The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1874-07-12

} among the most brilliant cavalry officers
started the idea Of getting mp q nsanegs By
their ideas into effect, and the asaueoe ha,
become quite social institution in The
town. Any one coming there with his
notions Of school-riding would be, however,
rather startled at the proceedings he would
witness. Instead Of beginning, according
saddles with high hpommels before and behind d
and without stirrups, the smooth Enalish
saddle with stirrups Ia at ence adopted. but
NO brides are allowed the latter are strap-
ped down to the saddle, and you see ladies
| and youngsters going through all the PAGES
ana evolutions IN that novel manner. It
| il an invention Of Count Dionyee Sechepvi.
who, himself an excellent horsemau and
sportsman, has by long experience come to
the conclusion that with most riders the
bride is used less to guide the horse than
to steady the seat, and that, therefore, the
seat ought to be perfectly Arm and steady
before the bride should be allowed to ha
even touched by the beginner. That this
may be done perfectly he shows practically
through his pupils, for there you see them
trottlng, gallopping, charging, taking bur
dies and bars, and those more proficient
going so far as to play with balls all the
time without relaxing their hold or losing
their balance for moment. No donbs
there are many tumbles before they arrive
at this point, but most of them reach it.
and are so thoroughly at home on horse
oack that 1t seems quite impossible tn
conceive how they could be- uphorsed'
1t is only when their seat is quite a rnn
that they are intrusted with % the bridIa nfm
when there is no longer danger of Their
bearing upon lit, which spoils go manv
horses mouths and makes them often in,
tractable. ~ al
"The idea of encouraging good practical
riding was quite natural in such an enthu-
q nNNfn snf< <tnn nrx
cape observation that the art was rather on |
the decline, oscillating between the two
extremes of too close school-riding or
steeple- chasing and racing, SO that really |
well broken horses were becoming alWays
more and more rare. Above all, in the
cavalry, where this is of the highest inn
portance, there appeared to be falling of |
from former times, and it was with view
to check this that Counts Secheuvi and /
dorsay began an agitation for creating a
fund to give prizes for the best broken.in
campaigning horses. The result has been
Vienna. Pesth and Pressburg for the pur-
poses for three years. The first competi-
ton was held last year in Pressburg, and
the second this year in Vienna. The place
could not have been better chosen-a field
of some acres in extent, tolerably even,
but not toos smooth, in a park. like en-,
closure, With fine elms and silver poplars.
On one side of it . long stand had been
covered by an awning, close bv
another tent for refreshments. In the
upper part of the field was placed the
judges table, and of course there was a
military band, without which we do not
think such a proceeding complete. The
novel sport had evidently excited interest
IN larger sphere than such things are
usually confined to in this city. for it had
attracted, perhaps, a couple of Thousand
beyond those who are never absent on
such occasions. AS most of the competi
tors were military, the latter mustered .
'trong so did the court, both their nnsies-
,ies oelng there and several of the arch !
1ukes and archduchesses, Gen. Tovok,
me captain OF the Hungarian body guard
Ind president of the association, attending
lpon them. Sixteen competitors had an
1ounced themselves, but Ave of them With
rev the remainder drew lots, and came !,
q n one after the other. After bowing to the !
lonnt the competitor had to go up to the ;
uuges TO give all the necessary information
Iooat the horse and how long he had been +
n possession of it, six months being the .
nostest term. Then each went thron Oh all v
ne PAGES at a walk, side PAGES, short and u
ong trot, small and large circles, cauter.
hanging right and left. and galloping three y
'orr;o.0 roono. then came the leapiug, two
'arriers, some two and a-half feet high,
onstructed of strong posts and a bar
cross, painted white, and a ditch abonk
* feet wide, and as deep, and in the mn. 8
eE part OF the neld steep mound and q ="
eeP' vice ditch, over and through which
acn OF the competitors had to pass. Then, =
omiog back to the judges, q many. colored Q
eg was waved before the horse, a pistol ,
req, and drum and buRle sounded o
test his steadiness under all circum-
AZ was not quite 80 easy to find gauge =. g
which the relative efficiency Of fSe Ia
ompetitors could be accurately tested q
ne might be better in one way, the other
Suother but the difaculty was removed "
hxtng the value of good, middling. or 10
40 Tor each part of the performauce in
sFEs' Thus those for trottinE were low q.
", ana those for general docility biehoS.. sc sc
ssn OF the judges marked his own card. e.
1o, aitno1gh each of them had done this ia, E
'Penaently of the other, there was scarcely
" olnerence in the result. The plan has
,swered 90 we'll that. in order to enable ms m'
g pooic IN future TO check the decisions, -, 40
40 COnsempiated to have such classifios. ~. ~
On cards printed and distributed, 40 as M lai
remove all suspicion of partially, which 81, 81,
such occasions is apt 10 arioe in those lsS
haa -