The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-10-05
THE FAIRFIELD RACES.

We rejoice, from the bottom OF our hearts,
10 see from the advertisement Of Mr.. Belcher,
that the good old days of sport, as connected
with tina, nohlest of animals, the horse, are
about to find their parallel in the present seq
son. We rejoice to see, that though she may
have abandoned it for awhile, Virginia has no
intention ofreIinquishing for ever, her claim
10 superiority in this particular. 1t has been
TO usa subject of extreme modification, TO see
how totally inatten,ive, Of late years, the pub
lie has become to the rearing OF horses, once
the favorite amusement of the Virginia farmer.
We have seen our racers decay, from year to
year; we have seen the attendants on the
race-course dwindle down to scores, where
there used to be thousands we have seen,
time after time, races where there was no con-
test, and where one horse just walked off be-
fore the others, leaving them a sightless dis
lance in the rear. All these things are morti-
flying to any true Virginian-to any one who
takes pride in the ancient "reminiscences con-
nected with his countrywide has heard OF
Florizel and Snapdragon, of Sir Archie, Du-
roc and Sir Alfred, the last of whom ran, IN
our day, FIVE four-me heats in day-who
has seen Eclipse and Henry, and remembers
TreeHil in all its glory, when thousands at
tended the races, when the stand was thronged
with the beauty ard fashion Of the city and its
vicinity, all eagerly intent upon the sport, all
as deeply enlisted in it, as though the lives OF
their lovers or their brothers were staked upon
the issue. Then, between the beaux and the
loIo hot If uloyaS and other
trinkets. The ladies Looked their prettlest
and the gentlemen did ditto. Glorious old
Tree-Hil The mention of you recalls some
of the sunniest hours of our existence for we
were young in those days, and had not tried
every possible sensation until they had all
become stale and fiat.
There is a great hope that these days are
about, in part, at least, to return. There has
been revival of the old spirit within the last
three or four years, and as the horses were
wanting, except in few instances, many gen.
tlemen, unconnected with the turf have set in
to raising them. The result is, that Virginia
begins. already, to return to her ancient supre
macy. The number of horses at Fairfield and
Broad Rock, under training, amounts already
to twenty five. Unusually fine sport may, there
fore, be expected oday, and for the rest Of the
week. The Jockey Club Purse is larger than
it has been for a number Of years. 1t reaches
$500. Let the public but encourage the sport,
and next year it will be doubled. Let but the
races, this fall, be tolerably interesting, let but
some few of the heats be broken, and the
number of the Jockey Club will be increased
to one hundred.
Well, from all we can learn, such will be
the fact. There are good horses at Fairfield,
and plenty of them. But no one is so much
better than another that he will be allowed to
walk over the track. There will be contest,
so we learn, there will be sport in every race
run this week. AS the weather is fine, we
hope there are few, who really love sport, that
will deny themselves the pleasure of this de-
lighful recreation. They will see fun, depend
upon it. We wish we could persuade the
young ladies 10 go; but we are too fer ad
vnnced in bachelorhood for that. Perhaps
some of the 'nice young men," who have more
winning ways than we have, can bring them
over. They may tell them that their mothers
used to 60 to Tree-HiIl, and though they may
notventure to say that they are no better than
their mothers, yet we will say it for them
Their presence always adds animation and in
terest to a scene like this, and is attractive to
almost every body, old or young. Their
smiles and encouragement can revive the good
old Virginia sport in year. We assure such
of them as never saw a race-and very few of
the present generation have, that they have no
idea what it is. The ballroom is nothing com
pared to it.
We cannot close this article without tri-
butte TO Mr.. Belcher. He has held on to the
old sport in its darkest hours. HIS motto has
been "don't give up the ship Through tri-
ais and tribulations he has still held on. He
has always been as liberal as he has been firm.
Truly, if such man does not deserve encour-
agement, We know not who does.
But, let this be borne in mind, there will be
fine sport at Fairfield this week.