Should a Yearling Win

Southland Times, Issue 11655, 9 February 1891, Page 4

Should a Yearling Win

Befening to the recent triumph of a yeerHbsj colt at the Dundee Shew of the H. and A. Society, the Farmers' beview (Chicago; has raised the qaeation m to whether 'an Botried yearling colt, however good, •hoald be choeen as the sweepstakes animal, which la the aame ahow ia represented bj magnificant matured aoimala sach as were Prince of AlbiOn wad other grand Clydesdales at the late Highland Show.' The opinions of the leading stockmen of America were aaktd on those points and from the first instalment of the answers given in the current number of Ih»j^Beview, the following extracts are taken :— Alexander Galbraith, JanesTille, W», says that he seriously questions the propriety of awarding sweepstakes prize to a yeaning. however good, when there are meritorious, fully developed hones of the breed competing*- Unless ia oases where the matured aniBaals are plainly l°ckin*r in merit, yearling! cannot be oomidered properly worthy of the •weepstakes honours. He can quote tsaoy tnt*aV--* when youog colts given the sweepstakes over matured horses have eventually proved too common in character to win class prises. Bowles, Hadden, and Co., Janesville, Wi§wxite :— 'lt does not seem to v v proper saat a yearling colt, no matter how good, •hoald be placed over a tried mature horae of outstanding merit, as extra good yearlings very of tea mature into very common hor»e->.' B. 0. Auld, Howell, Mich. , writes as follows : — 'This question is of much interest to broaden, Bules are generally framed Irom experience, and at present the rales are framed ao that yearlings are admissible for entry in sweepstakes classes. If being simply the *btst in the ring' were the only consideration borne away with the honour when a yearling won, the award might be allowable. But such a decision implies more, carries more with it, viz., beiDg the best in the breeding classes. Now all young animtle, human and brute, are very promising wheo young, but how cfiea do they fall away from their early promise 1 A yearling may be ever so mach better, as a yearlrng, and even M a whole, at such time, ev^n competing against veterans of the ring. Bat foilow the furore career of this young marvel, and what is generally tae result ? He goes all to pieces.' Therein is the incorrectness, injastice of the award, because su-h an animal ia his yearling »tate ii unable piac ically o reproduce his excellence, while in ai« mature age be muat reproduce bis ' gone to i>i»( es' Obaracter. Hence it it the rule that shoal be amended. 'Sweepstakes' winoeia c«rry the import of breeding excellence along with them; beoce the ling should be fo r such am m^ls a* have proved thnnaelves breeder*, or of sufficient fixtd maturity as would irj ply that. For a stapling 10 be that ahead of veterans which have stood the fire of each successive ring — proving thus the development of their atuidily perfecting type, witn an almost certainty of such yearling falliDg off from such perfecting development — for this to happen po nts to a change in the rules zadically necessary. The above applies equally as well to cattle, except in the fat department, wherein everybody will adiu:t that a yeailing atjould stand as good a show as an older animal ; that even here the ideal ohampioa time should be at the age it has been proved that tae greates development has been accomplished and not any later.' Oowan Brothers, Akron, lowa, write :— *lt ia only fair to suppose that the judges con* sidered Prince Alexander a sufficiently ' superior animal to any of his competitors to wtrrant thess in their decision. In a class for sil ages it would be evidently unfair to make a discrimination against yearlings and two* year •olds, because they happened to be too young to have proved themselves foal-getters and also they are exhibited for what they are worth at the time without any considerations of what they may be in four years' time. In the case of the Highland Show the competitioo was doubtless dose, and |many people will differ from the jadges 1 decision, but at the aame time we do not think it just to the judges to condemn a decision in such circum* stanoes merely becensa their choice was a yearling. 1 f yearlings are invited to compete then should be no discrimination agaiast them.' John Letkam, Princeton, 111., writes : — •The winner of a breed sweepstake should be the beat specimen, or representative, of the breed at the age shown, and I can see no good reason why Prince Alexander, if, as reported, he closely resembles the Prince of Albion in style and character, but built on a larger scale, and moving with fautless gaiety in front asd rear, Of course, as Mr D. Riddel 1 once said of the world-renowned sire Prince of Wales, whose heavy seasons in the stud never interfered with his movement behind, ' This horse has no faults' ; but turning to a friend, he says. • A little more heart girth would improve him,' So, judging from what I have seen written by the editor of the Fanners' Beview and other good judges, aiter a careful inspection of Prince of Albion, a trifle more bone below the knee, 100 Ib. more scale, aad eloae movement behind would improve him, all of which Prince Alexander seems to have at the present time, is reason enough why he should win. Bach a colt must be truly magnificent. Then the merits of a bone as a successful sire must be left in reserve for the class for best lot of col is by one sire ; the prepotency cuts no figure with me on twe psiakes day, it is simply the best specimen at their respective ages that day, for unless ytu lay aside the maturity and prepotency which save already been provided for oy other classes, you might as well debar theyeariings and two-year olds from competition. 1 find on locking over Prince of Albion's record be has a special medal as a yearling, and special <;np and medal as a two-year-old for be»t Clydesdale exhibited. Tis true a small percentage of phenomenal yearlisgs of any breed may make good four-years-olds, bat the main reason for encouraging the chance <o win lies in the fact thateo many farmers breed to sell, and the further fact oi a yearlirg's being eligible to win sweepstakes enhances the value of a draught eoltM much ia proportion as the offering of eajs^WennjMt^habytrottaiiwrflWWi

has increased their value recently in this progressive age of qcick returns. I have every ie«peot for the man who buys to exhibit, but my spmpathies are with the breeder, first, list, and all the time. No man has a better chance to produce sweepstake yearlings and col is, the get of one sire, than the Laird of Montra*e to revenge the Prince of Albion's defeat ; fair to one fair to all, so let the game go on, and more power to the gentleman who' had the stamina to place so worthy a yoongsWiweepttake Clydesdale of the Highland and Agricultural Societys' Show of 1890.'