TROTTING (from trot, from OF., Fr. trot ter, probably from OHG. trottOn, to tread, trotten, to run, frequentative of OHG. Cretan, Oen trctcn, to tread, step). A gait of the horse. Notwithstanding that the foundation of Amer ica's trotting stock came from England. and that in Russia there are the celebrated "Orloff" trotters and another breed in Norway, the trot ting racer of to-day is distinctly the product of America. The gait was known to the ancients, but was abominated by them. Trotting was a favorite gait among the English sportsmen of Suffolk and Lincolnshire at the end of the eigh teenth century. and a special breed there per formed wonders: "Locksmith's gray" trotted 72 miles in 6 hours in 1762. Ten years later, a Lincolnshire horse trotted 30 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes, with a rider weighing 220 pounds, and "Phenomena" 17 miles in 53 min utes. Yet as an historical fact American trotters owe nothing to these fast English trotters, but everything to the thoroughbred. The modern trotter may be traced hack to "Messenger," who was imported in 1788 by Thomas Benger, of Bristol. Pa. His father was "Blaze:" his grand sire "Flying Childers:" his great-grandsire the "Parley Barb." His mother's father was "Turf," who was directly descended from the "Godolphin Barb." So on both sides of his pedigree "Mes senger" brought the most select thoroughbred blood into America. He was a running-bred horse, yet from him the American trotter de rives its dominant characteristics, the grit of the Arab, the gentleness of the Barb, and the hardy endurance of the English thoroughbred. The Hambletonians, comprising 90 per cent. of the American trotters, are derived from "Messenger" on both sides through Rysdyk's "Hambletonian." "Abdallab," and "Mambrino Messenger." "Ham bletonian's" dam was the Charles Kent mare, the daughter of "One Eye," and granddaughter of "Silver Tail," who was the daughter of "Mes senger." Ilambletonian's family includes "Dex ter." 2m. 1714s.: "Goldsmith's Maid." 2m. 14s.: `Tarns," 2m. 13ais.: "Saint Julien." 2m. II "Jay Eye See," 2m. 10s.: "Maud S.." 2m. 8.'s.; "Sono]." 2m. "Nancy Hanks," 2m. 4s.; "Alix," 2m. and "Directum." Sur. The second great trotting family, the Matnbrinos, great for racing quality and beauty, is derived on the father's side from “'Alessenger," and on the mother's from imported "Paymaster." The mingling of the blood of the HamhIctonians and "Ma mbrino Chief" has resulted in such ideal trotters as "Azota," 2m. s., and "Cresceus," 2m. 21.is. The founder of the Ceay family was "Young Bashaw," by "Grand Bashaw," an im ported Barb, but on the female side are "Mes senger's" progeny. The Star family, too, on
the mother's side came from the same horse.
In the early trotting days colts were never trained ; only matured horses raced, and they were capable of feats of endurance which no modern horse is or could be called upon to perform, "Fanny •Jenks" in 1845 trotted 101 miles in 9 hours, 57 minutes. drawing a sulky weighing 150 pounds. "Lady Suffolk" beat "Dutchman" two three-mile heats in lm.
and 7m. 56s. respectively, and she trotted her fastest mile when twelve years old. "Goldsmith's ,)laid" trotted a mile in 2111. when she was seventeen years old. She started 118 times and beat 2m. 30s. in 115 of them, and "Maud S." made her then world's record, 2m. Pis.. when she was eleven years old. These times, too, were all before the days of the kite-shaped tracks, banked and rolled with scientific nicety. and long before the rubber-tired wheel sulky. both of which inventions have helped to reduce the mile record. On August 17, 1903, at the Brighton Beach (N. Y.) track, the trotting record was reduced by J. K. Billings's "Lou Dillon" to two minutes, but in October of the same year the stallion lowered it to lm. 59:1.'0. The weather conditions were perfect. A few days afterwards "Lou Dillon" regained her laurels by still further reducing the record to 1m. 581(,s. Weather con ditions were unfavorable, but the mare had the advantage of two pacemakers, one drawing a wire-net guard.
For pleasure driving and friendly road com petitions a light wagon was in use as early as 1786, but not until after that did the trotter as a racer become prominent. In that year "Boston Blue" trotted a mile in little less than three minutes. By 1825 the New York Trotting Club was formed, and dashes of speed were daily in dulged in on what is now Third Avenue, from the Bull's Head to Harlem. Up to 1898, how ever, the great of the trotting of the coun try was done on tracks, 2000 of which were scat tered over the continent. These tracks on which regular races are held are either exactly one mile or half a mile from start to finish, and a horse must win two heats to win the race. The courses are in the main elliptical. though some, built after 1890. are kite-shaped.
Since 1898 a great impetus has been given to trotting competitions by the creation of civic speedways, the first of which was constructed by the municipality of New York, a long the banks of the Harlem River. from 155th Street to Fort George. Many great cities throughout, the coun try have followed the example.