washington. Third prize went to Grant, a grade saddle-bred gelding by Missouri King, foaled in 1913. He stands 16.1 hands, Aveighed 1,185 pounds at the start, but lost 125 pounds in the test. His girth was 74 Vi inches and he had 8 inches of bone in front His time Avas 45 hours and 25 minutes. Cragmore, a gelding by the thoroughbred sire Goodrich, a grandson of Ten Broeclc, Avhich stood for years in the Genesee Valley, Avas fourth. He is out of a standard-bred dam. Cragmore weighed l,0323 pounds, lost 62 pounds and stood 15.3 hands. His girth Avas 72 inches and his rront cannon bone measured 8 inches. His elapsed time Avas 45 hours and 20 minutes, only three minutes slower than that of Vendetta. The result of the thoroughbrcd-Standard-bred cross, as illustrated in Cragmore, will not be lost sight of by the Remount authorities, as their clean-bred sires will be mated with many mares of this type in the different states in the Union. Pathfinder, a thoroughbred gelding by Firestone, from Margaret Alice, by Contes-tor, foaled in 1916, Avas fifth. He is 15.2 hands high, has a girth of 71 inches, 8 inches of bone, Aveighed 990 at the start and lost 72 pounds. His elapsed time was 45 hours and 21 minutes. He is owned by the Federal Remount Service and was ridden by Major C. L. Scott, Clonmel, an Irish three-quarter-bred hunter, owned by Henry Brown of Portland. Me., Avas sixth. He is 16 hands, Aveighed 1,050 pounds and girth 71 inches. His elapsed time was 45 hours and 20 minutes. It will be noted that every horse in the first sjx at the finish Avas either thoroughbred or had some Avarm blood In their pedigrees. Those taking part in the test were registered thoroughbreds, half or three-quarter breds, Morgans and Arabians or the grades of these types, and saddle horses.
