Snapshot from History: TRAVELING COMPANIONS

Snapshot from History:

TRAVELING COMPANIONS

WRITTEN BY BILL ORZELL | PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Willis Sharpe Kilmer

Willis Sharpe Kilmer was a man who firmly believed in his own ideals and developed his early twentieth century Thoroughbred racing and breeding operation founded on those beliefs. He began his own breeding venture in the southern tier of New York in 1916, and infused his bloodlines with many broodmares purchased in Europe, and imported to this side of the Atlantic.

Having built a personal fortune in unique industries, Mr. Kilmer developed a strident personality, like so many leaders in business of that era. However, he would do anything to keep his prized equine herd healthy and happy. An additional introduction, and what became another breeding interest for Mr. Kilmer, was the donkey stock he had acquired in his travels to Mediterranean countries. These composed animals had a calming effect on his highdollar, high-strung Thoroughbreds and provided a sense of familiarity, especially when traveling together with his racing strings on railcars to remote race track stables. A portion of this sought after donkey production, with their distinctive cross-marks along their spine and over their shoulders, were gifted by Mr. Kilmer to others in the industry, with Racing Hall of Fame members Alfred G. Vanderbilt and Max Hirsch being among the recipients.

Mr. Kilmer freely spent on other novel concepts for improving his chances on the race track, and ultimately the bottom-line of his breeding operation. Sun Beau was the greatest money winning horse produced by Mr. Kilmer, who was an avid disciple of the benefits derived from Saratoga Springs’ mineral waters. Wherever Sun Beau raced or trained, he was provided with State Seal spring water, bottled at the Spa, and transported in special demijohns. Sun Beau was also accompanied by a puce cat, named Sun Beau Red by the stable staff and a mongrel dog (Shepard-Huskie mix), and similarly named Sun Beau Pal. The canine’s former owner, realizing its recently acquired talent as an equine companion, held Mr. Kilmer up for five-hundred 1931 depression-era dollars. This unlikely team of horse, cat, dog and donkey, along with hundreds of clinking carboys, traveled together to race tracks across the North American Continent. Sun Beau was elected to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 1996.