Horse-breeding in the Tambov Area
Applicant: Irina Nikitina, the pupil of the 11 "B" form CG
Supervisors: LI Ivina, the teacher of Biology
L.N. Kozhevnikova, the teacher of English
Tambov 1998
Historically Tambov area has been known as the territory of chanters.
By the amount of private stud farms it challenged superiority of Voronezh,
Oryol and Kursk areas. The development of horse breeding in many respectswas promoted by two circumstances. First because of the flood plains, wherethe herds freely grazed (only in one Morshansk area today are left about 20thousands hectares even after rash ploughing up of a large part of floodplains). Secondly, and it is also important, the deep pocket of the Tambovlandowners. They had large and sometimes fabulous capitals. So, one ofbrothers Archarov's, the holder of extensive lands in Rasskasovo area,bestowed him by Katherine П, handed the whole horse regiment to the Tambovnational militia in 1812, by putting on the horses his own bonded recruits.
He also gave regimentals, armed and supplied the regiment with provisionsfor three months. Nobody in Russia made such generous gift for army thattime.
Count Stroganov, princess Golitsina, general Lanskoy (the secondhusband of Natalya Goncharova), Bashmakov - the Tambov millionaire andholder of gold mines beyond Urals, old-line noblemen the Naryshkin's, the
Arapov's and many other had their own stud farms in Tambov area. The
Lavrovsky stud farm, which nowadays has worldwide glory, was built in
Tambov land by the landowner Voeykov.
The merchantry tried not to drop behind from the aristocracy. Oneof the Aseev's brothers, the holder of Arzhenka cloth factory, haspurchased the stud farm from a widow of the local broken landowner
Kruchenkov. The example of Aseev, but without the raping, was followed alsoby other industrial aces from the districts of the region. It wasconsidered very prestigiously.
We should remember that horse-breeding remained one of the fewworthy commercial activities for the aristocrats. In 1840, when Chicherin,the relative of our future Minister for Foreign Affairs, has openeddistillery in Lyada and the landowners Tulinov and Poltoratsky havepurchased cloth factories, noble society has apprehended it as mauvais ton.
But the pinces and dukes and members of the tsarist family very welldescended to trading horses from theirs stud farms.
All reading Russia knew from the story by Turgenev aboutinveterate chanters from the district city of Tambov region with abeautiful name - Lebedyan. But only few know today, that the fans ofequitation created there the first Russian association and issued firsthorseracing journal. Much earlier than in metropolis and Moscow, the prize -winning horserace of Oryol trotters were arranged in Lebedyan. Severalyears later the same association of equitation fans was also established in
Tambov. This association built on share contributions the three-storeybuilding for its club on former Dvortsovaya, nowadays Sovietskaya Street,one of first in the center of our city (now The Department of
Communications). In this club the horse-breeders from all Tambov districtsmet at card tables and in the hall of extensive library.
The special page in a history of domestic horse-breeding werewritten by the life copers brothers Demin's from Kozlov. They managed toget and turn over the blooded trotters even from Khrenov farm of count
Aleksey Orlov. Although, only after his death. While alive the countstrictly forbade selling his horses. Demin's were in close friendship withformer count's adscript Vasiliy Ivanovich Shishkin, the manager of Khrenovfarm. Shortly Shishkin opened his own stud farm.
The abundance of private stud farms in the region produced bighorse fairs, beginning from Lebedyanskaya and finishing with Tokaryovskaya,one of cheapest in country. On Tambov fairs the merchants came a long wayfrom European countries, and also from Persia and Turkey. Only in 1897 61
580 horses were exported from Russia. Each tenth of them was purchased in
Tambov region. On fairs they sold not only separate horses, mainly it wasthe business of small copers, the owners of stud farms sold the younggrossly, by so-called stakes after one famous stallion and different dams.
Unblooded horses on Tambov fairs were bought up for meat merchants from
Denmark. A kilo of horsemeat was equal in cost with a kilo of Danishbutter. Vneshtorg knows the price that the danish horsemeat lovers, thehorsemeat is the irreplaceable ingredient of top-grade sausage, are readyto pay us for horses for meat.
Many brilliant trotters were grown up on Tambov stud farms. In
1904 at stud farm of Afanasyev in village Yaroslavka, now the territory of
Rzhaksa area was born grey stallion Krepysh. His father was Gromadniy, the
Imperial prizewinner, and the mother Koketka, the grand daughter of Varvar
- Prizewinner from the farm of well-known horse-breeder Rogov. Changinghands, Krepysh in a 1907 stepped on the turfs of Moscow and St. Petersburgfor the first time. By his graceful pace he made a conquest of fans.
Krepysh entered the competitions for 79 times and in 55 races he was thefirst and he established or improved 13 records. With heartache thousandsof fans witnessed a loss of Krepysh in February 1912 in Moscow to the
American trotter General Age. They did not blame their favorite but hisamerican jockey William Keaton, who, they believed, intentionally drive
Krepysh in a wrong way.
The Novotomnikovo stud farm
The stud farm in Novotomnikovo played a large part in thehistory of domestic horse-breeding; it was founded by count Illarion
Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov in 1860 and still exists now. In short time hebought up the best orlov's stallions and dams, paying no attention to theprices.
His new stud farm in Tambov area got famous after his bondedjockey Oblopokhin on the stallion Zadorniy beat all capital jockeys on thehorses from the best prize-winning stables in St. Petersburg in 1861.
Zadorniy made three versts for 6 minutes and 6 seconds.
Vorontsov-Dashkov opened a new era in horseracing after he becamein 1882 a state manager of horse-breeding at tzar Alexander III request. Atthat time he was the defense and domestic minister in the rank of adjutantgeneral.
He turned the horse-breeding from lairds 'merry-making into realcommerce. The prices on the private stud farms were raised up. The ownersof stud farms in Moscow or St. Petersburg could be lucky enough and winwhole bags in one racing season.
In the last quarter of 19th century in a pursuit of high prizesthe american jockeys began to appear in St. Petersburg and Moscow more andmore often on theirs so-called "two-minutes" trotters - they cover a mile
(1600 meters) for two minutes and some seconds.
One of the first to Russia from America came Clayton's, the well -known jockey family - the father and sons with their own trotters. Theyestablished the prize-winning stable and began the manufacturing of modernvery light carts with rubber wheels. Very soon they were unrivalled on theracecourses of Moscow and St. Petersburg. One year Clayton and sons wonalmost all prizes and earned more than 300,000 rubles. The horse-breedersgot agitated and began to repine. Some of them rushed to buy the veryexpensive American trotters. Other protested demanding to forbid theperformance of American trotters in Russia.
In such conditions Vorontsov-Dashkov, as a head of domestic horse -breeding, had to make a decision. He found a compromise. The prizes weredivided into two groups. One was for the horses of all breeds, other onlyfor Oryol trotters. But nevertheless, the count preferred Americantrotters. «The only criterion of quality of a horse I consider a prizepole », - he told later. With such reasoning Vorontsov-Dashkov made vigorousefforts buying American trotters, not only for his stud farm and prize -winning stables in St. Petersburg and Moscow, but also for state studfarms.
Vorontsov-Dashkov was interested in cross-breeding more thananybody else. He always was present at horsing, sitting under a glass capat center above one of the stables. The count considered it to be soimportant, that often forced his spouse Elizaveta Andreevna (Shuvalovabefore marriage) to be present on it with visitors, which were in
Novotomnikovo that time. The visitors were only grand people: the membersof tzar family, which arrival was marked with planting of one more tree inoak alley of ancient park. Such as relatives of four daughters married offin families of Shuvalov's, Sheremetyev's, Musin-Pushkin's, and Demidov's.
The conversations about horses touched common interest, as allaristocracy had stables and stud farms. This kind of private business wasconsidered to be almost the only activity that is not derogating dignity ofa true aristocrat.
By the end of 19th century on private and state stud farms in
Russia there were 20 trotters prizewinners of an American origin. In themass order there was a crossing of blooded Oryol dams with Americantrotters.
The most given was Vorontsov-Dashkov. Even two victories of
"Oryols" over "americans" in summer season of 1898 didn't cool him. The
Oryol trotter Boets broke the record on three miles established by Americantrotter Monnet. His own mare Krylataya broke the record of Monnet on threeand three quarters of second in the same season. But he had made thechoice, «his knight's move», and was not going to back up. Soon the countaccepted on a service all jockeys of Clayton's family with the fantasticsalary 300 thousands rubles per year.
The outstanding scientist hippologist prince Sergei Urusov engaged incontroversy against Vorontsov-Dashkov. Urusov considered cross-breeding «asa medicine not by illness ». «The only developing of ability to quick trot,as they have made with the trotter in America, - he wrote, - will result inquick but narrow, boneless, long-legged horse without rib and quite oftenwithout a back and completely useless in agriculture. It is necessary toimprove inside the breed. Bad can be born even from good but never goodfrom bad ».
Many years have passed since then and this dispute has notfinished yet.
After the death of the count Vorontsov-Dashkov in 1916 his heirs,going to leave the country, arranged cut-price sale of all horses 'elite ofthe farm. In Soviet time it became only a branch of state stud farm in
Morshansk.
By 1918 in Novotomnikovo left only three blooded mares of Oryolbreed. Horses were taken from stables both by "red" and "white". The verynice farm before now it fell to desolation and, as the saying goes, thefarm was going. For long time it was existing only as horsing point, onwhich only a dozen of mares were blissomed per year.
By a lucky chance among the three left blooded Oryol dams therewas the young mare Opora. Later she was bound to play the outstanding rolein domestic horse-breeding and to save the breed of Oryol trotters fromcomplete oblivion. In a 1934 she gave birth to a colt named Otboy. Hisfather was stallion Burelom born in 1927. The Moscow scientist hippologist
S. Kalinin liked this streamlined trotter after the Moscow races in 1930and advised to pay the special attention to him.
Meanwhile stud farms kept cross-breeding of Oryol trot horses,what was started before the revolution. Only now they cross-breed blooded
Oryol mares not with American trotters, the state did not give money to buythem, but with crossbreeds 'posterity. At first they were called "american -oryols ", then just Russian trotters. They were propagated on six studfarms, mainly on Lavrovsk farm in our region.
The big work was performing continuously on creating and developing ofthat new breed of thrifty trotters. The care for Oryol trotters was paledinto insignificance. The majority of the experts believed that this breedhad reached the limits of the further perfection. And, as it turned out,they were wrong.
Today in stalls of Novotomnikovo stud farm stay the good-lookersof Oryol breed restored by the efforts of horse-breeding enthusiasts. Thefarm fosterlings have reached friskiness, which once was consideredpossible only for American trotters. Now the Russian troyka, made from
Oryol trotters revives abroad as the mode. The customers from abroadreadily buy them in Novotomnikovo.
One cannot name the work on cross-breeding of Oryol trotter with
American one as reckless step. If due to Oryol trotter Russia gained theimproved breed of working horses in place of bow-backed hacks with bangledstomachs, then the cross-breeding of Oryol horse gave the new breed of
Russian trotter of distinct sportish type.
There is no other animal like horse the mankind is so indebtedto. Without the count Aleksei Orlov we would not have Oryol trotters, whichbring glory to Russia for many years, making an ornament to our nation. Wewould not receive a trotter, which is used for breed improvement oftrotting horses almost in all countries of Western Europe, and also in Asiaand America.
For the revirescence of beautiful Oryol trotter we are obliged to
S. Kasimenko. It was him, who managed the farm and choose the dams for
Burelom. In such selection the ancestry of dams is very important, down totheir great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers and even deeper into afamily tree. All their features and qualities are taken into account. Allwas clear with Burelom, the son of distinguished Oryol trotter Lovchiy.
Maternally his bloodline ascended to the famous stallion Zadorniy, whobrought the first glory to Novotomnikovo farm of Vorontsov-Dashkov. But themare Opora, born even before October revolution, was in declining years forhorses and seemed to be not a suitable bride for young beauty Burelom.
However Kasimenko took chances. As we mentioned, stallion Otboy was bornfrom this unequal march. The careful godfather to him became A. Samoilov,who replaced Kasimenko in a 1934.
At first Otboy didn't show anything special in posterity. Theyhave from him just common trotters and dams not distinguished by highfriskiness, only their exterior was faultless.
The farm decided to part with Otboy. He was sent to other studfarm. And here we should say thanks to A. Popov, who was the head of horsedepartment during the Great Patriotic War. Popov decided to return Otboy in
Novotomnikovo. But the new head V. Remizov received him there. Popov wentto the front in 1943 and did not come back on farm, as well as other 36workers of farm - hostlers, jockeys, foragers, tractor operators, smithsdidn't return here after war.
Remizov had been working in Novotomnikovo till 1965, and in histime a new line in breed of Oryol trotter was born and appeared the newbranch on his family tree. The grey colt Otklik came into being after Otboyand mare Konventsiya on Zaporozhye stud farm in 1952. Konventsiya hadarrived on this farm from Novotomnikovo already pregnant. So all palms fora new line of Oryol trotter belong to the stud farm in Novotomnikovo.
The posterity of Otklik appeared to be marvelously quick. Thestallions Vodovorot and Borets ran a mile for two minutes and four tenthsof a second.
The interest to Oryol trotter has revived today all over the world.
Horses from Novotomnikovo have purchased the stud farms of Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, China, Germany, and Sweden. All America and Canada have gotacquainted with troika of Oryol trotters, where the thiller was a trotterfrom Novotomnikovo farm. The millions of televiewers in these countriesadmired them. Many newspapers of Old and New World enthusiastically wroteabout them.
The Lavrovo stud farm
The Lavrovo stud farm is located in Mordovian area of Tambovregion and stands out against other trotting stud farms because of theachievements of its fosterlings.
Established by the good judge of horses VP Voeykov 170 yearsago, the Lavrovo stud farm is one of «big fishes» of domestic trotters. Iiis the birthplace of the well-known grey Oryol trotter Lebed 5.44 (Atlasniy
- Pobeda), born in1829. He is on the pictures of the artist N.G. Sverchkovand on the tapestry made by bondmaids from village Lavrovo. These thingsare kept in the museum of horse-breeding of TAA.
Till the end of 80-th the farm in Lavrovo kept the path of cross -breeding.
During the civil war the facilities were ruined, the horses wereplundered. They could save only one mare Margaritka 2.16,1 (Fatalist -
Binyonia), born in 1918, who later became a founder of dams family and wasthe great-grandmother of Pervenets 2.00,4. During the acquisition of thefarm (1922-23) not only "Oryol-Americans" got there, but also the Oryoltrotters.
Since 1930 all Oryol dams were excluded from Lavrovo stud farm.
Together with mares half-breeds, which were brought on farm instead of
Oryol mares, also came the studhorse Aloisha 2.14,2 (Aloisha - Kreolka)from the line of Peter The Great. There was started the line of Aloisha andthe line of Trepet - together with Smolensk farm. In January 1935 from
Aloisha and mare Paguba (the grand daughter of Peter The Great) appearedthe red stallion Podarok 2.02,1; 3.09,4; 4.17.4 - the pride of Lavrovo andthe founder of one progressive line in Russian trotter breed.
The important part in the stud activity of the farm also playedthen the lines of Iris (through Khorovod, Khor Kalinych, Interes), Nalim
(through Lunatik and Otprysk), Aksvort (through Viktor Vorti, Vampir,
Vzriv). The main was the method of cultivation "in itself" of the horses ofdesirable type using cross-breeding and in-breeding. The crossing withlines of Aloisha and Gildeets had become one of the bases of Lavrovocomplex creation.
The returned cross-breeding was also applied with Oryol stallionsfor the improvement of horses exterior. The Oryol lines in remote ancestorsare traced in the best horses of the farm.
Through the Oryol trotter Bunt 2.14.3 (Metsenat - Budushnost) thelines of Podaga and blooded Boyar were enhanced. The daughters of Buntcould be met in family trees of Vasilyok, Pervenets, Lazutchik, Pavodok,
Vopl.
All-Union prize horse and founder of the line Podarok was selfedon Oryol trotters Zadornov and Petushok. His best get: the sons Pervenets
2.00,4, Pryatel 2.03,4, Lazutchik 2.05,6, Park 2.10,4, Vopl 2.09,2, Azot
2.06,3, Pereryv 2.07,6; 6.44,6, Lotus 2.09,9 and daughters Povilika 2.09,3
(the mother of Prologue 2.06), Aplikatsiya 2.14,7 (the mother of Atlas
2.07,6) and Atmosfera, Podarok gave with dams, who had the similar Oryolancestors.
Only from Podarok the farm had more than 298 colts. 20 among themare of class 2.10 and even thriftier. The children of Podarok have won 17international prizes: Priyatel, Pervenets and Lazutchik - 5 prizes each and
Park - 2 prizes. No other stallion from our stud farms had such asuccessful offspring.
The all-Union records of Podarok were broken only 13 years laterby his son from Masandra the Derby racer Pervenets 2.00,4 р; 3.11,4 р;
4.11,2 р; 6.52,3 who was born in 1949. Podarok also gave from Argentina theall-Union prizewinner Pryatel, born in1954 and the winner Lazutchik (from
Lazur); born in1959.
On Lavrovo stud farm was brought up the all-Union prizewinneramong two-year trotters Protalinka - 2.13,1 (Lucifer - Parallel), born in
1948. The prize of Protalinka is the standard for two-year trotters.
During the period before the war on Lavrovo stud farm was createdthe type of a trotter distinguished by the harnessry forms, pedigree, goodtop line, depth, strong dry limbs but which is a little craggy.
The hybridists of the farm were constantly selecting by the typeand friskiness.
The big job of creating the famous trotters on Lavrovo farm wasmade by zootechnicians Y.N. Sarantsev (1920-1934), A.K. Brinken (the authorof selection, which gave Podarok), V.N. Zhardetskiy, K.V. Voskresenskiy,
R.I. Kalinin, who had been working here for 14 years and was one of thefounders of line of Podarok. Also he was the author of the farm plan ofline breeding in 1976-1975. On the racecourses the trotters of Lavrovo studfarm were driven to the victories by such jockeys as AV Zotov, A.A.
Sorokin, N.R. Semichev, M.G. Chudnenko, V.T. Novikov, A.P. Kreydin, V.Y.
Kochetkov.
To its 150-year jubilee the farm had 5 Derby trotters. These are
Pobeditel 2.11,7, Vecher 2.06,7, Arzamas 2.06,4, Pervenets 2.00,4, Albom
2.03,9. In 1965 by the number of 2.10 class trotters the Lavrovo stud farmwas on the fourth in the country, and on the second place in class 2.05.
The first was the stud farm in Dubrovskiy.
However, the period of success was followed by the long period ofdecline. Mainly it could be explained by the fact, that the group ofstudhorses didn't have the appropriate stallions. Otprysk 2.09,3, Zheton
2.09,7, Zabiyaka 2.09 could not give a class horse in 60-es. And also thetechnology of breeding was inadequate. The horses were not supplied withhigh-grade forages as many natural pastures and the hayfields were ploughedup.
The new progressive stage of selection began in 1971 with thecoming of standard breed stallion Low Hanover 1.59 (Bolshoy Star's Pride -
Lynd Deen). From this outstanding studhorse the farm gained 253 horses.
Among them are: Ligatura 2.04,2, Velonia 2.03,2 r, Lan 2.05 r, Ghilka 2.07,
Leeter 2.04,4 r, List 2.04,9, Vlastnyi Zhest 2.05,5, Alt 2.06, Alzhir 2.07,
Valezhnik 3.12,2 and other class trotters. Such intensive use of thestudhorse for the insemination of mares with the dilute semen deservesattention of the horse-breeding experts.
The work with Low Hanover allowed to half-complete the dams groupof the farm with his daughters and grand daughters and improve the averagefrisky parameter of dams on 3,6.
After the use of Minion 2.11 (Napor - Mudraya Poslovitsa) and Low
Hanover in 60-es, the type of Lavrovo trotters was also changed. Theybecame more blooded and dry, lost roughness of a head, became less massivebut more vigorous and good-tempered.
The descendants of Low Hanover showed the high results in a 1983.
His great-grandson Gopak 2.04,2 (Parket - Glubokaya) had become the sixthderby trotter of the farm when he won a Grand all-Union prize. The Low
Hanover's great-grandson Lepetun 2.07,6 (Parket - Lesostep) won a Big three -year prize, and grandson Peak 2.03,8 (Kolchedan - Programma) became thewinner of World international prizes (in Moscow) and «Villam» (in Hungary)and was the second in the Elite prize.
On January 1, 1984 195 trotters of 2.10 class and more frisky
(the third place on this parameter after the stud farms in Dubrovskoe and
Elyan) are brought up. 19 of them are of class 2.05 and friskier. Thetrotters from Lavrovo won 33 international prizes.
Conditions of creation and growing up of the hippodrome cracks in the
Lavrovo stud farm.
Brood work.
The hybridists from Lavrovo had to work much to transform themotley brood structure into a valuable heart of the breed of Russiantrotters. Half a century ago the average dams 'measurements in Lavrovo were
154,8-154,7-173-19 and met the requirements only of the second class. Nowthere are 110 brood mares on the farm. Their measurements meet the standardof the breed and make 159,5-162,1-183,3-19,6 cm. Average friskiness of themain dams 2.15,2, of the horsing dams - 2.14,9. Almost all mares ranked as
Elite class. With due regard on the farm they look at the growing up of the
"Self-repair": the age of more than 50% of brood horses included inselection is less than 10 years. The duly use of young dams with highfriskiness and good measurements, allows to select mares in time, both bythe age and quality of posterity.
More than half of dams belong to the line of Volomait (through
Low Hanover and Apex Hanover), 22 mares are from the line of Podarok, 14 --from the line of Trepet (through the daughters of Minion and Pavlin), 12 --of Nalim (daughters of Otprysk). There are several representatives of thelines of Gildeets and Scotland. The related to each other mares form thegroups. The hybridists from the stud farm try to save the most valuabledams nests.
According to the selection plan the Lavrovo stud farm works withlines of Podarok, Volomait, Aksvort, Gildeets, Scotland. The line of
Volomait was successfully developed on the farm through Kolchedan 1.58,8 r
(Low Hanover - Kaleriya), born in 1967, and also develops through Parket
2.06,2 (Prolog - Prisma), born in 1972. The posterity of Kolchedan has madeabout 180 heads, including classy Peak, Lokon, Lukretsiy. Parket gavealmost 100 horses. Among them are Gopak, Lepetun, Aprel 2.08. Zalet 2.04,4
(Lazutchik - Zaletnaya) from the line of Podarok was unsuccessfully used in
5 seasons, and he is excluded from the mating plan for 1984.
The work with the line of Gildeets was performed through
Kolokolchik 2.08,6 (Konniy - Kolombina), but he also did not paid off andwork with this line was terminated.
Two falls were received from Grand 2.04,8 r (Abrikos -
Gugenotka), born in 1976; the line of Scotland. The youngsters of Grand areblooded but had not run on hippodromes yet. In this line the hopes were seton the all-Union prizewinner Bubnoviy 3.11,2 (Bill Hanover - Bastiliya),born in 1977, who just began to procreate offsprings on the farm. More than
20 mares were selected for him.
Almost for 10 years the farm had been working with the line of
Nalim through Linkor 2.07,5 (Aprichnik - Lotereya), born in 1971. Though hegave Globus from Gubka, Lakolin from Luna, his use was limited since hetransmitted to posterity the narrow underjaw. The work with this line wascontinued through Kropot (Charodei - Kreolka), born in1977. In cross -breedings with the lines of Podarok and Volomait and in remote in-breedingswith grand daughters of Lunatik for Kropot was appointed 20 mares.
The main method in selection is the selection for in-breeding,usually moderate and occasionally - close in-breeding for the test ofstudhorses and dams.
The wide use of the stallions of standard breeding is thetendency in brood work. The big hopes were set on the use of Blesk, for whoabout 30 mares were picked up. It was desirable for the farm to receive thedeeply frozen semen of standard bred Repriz and Victorious Speed.
2-3 months prior to the beginning of a horsing season The Head Of
Horse Department A. Yakimov, the veterinary by education, checked thephysiological condition of прохолостевшіх and young mares. The horsing wasconducted under the control of the follicle maturation. It saves stallionsand increases the percentage of colt fetation.
Horse feeding on the stud farm is organized properly. The sowingof long-term grasses is enlarged thus improving the fodder base. After theending of horsing period the dams are constantly on the pasture and theyare weatherproofed. The stud horses are kept in stables, constructed manyyears ago. Here is used the standard technology of growing up theyoungsters. Usually they start to gentle the youngsters when they reach 1year.
The collective of Lavrovo stud farm regularly achieves the highfetation of mares and high youngsters output.
Experienced jockeys on 6 hippodromes of the country test thetrotters from Lavrovo: in Moscow, Kiev, Kharkov, Odessa, Tallinn, Tambov.
The State Stables
Many sources of dynamic development of the city went back to thefirst half of the 19th century. Among them was the process of formation ofthe state stables. It was connected to the resolving of certain militarystrategic problems: the Russian army needed strong and hardy horses.
Therefore the problem of the improvement of mass horse-breeding remainedurgent for many decades.
The attempts on improvement of horses 'quality were undertaken in
Russia in 1789-1799, then appeared the first state stables. In 1836,according to the decree of Nikolai I, they returned to these problemsagain.
In Tambov the state stable appeared in 1837 in northwest suburbof the city.
The ensemble from two stone buildings and hospital for theanimals at the center of internal courtyard was erected in1848.
Historically, trotters were placed in the white building of the stables andheavyweights - in the round one.
The gate, decorated with a head of a horse connected the foresidebuildings. In ancient times the horse head was a symbol of power for the
Scythians, and for our recent ancestors it was a symbol of happiness.
The street along the stable buildings with the lapse of time gotthe name Konyushennaya. The building of the Tambov State stable is not onlythe architectural monument of the first half of 19th century, but also themonument of horse-breeding history of Russia.
In the system of stud farms the most important part belonged tothe hippodromes. The tests on the hippodrome were obligatory for theselection of saddle-horses and trotters. By their results was performed theanimals selection for breeding: on friskiness, endurance and sportqualities of horses. The Tambov hippodrome was one of oldest; it followedthe stables and appeared in a valley of Studenets in 1837. In 1876 theracing hippodrome was reconstructed according to the needs of time.
The construction of stables and hippodrome made active local fansof horse sport and had formed the basis for the stud farms association.
Since 1845 the association had been renting the ground floor of
Public library (Sovietskaya 114), where the methods of improvement of thehorse-breeding were discussed as one of the important branches of theregion economy.
The assemblies nominated prizes for trotters and racehorses. Inthe competitions participated not only the horses of landowners, but alsothe horses from farms. The data on the most interesting prize-winners weregiven in «The stud farm book of Russian trotters», issued in St .-
Petersburg in 1892.
The competitions and races were usually organized after Tambovhorse fairs. They were conducted in June and October of each year on thefairground to the north of the stables.
On Tambov fair they drove the horses from herds by the specialcattle roads; and the dealers bought animals here and sent them in Moscowand St. Petersburg.
In the middle of 19th century up to 300 horses of differentbreeds from trotters to draught horses were driven to the fair from thestud farms of the region. The prices differed from 30 to 800 rublesdepending on the genuineness. Full information about the fairs waspublished in the special editions like «The Horse Fairs in Russia».
Annually in Tambov took place the exhibitions of farm horses foragricultural needs. The best samples were awarded with the appropriatepremiums.
The wars of last and new centuries have tragically reduced thenumber of wonderful animals, bred in the region by the efforts of manygenerations. The working conditions of Tambov State stables were alsocomplicated. Nevertheless, some traditions of Russian horse-breeding weresaved there.
The history of the soviet period is marked with new prizewinnersand famous Russian troika.
Many years the school of horse sports was working in the stables,where 12-year's old boys and girls were taught the bases of equitation andmainly - the love to this wonderful animals.
In the soviet period the state stable was often visited by one ofthe first marshals of The Union S.M. Budenniy. The Tambov hippodrome wasnamed after him.
Today the live stock of the horses in Tambov region is decreaseddramatically and this process continues. The annual reduction is 600-800heads.
The bibliography:
Головашін А. Хід конем: З історії нашого краю
// Тамбовська життя. - 1992. - 7 травня. - С. 3.
Камбегов Б. Конярство і коннозаводство Росії. - М.:
Росагроміздат, 1988. - 224 с.
Ліванова Т. рисаки Лавровки// Конярство і кінний спорт. - 1984. -
№ 2. - С. 12-15.
Нерівний Н., Гаврилов П., Казея Б. Лавровського кінного заводу - 150
// Конярство і кінний спорт. - 1965. - № 3. - С. 15-20.
Щербакова М. Святкування ювілею кінного заводу (До століття
Новотомніковского заводу)// Конярство і кінний спорт. - 1960. - №
9. - С. 5-8.
