At first Otboy didn’t show anything special in posterity. They have from him just common trotters and dams not distinguished by high friskiness, only their exterior was faultless.

The farm decided to part with Otboy. He was sent to other stud farm. And here we should say thanks to A. Popov, who was the head of horse department during the Great Patriotic War. Popov decided to return Otboy in Novotomnikovo. But the new head V. Remizov received him there. Popov went to the front in 1943 and did not come back on farm, as well as other 36 workers of farm - hostlers, jockeys, foragers, tractor operators, smiths didn’t return here after war.

Remizov had been working in Novotomnikovo till 1965, and in his time a new line in breed of Oryol trotter was born and appeared the new branch on his family tree. The grey colt Otklik came into being after Otboy and mare Konventsiya on Zaporozhye stud farm in 1952. Konventsiya had arrived on this farm from Novotomnikovo already pregnant. So all palms for a new line of Oryol trotter belong to the stud farm in Novotomnikovo.

The posterity of Otklik appeared to be marvelously quick. The stallions Vodovorot and Borets ran a mile for two minutes and four tenths of 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 got acquainted with troika of Oryol trotters, where the thiller was a trotter from Novotomnikovo farm. The millions of televiewers in these countries admired them. Many newspapers of Old and New World enthusiastically wrote about them.

The Lavrovo stud farm

The Lavrovo stud farm is located in Mordovian area of Tambov region and stands out against other trotting stud farms because of the achievements of its fosterlings.

Established by the good judge of horses V.P. Voeykov 170 years ago, the Lavrovo stud farm is one of «big fishes» of domestic trotters. Ii is 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. Sverchkov and on the tapestry made by bondmaids from village Lavrovo. These things are 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 were plundered. They could save only one mare Margaritka 2.16,1 (Fatalist - Binyonia), born in 1918, who later became a founder of dams family and was the great-grandmother of Pervenets 2.00,4. During the acquisition of the farm (1922-23) not only “Oryol-Americans” got there, but also the Oryol trotters.

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 and the line of Trepet – together with Smolensk farm. In January 1935 from Aloisha and mare Paguba (the grand daughter of Peter The Great) appeared the red stallion Podarok 2.02,1; 3.09,4; 4.17.4 – the pride of Lavrovo and the founder of one progressive line in Russian trotter breed.

The important part in the stud activity of the farm also played then 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 of desirable type using cross-breeding and in-breeding. The crossing with lines of Aloisha and Gildeets had become one of the bases of Lavrovo complex creation.

The returned cross-breeding was also applied with Oryol stallions for the improvement of horses exterior. The Oryol lines in remote ancestors are traced in the best horses of the farm.

Through the Oryol trotter Bunt 2.14.3 (Metsenat - Budushnost) the lines of Podaga and blooded Boyar were enhanced. The daughters of Bunt could be met in family trees of Vasilyok, Pervenets, Lazutchik, Pavodok, Vopl.

All-Union prize horse and founder of the line Podarok was selfed on 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 Oryol ancestors.

Only from Podarok the farm had more than 298 colts. 20 among them are of class 2.10 and even thriftier. The children of Podarok have won 17 international prizes: Priyatel, Pervenets and Lazutchik – 5 prizes each and Park - 2 prizes. No other stallion from our stud farms had such a successful offspring.

The all-Union records of Podarok were broken only 13 years later by 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 the all-Union prizewinner Pryatel, born in1954 and the winner Lazutchik (from Lazur); born in1959.

On Lavrovo stud farm was brought up the all-Union prizewinner among 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 created the type of a trotter distinguished by the harnessry forms, pedigree, good top line, depth, strong dry limbs but which is a little craggy.

The hybridists of the farm were constantly selecting by the type and friskiness.

The big job of creating the famous trotters on Lavrovo farm was made by zootechnicians Y.N. Sarantsev (1920-1934), A.K. Brinken (the author of 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 the founders of line of Podarok. Also he was the author of the farm plan of line breeding in 1976-1975. On the racecourses the trotters of Lavrovo stud farm were driven to the victories by such jockeys as A.V. 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 farm was 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 of decline. Mainly it could be explained by the fact, that the group of studhorses 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 the technology of breeding was inadequate. The horses were not supplied with high-grade forages as many natural pastures and the hayfields were ploughed up.

The new progressive stage of selection began in 1971 with the coming 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 the studhorse for the insemination of mares with the dilute semen deserves attention of the horse-breeding experts.

The work with Low Hanover allowed to half-complete the dams group of the farm with his daughters and grand daughters and improve the average frisky 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. They became more blooded and dry, lost roughness of a head, became less massive but 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 sixth derby 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 the winner 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. The trotters 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 the motley brood structure into a valuable heart of the breed of Russian trotters. 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. Now there are 110 brood mares on the farm. Their measurements meet the standard of the breed and make 159,5-162,1-183,3-19,6 cm. Average friskiness of the main 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 in selection is less than 10 years. The duly use of young dams with high friskiness and good measurements, allows to select mares in time, both by the 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 the lines of Gildeets and Scotland. The related to each other mares form the groups. The hybridists from the stud farm try to save the most valuable dams nests.

According to the selection plan the Lavrovo stud farm works with lines 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 made about 180 heads, including classy Peak, Lokon, Lukretsiy. Parket gave almost 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 and work 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 are blooded but had not run on hippodromes yet. In this line the hopes were set on 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 he gave Globus from Gubka, Lakolin from Luna, his use was limited since he transmitted to posterity the narrow underjaw. The work with this line was continued through Kropot (Charodei - Kreolka), born in1977. In cross-breedings with the lines of Podarok and Volomait and in remote in-breedings with 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 of studhorses and dams.

The wide use of the stallions of standard breeding is the tendency in brood work. The big hopes were set on the use of Blesk, for who about 30 mares were picked up. It was desirable for the farm to receive the deeply 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 the physiological condition of прохолостевших and young mares. The horsing was conducted under the control of the follicle maturation. It saves stallions and increases the percentage of colt fetation.

Horse feeding on the stud farm is organized properly. The sowing of long-term grasses is enlarged thus improving the fodder base. After the ending of horsing period the dams are constantly on the pasture and they are weatherproofed. The stud horses are kept in stables, constructed many years ago. Here is used the standard technology of growing up the youngsters. Usually they start to gentle the youngsters when they reach 1 year.

The collective of Lavrovo stud farm regularly achieves the high fetation of mares and high youngsters output.

Experienced jockeys on 6 hippodromes of the country test the trotters from Lavrovo: in Moscow, Kiev, Kharkov, Odessa, Tallinn, Tambov.

The State Stables

Many sources of dynamic development of the city went back to the first half of the 19th century. Among them was the process of formation of the state stables. It was connected to the resolving of certain military strategic problems: the Russian army needed strong and hardy horses. Therefore the problem of the improvement of mass horse-breeding remained urgent 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 problems again.