THE HORSE SHOW.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 101, 26 September 1874, Page 2

THE HORSE SHOW.

There was a very numerous entry for the show, which took place to-day, and the various classes were well represented. Beginning with the imported thoroughbreds, the first on the list is of course that old favorite Traducer, a striking instance of a horse that has outlived a vast amount of prejudice against him, and can now, at the age of 17 years, successfully hold his own against younger competitors. Albany and Blue Boy, also the property of the owner of Traducer, are later importations, and have their name to make, and we have no fear but that their stock will prove worthy of their illustrious parentage. All these three horses look well, and are in very fine order for commencing the season. The colonial-bred thoroughbred horses include that hero of a hundred fights, ©ld

Knottingley, who has been brought up from Timaru to the Christchurch district. He has been very successful down South, and no doubt will have a large share of patronage bestowed upon him now he is in this part of the country. Messenger is an importation from Tasmania, and is a big useful horse ; he is a remarkably well-bred horse, being by Bottler—out of Ludia, Ludia was also the dam of the famous Tarragon, and Bottler was by William Tell (imported), the sire of Archer—out of Cinderella (the dam of the celebrated Tim Whiffler). Barbarian, the next on the list, is by Traducer —out of old Barbary (imported), and is a powerful little horse, with the best of backs, taking very much after his sire in this respect. Having only Just come up from the paddock, he does not look so well as some of his opponents, but is in very good heart nevertheless.

Castaway, the big chestnut who was to do all sorts of great things on the turf, comes next, and his being full brother to Lurline is a reccomendation to him, but he is afficted with a pair of the worst shaped hocks ever seen in a horse, and many people might fight shy of him in consequence. It is however to be noted, that he was foaled with his hocks in their present shape, and that they are not the result of any hard work, so that there is a chance that they may be merely an eyesore, and not a defect that would prove detrimental to his success at the stud. Defamer is like most of Emmelines’ stock, not the best legged one in the world, but he is a taking-horse to the eye. with a fine top, plenty of length, and good size. Sorcerer, a brother to’iTalisman, (who was sold a short time ago into the Timaru district, to replace Knotingley,) is anice horse and will doubtless be patronised by Hackney breeders. The next class comprises roadsters and carriage horses, and here imported, and colonial stock are all in one class.

Nobleman is a well-known animal, and is a useful sort of horse of good size. Shales is also well known to most of our horse-breeders, though he never was a favorite of ours.

Prickwillow, about whom there has been an unusual amount of Mr Trollope’s bugbear “blow," is a nice animal in some respects — with a good shoulder, back, and capital hocks and thighs, he has, however, nasty stag knees, and is long from the knee to the ground. He has not the best of action too, and there are several in the class that we would as soon breed from. Mungo Park is a big upstanding 3 year old colt, with a pedigree which we take leave to doubt, as we are convinced that if there had been an “imported mare, by Ellington,” in the country, we should have heard of her. This colt has two good ends, with an indifferent middle piece, but there are plenty of worse animals on the ground. Of imported draught entires, there were no less than eight entries, though Royal Conqueror was absent, and it would be hard to find on any show ground a more magnificent collection of animals. Some of them are well known here; of the others, the most popular seemed to be Red Prince and Prince Charlie.

The entries in the class for colonial-bred draught horses were exceptionally numerous, those that attracted most attention being —Young Watty, who is a nice horse, though with a good deal too much white about him to please some people; Prince of Denmark, a remarkably useful animal; Nugget, a good stamp of farmers’ horse; Young Scotchman, and Lord Haddo, the latter a very good colt indeed.

' Old Mazeppa was as usual among the ponies exhibited, and his three companions in this class were the Duke of Edinburgh (a son of the old pony’s), King of the Ring, Randy. Randy is a little mite of a Shetland, and King of the Ring is a nondescript sort of animal, of no particular use we should think. Altogether the show was a great success, and the spectacle of the parade was enjoyed by a great number of sight-seers who flocked to the ground in crowds, the Jehus doing a roaring business.