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…
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 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…
Bringing the Past to the Present to Create the Future Charles Horace Nelson (1843 to 1915) A Story of Fame and Glory –Disgrace & Redemption Copyright 2011 Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center Stephen D Thompson
The home and the barns of Pine Grove Stock Farm were taken in 1901. Currier and Nelson operated the farm from 1893 to 1897. Currier sold he farm and other land to William Vaughan. The property now called Elm Hill Dairy Farm is still owned by a descendant of William Vaughan.. The barns burned in the…
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