03/06/2023
Lagos 99093 (102389) Grand Champion Percheron Stallion, 1916 Chicago International Livestock Exposition.
The Breeder's Gazette - July 29, 1926
OBITUARY - Lagos, Noted Percheron, Dies
Lagos is gone. To some he may have been only an old white Percheron horse, but not so with the Singmasters for they were so attached to him sentimentally that they felt he was nearly human.
Soon after the sun set on Tuesday, July 20, the hallway in the barn which led to the big stall was almost filled with members of the Singmaster family and neighbors, who had come to see the old horse in the final struggle. When a shuffle of the straw indicated his
passing, strong men_ and sympathetic women wept. Two skilled veterinarians had not left the barn for 48 hours. It was a case of indigestion.
The next morning an even larger group gathered in the barn lot where the remains of what was once one of Americas most popular show horses was buried outside of his stall. within a few days a monument will be erected there to his memory.
Lagos was foaled April 4, 1911, and was bred to M. Tardif of the department of Sarthe in the Perche. He was brought to America by Robt. Burgess, Wenona, Ill., on the steamship Minneapolis, landing at New York Sept. 2, 1913. He was transferred from Mr. Burgess to Thos. F. McKune, Amboy, Ili., Sept. 10, 1913, and back to his importer on Sept. 15, 1914. Mr. McKune got him again on Nov. 10, 1914, and sold him to J.C. Singmaster, Keota, Ia., on July 21, 1915.
He was the junior and reserve grand champion for Mr. Burgess at the 1913 International Live Stock Exposition in Chicago. There was no International show in 1914, owing to the foot-and-mouth disease.
In 1915, Lagos was grand champion at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, Cal., and at the Iowa and Minnesota State Fairs. The next year, he was champion in Chicago, and at the Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri State Pairs. He was not shown after 1916 except in group classes. He was however, taken along with the Singmaster exhibit for 10 consecutive years, last year being the first time that he had been left home. Mr. Singmaster often remarked how pleased the old horse appeared to be as he was led into the car to be loaded-out for the fair circuit. He seemed to know what was expected of him. His spirit seemed to be freshened with the sound of his footsteps on the planks and with the noise of other horses in the car.
It is doubtful whether a Percheron stallion ever lived that had such a long and extensive show career; at least none would compare with him in late years.
Four of his daughters have been grand champions at the Chicago International. There was Lagaceo, the champion of 1918 for Singmaster. Maplegrove Carrie brought the purple ribbon to the Maplegrove Farm stalls at the 1921 International. Three years later 5ingmaster went to the top with Maplegrove Cartelina. Last year the Michigan Agricultural College headed the mares at the Chicago show with Maplegrove Lelia, a Lagos daughter purchased at the Keota stables.
This is indeed a great record for any sire. No other Percheron stallion living or dead has more than one daughter to his credit as an International grand champion. Carnot's daughter Carnona 5th won this coveted honor twice, and Laet has 2 sons that have claimed this chief distinction on 3 separate occasions.
Twice before in the last 10 years the Percheron breed has lost a leading sire and a grand champion at Chicago. L.B. White, Leesburg, Va., buried Dragon in 1918. In November, 1923, occurred the death of Carnot, owned by W.S. Corsa, Whitehall, Ill. And now - Lagos.
-(Secretary) Ellis McFarland, Percheron Society of America.
