Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-09-05
RUTLAND HERALD
FRIDAY, AUGUST so, 1867,
The National Horse Exhibition.
sPRMePIKLp, Mass, Aug. 20.


the exhibition, which was expected to
be the "heavy" day of the season, opened
very unpropitlous, rain coming down in
torrents from early morn until about
noon, placing the track in such
heavy condition, and putting such an
effectual damper on affairs generally as
10 render necessary the postponement OF
the days programme until tomorrow,
and that days exercises until Saturday.
This course was deemed the most ad-
yisable under the circumstances, very
INFO rtunate in themselves so far as the
success of the exhibition is concerned,
though it Is hoped and expected that to-
morrow, should 1t prove fair, will wit
ness present on Hampden Park, the
largest and most fashionable auditory
which has ever graced a horse show
with its presence In the United States.
The fifth national horse show has been
thus far a great success, far exceeding
the expectations Of its projectors, and
rivalling in points OF numbers in at
tendance and entries, all former ones,
the two first days having heen all that
the most saDguine could anticipate re-
garding weather, though the heavy fog
and lowering clouds which hung
over the city on the morning of each
day, cast a gloom over the prospects OF
the exhibition, yet the noon Of both
days found the fog lifted aud the clouds
dispered, with innumerabie knots of
spectators lounging about the various
booths and stands erected upon the
grounds for the dispensation Of edibles
and creature comforts" to the multi
tudes, while the grand stand, fronting
the judges stand, on the course, capable
of seating five thousand persons, was on
the afternoon Of each day so crowded
with visitors as to render necessary the
closing of the gates for admission to it.
About and In the Presidents and re-
porters' tents was also molly throng,
anxious and eager to learn the results of
the deliberations in each transpiring
class on the grounds, as it was brought
before the judges, but the President
being absent generally with the judges,
and reporters aeUsr knowing anything,
little was ELECTED at these quarters, and
the imprecations and epithets heaped
upon "the d---n fools in those tents
were not few by the initiated, and not
little amusing to those inside the
ring"
The number of spectators in attend
ance each day, was not either side of ten
thousand the number of entries up to
last evening was nearly five hundred
and the receipts of the first day amount
ed to two thousand dollars, while those
of yesterday footed up fully five hundred
more.
The usual number of " shows present
at such occasion, are here, from the
mammoth menageries and Siamese
Twins down to the fearless handling Of
snakes "just captured in South America
by Prof. Somebody, with long mongrel
nancy introduced at great expense,
and the only ones of the kind (poor
enough ever exhibited in this
country ....
Several races took place yesterday,
and though will not undertake to tax
your oyer-crowded columns with de-
scription of all of them, cannot in JUS
tice to the exhibition, refrain from CIV
ing the two most important ones, viz :
the stallion handicap trotting race and
the running match, which concluded the
days programme. The former for a
purse of 500, $500 to the first and 5000
to the second best horse, was called at
$50 p. M, when three famous horses,
Confidence, Leviathan and Laconic took
their places on the course; the two for.
mer to wagon and the latter to harness.
All the horses were in fine condition, and
more magni ficentspecimens of horseflesh
have rarely stepped on Hampden Park
Levlathan, beautiful coal black, per-
feet in form and movement; Confidence,
an iron grey, and Taconic, deep bay,
were both we'll worth the race and it's
honors. On the first heat, Confidence,
having the pole, had also the lead, and
kept it for the entire distance, trotting in
spleudid lyle, and hard pushed at every
tur by Leviathan. Taconic fell quickly
to the rear, and his case soon became
hopeless. The heat from the first lay
between the black and the grey.
with final success for the latter. His
time was 2:Ss IL, and singularly
enough, was the same for each succeed
ing heat. The second heat was watched
with a great deal of interest. Confidence
took the lead soon after the start,
Levisthan followed a short distance
behind, and Taconic brought up the
rear, Leviathan being about equi-distant
between the other two. Those relative
positions were maintained with very