CONCERNING TROTTING.
A few weeks ago Mr. R. O. Duncan was elected to a seat on the N.Z. Trotting Association. He has now addressed a letter to that body containing suggestions worthy of careful consideration. The first subject dealt with (says the “ Canterbury Times”) refers to the advisableness of discarding the American trotting and pacing standard, and adopting one of our own, to suit Australasian requirements. This is a subject that has been brought forward previously, so far without any practical result, but it is a matter which might well claim attention from the authorities. Closely allied to it is another point worthy of consideration, the establishment of an honours list of New Zealand horses. The idea is that the Association should compile, from year to year, a list of horses winning in certain times, say, trotting one mile in 2min 25sec, or two miles in 4min 50sec, and pacing one mile in 2min 20sec or two miles in 4min 45sec. As Mr. Duncan remarks, owners would consider it an honour to have their horses entered in the honours list of the New Zealand Trotting Association. It would really be a compilation of the fastest horses in the Dominion each year, and they could be so numbered that the horses doing the fastest times would occupy the pride of position in regard to number in their respective classes. This suggestion is one which should meet with the favourable approval from breeders, as it would be something to add to a horse’s pedigree to say that the sire or the dam was in the Asso-
ciation’s honours list of a certain year.
Still on the subject of performances is a suggestion for the compilation of Australasian trotting and pacing records, the idea being to enumerate separately the records for different ages, and for each sex, over all distances. At first glance this might be thought a difficult task, but the work would not, after all, be at all out of proportion to the benefit, in the direction of providing valuable information to the wide circle of those who would be interested.
The remarks on the stamina of the horses are certainly entitled to serious consideration. Mr. Duncan’s suggestion is that a three-mile race should be included in programme that' extends to two or three days, an idea which, having in view the encouragement of the utility horse, has much to recommend it.
The proposal for registering the extended pedigrees of imported horses is one that is of special value to breeders, but the next suggestion is of more general interest. This is to the effect that the Trotting Conference should be urged to discourage optional races. The idea of keeping saddle and harness performers separate is in the interest of the best class of sport, but it might not find favour with some of the smaller clubs, and, more particularly, with country clubs which include trotting events on their programmes. The proposals all have the merit of aiming at the bettermnte of a sport which, though still in its infancy in New Zealand, is rapidly growing in popularity.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 955, 25 June 1908, Page 5
Word Count
517CONCERNING TROTTING. New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 955, 25 June 1908, Page 5
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