And here we have the final (or first!) installment in the story of Messrs. Stevens and Dunham and their plan to breed Hackneys to French Coachers to produce heavy-harness horses.

This was published in the April 3, 1897, issue of The Rider and Driver:

Maplewood and Oaklawn Unite in the Breeding of Heavy-harness Horses

Washington, D.C., March 30, 1897.

To the Editor of The Rider and Driver:

Mr. Frederick C. Stevens has just purchased six of the best French Coacher mares owned by Mr. Dunham, namely:

Gazette II, of which Mr. Dunham writes: “Sixty-nine sons of the direct ancestors of this filly, first, second, and third generations, were owned by the French Government and stood in the National Haras, and seventy-five of the sons and daughters of her grand-sire have trotted, winning races to the amount fo 210,000 francs.”

Heroine, by Perfection, dam Hirondelle.

Hinda, full sister to Heroine.

Iphigene, the first-prize mare at the World’s Columbian Exposition 1893. Second-prize National Horse Show, New York, 1896.

Tache Sans Tache, a grand mare 16.5 hands, and showing better hock action than I have ever seen in any other French Coacher. The dam of Tache Sans Tache was a noted prize winner in France.

Tranquility, fully 16 hands, is a mare of remarkable conformation and substance, she is the dam of Perfection’s greatest son Partisan, which won first prize in class at the World’s Fair, 1893; first prize at the National Horse Show, New York, 1896; first prize, shown with sire, at the World’s Fair, 1893; first prize, shown with sire, at the National Horse Show, New York, 1896; second prize, with get, his sire Perfection receiving first honors.

Mr. Dunham is to send some mares to be bred to the Hackney stallion Langton Performer, which he declares to be the finest stallion of his breed he has ever seen. Mr. Stevens will breed all of the mares purchased of Mr. Dunham to his Hackney stallions Langton Performer and Clifton II. Maplewood is undoubtedly the greatest breeding establishment in the United States.

— V. B. Deyber