This post features the November 7, 1891 issue of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. The featured story truly represents the popularity of the Standardbred and the sport of harness racing.
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Archives: Nelson 4209
This issue of the American Horse Breeders features an image of Waterville Maine’s champion trotting stallion, Nelson 4209. Nelson was foaled in 1882 and became a world’s champion trotting stallion in the early 1890. The image was taken from a photo of Nelson at the Readville Trotting Park in Massachusetts. Nelson had been retired from racing in…
Known as Hod by his many friends, Nelson grew up in Palermo, a small country town twenty miles from Waterville, Maine. Hod’s father, Benjamin ran a country store. Little is known of Hod’s developmental years. Historical documents indicate that Hod attended public school and his family attended the Baptist Church in town of China. It was through…
Civil War At the age of nineteen, Hod enlisted in the Maine 12th Infantry, Company F and became disabled. However, In 1865 after he recovered, he re-enlisted in 19th Infantry, Company G and on March 3, 1866 at Savannah, Georgia, he was honorably discharged, but suffered from lifelong health issues. Some years after the Civil War, Nelson…
During this period, Hod Nelson began his travels that led to the two year suspension of Nelson and Nelson 4209 from tracks sanctioned by the National Trotting Association. Newspaper reports tell of the possible sale of Nelson 4209 pursuant to Nelson 4209 breaking the world’s record in his next race. This race may have been the race…
The Balch Race was to be the rematch between Nelson 4209 and Alcryon. An article in a Hallowell newspaper prior to the race indicated that many Mainers would be in attendance and that fortunes would be made and lost on this race. Rumors swirled the night before the race — the fix was on. For the win,…
Charles Horace Nelson (1843 to 1915) A Story of Fame & Glory — Disgrace & Redemption By delaying his admission of guilt, Nelson set off on a course that allowed his stallion to make history. It was the series of races in September and October of 1890 that Nelson and his horse set the world’s stallion record…
Nelson 4209’s historic bloodline still exists through the maternal bloodlines originating with his daughters Suzette Nelson and Gertrude Nelson. In the 1890’s and as late as 1901, Nelson 4209 was bred with horses from other states. Both Suzette Nelson and Gertrude Nelson raced and were bred as broodmares. Suzette Nelson was bred with Baron Wilkes —…
Nelson 4209 died on December 4, 1909. In September two years earlier, Hod Nelson found redemption. Although we know that Nelson continued to operate Sunnyside Farm and race a few horses, writers of articles for the horse periodicals or books related to trotting history seemed to leave C.H. Nelson and his famous stallion out of the historical…
Charles Horace Nelson (1843 to 1915) A Story of Fame & Glory — Disgrace & Redemption Copyright 2011 Lost trotting Parks heritage Center Stephen D. Thompson
