National Republican., 1874-07-01
RACE REHE4RSLHG.

DROME ARE TRAINED FOR THEIR
PERILOUs FEATS.
It was to one Of the ordinary rehearsals or
training lessons at the Hippodroms, says the
New York Nail, that our reporter was admit
ted. The immense empty auditorium, the
halfslsckened ropes, the Tapping canvas, the
untidy track, the faded flowers, the absence of
music and Of an spplauding, excited crowd,
made the scene as different from the bright
and brilliant spectacle Of the evening as gloom
anddarkness are from glowing Hight and beauty.
The director was perched IN the Judges
stand, whence he could see every inch Of the
whole immense course, and mark the speed
and gait Of every animal, and instantly detect
the faults Of the fair riders. To bis sxpe-
rienced eye no motion, however slight, Of
either horse or rider, was lost; evsry strap and
buckle Of the eaparisons was noted at .
glance, and, If in fault, was Instantly rectI-
fed. The ladies were Just concluding their
lesson In fat racing, which, for the sake of the
initiated, we may state Is q straight race
wherein each horse, from the start to the
finish, does his very best to win, and In which
there Il no bitches, streams Of water, hurdles
or other obstacles to be overcome. Their morn-
ing practice being over they we're dismissed,
and a short intermission was allowed for lunch
and rest. During this blessed interval the re-
porter collected the following facts from the
accommodating directors:
The riding, though IN reality attended by
some danger, owing TO the variable and ureer-
tain temper of the horses, is by no means so
perilous as II sometimes appears. If the per-
formers keep cool, and carefully observe in
structions, the risk is comparatively small,
but In the heat of the fierce contests the ap-
plause and cheers Of the multitude will some
times inspire a fair rider to attempt the impos-
sible, or at least to take heavy risk, and
hence she comes to grief.
Franconi's Hippodrome, which was here in
1854, brought from the Partisan establish
ment their female riders and chariot drivers.
The experience then gained, however, demon
strated that quite as good riders can be pro-
cured here in New York as La Belle France
can produce. Indeed, the managers say that
the girls who are trained to the circle in this
country are far more daring, quite as graceful
and infinitely more tractable than their Gallo
predecessors. The equestrian director says
that the amount Of equestrian talent lying
dormant and unsuspected among the women
of the city equally surprised and gratihed him.
At first only sixteen ladies were required, but
to single advertisement In the papers quite
an Amazonian army responded. More than
$50 candidates we're tried before the requisite
number was finally selected.
Tney failed for various reasons; some from
an utter inability to master the very simple tnt
| structiOns; others from timidity; others still
| take umbrage at the short, sharp and decisive
commands of the training-master, Some VII
train faithfully for number Of days, and then
become disgusted with the hard work, audi
something more easy and attractive having
/ turned up, they discontinue their lEbors, Il
OF course, In the hurry and exeie9fhent q
practice, and more especially Whsh there are
| persons of all degrees Of skill engaged al once,
\ from the merest tyro to those who are much
| further advanced, more or less accidents VIII
occur. These are seldom Of any serious m
port, rarely resulting IN anything worse than
thorough shaking up and isrring, with occa-
sionallJ . severe brllse or q sharp cut on the
head; no bones have been broken In all the
practice Of the girls up to this time. Indeed
/ the heaviest fall yet was sustained by Mt,
| Nixon himself, the director and teacher; one
Of the chsriotS not seeming to run exactly
\ right, be took the reins himself and started 70
4 drive around the track; while stooping over I'd
adjust some portion of the harness which had
become disarranged, horse in the rear, be-
/ coming unmansgeable, dashed away from It's
driver and running against Ntxon's vehicle
threw that gentlemen violently out upon the
/ curb; two ribs were broken and his shoulder 50
badly injured as to deprive him Of the use Of
/ that arm for many weeks.
Each Of the one hundred and hfty girls who
presented themselves had to be examined, and
most Of them given an actual trial on horse
\ back In few instances tbs unhtness would
be perceived at glance, overweight, oVer-age,
or some other disqualifying feature being 50
| apparent, and 50 evidently impossible to be
overcome, that further trisl was needless.
Some, on their very first attempt to mount and
ride, disclose such timidity, and even absolute
cowardice, as to entrest to be taken of thelT
| " Arab steed !" Whereupon they disappear and
4 4aFe-seeR- no more OshsEs there are VINO have
plenty of pluck and any amount Of determine
tion to learn, but who are afflicted with an n
durable clumsiness and ungracsfdlDessO Of ac.iOR
which, while thorou2hlT masked b. dress aad
address of the fair cSndidaEs 90 leag as sbs
stays on the ground, and has All Of her hrDes
at her own disposal, koconel nstaaillF-Fsl.
ceptible the moment the iGdY s5atg herself q
| horse and fuds her Ret b he ~ and thrs
to great degree Independents Of Asr eoptrpf.
Ofeourse al novioeS are more Or less uhgtass-
full when they first mount '.ths fetig Feea
| they're eager to sVbdue, /" but IN many cases ,
| very few days practice inspired eohAdenke, and
| with eonadence the native ease and trace r&
| turn. The trained managerial eye, however,
can sometimes discern an gHkWsFdness that
| his experience tells him anneYer be overcome,
and, Of course, polite word Informs the dis
| appointed aspiranf that hef ambition to excel
I In thas particular direction Is vain.
Other failures come from lack Of patience
on the part Of the fair rider; she win not study
the nature OF the animal she L. to master, bqS,
giving the poor brute no credit foE the posses-
/ sion Of any iuseiligshee or sense WhsteVer, she
endeavors to establish her dominion oTsf Il bY
main strength, and thus freta and worries her
horse until, II she viii not heed the repeated
instructions Of the teacher, he takes her horse
from her and sends her from the school az
being by far the more incorrigihle animal Of
| the two.
Others break down from various reasons.
Some will ride well enough until the band
begins to play, when all their selfpossessicn
| seems TO leave them.
Another win 60 on admirably FOR many days,
until at last by stumble Of horse or the
fault Of some other ridere he is suddenly dis
mounted and sllghts in the soft sand of the
arena rather sooner than she intended; hence
forth all her usefulness is destroyed, her self
possession Is knocked from its centre, her
mental equilibrium Il lost, and, though shs
may have plenty 81 courage len, she cannot
regain her perfect commScd Of herself, and q
/ thencefoTth unavailable.
Thus from 7arious causes thsT army Of .
hundred and afty Has ct last been winnowsd
down until there are now but eight hrst-clsSS
riders left. OF course there are others in con-
slant training TO be IN readiness for new acts
/ and also In reserve IN case Of accidents.
The managers would gladly engage at once Q
/ hundred more ladies for the hippodrome could
they be hGd Of any reasonable degree Of ptO-
| hciency.
The eight female riders now employed are
i Miss Maud Oswald, Of Bufalo, N. T.; Miss
/ Annie Yates, Of Albany, N. Z; Miss Alice
CGstenaga, Miss Mary. Mason, Mics Georgis
| Millson, Miss Emma Davis, Of New York city;
Miss Frank Hess and Miss Rose LslRnge, Eng
i lAnd.S
Thus &c will be seen that all bui two are
Americans. There were about twenty who
were accepted and put into training for the
public performances. Among thess were three
/ French women, two PrussiAn, ,one Italian, three
! Irish, and several other English and Canadisq
! girls. From one cause and another chiefly
| from the lack Of courage to face, night afSet
| night, the eager excitement and the perils Of
the race-courss, these have dropped on until
/ only the abOVe-named are left.
YOUNG NAN, D0YT BLUSH.
Inoticed letter in your excellent paper the
other day, signed g Y. N. @. A., IN which the
writer, who is evidently young gentleman,
protested against the indecency Of promiseuous
l batbfno AZ our Traterin0 r1aces, and the inDro-