AN HOUR WITH FRANZIE

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 1 August 1917, Page 4

AN HOUR WITH FRANZIE

A HIGH CLASS TROTTING SIRE,

At the invitation of Mr. Bougen, of Taihape, a representative of this paper spent a pleasant hour last Sunday morning in the company of that recent importation to this district, the pacing stallion Franzie. On entering his well-equipped loose-box, friendship was at once established between the ■horse and the reporter, Franzie responding to an admiring pat on his splendidly-shaped arched neck by an affectionate rub against the shoulder of the stranger with his true thoroughbred head. Franzie is a horse in the true sense of the word. Built on clean, symmetrical lines, his thick-set body is balanced by sturdy, cleanly,made legs, with hind-quarters that would be hard to equal in one of his class. Franzie has just recently wound up a brilliant racing career in Christchurch, the most important trotting centre in Australasia, where he was a star among stars, having a mile record of 2.14 to his credit, and also a two-mile performance of 4.44. The writer has had the privilege of witnessing Franzie on the track in the i Cathedral City and can testify to his gameness and stamina by the way he used to fiinish up his efforts at the right end, which always calls for admiration from every lover of the trotter. The writer had the pleasure of a drive behind Franzie, and when swinging along a level stretch of road at a 2.20 gait for about half a mile the joys of motor-drivfng were forgotten in watching the rythmic motion and easy swing of the trotting machine in in the shafts.

A glance at Franzie’s pedigree proves him to be of very select breeding. By Franz, dam Effie, be is a brother to some well-known performers on the track, among them being F. E. JB'ells, (2.16) and Havoc (4.36, two miles). £ISOO was offered by a Christchurch buyer to purchase Franz, sire of Franzie. After leaving the Dominion Franz was a great stud success. On the dam’s side Franzie is descended from successful blood strains. His third dam, May, was by Don Juan (winner of Melbourne Cup), grand-dam, Maud, by the imported sire Berlin, among whose direct descendants are such well-known track favourites as Dan Patch (2.9), St. Swithin (4.38) and Sal Tasker. Combining these qualities with a well-behaved and tractable disposition, Franzie should be a decided acquisition to this locality, and we recommend farmers and others to lose no time in booking up their mares to this well-bred sire. Mr, Bougen has an advertisement inviting the attention of breeders in another column.