The New York herald., 1876-01-22
STEEPLECHASE AND HURDLE RAG
ING.

From the Turf, Field and Farm, Jan. IL
Much has been said and Of late the subjeo
Of this noblest Of all Geld sports and all Of scheme
suggested looking to the early establishment o.
steeplechasing and hurdllng son grand scalo'
regular race meetings Some of these opinions ant
suggestions, by the way, might have been unutteret
for all the good they likely to accomplish. Thu
Nsw YORK HERALD, In a recent editorial article OF
"Steeplechase Racing, advances some very sensibl,
views the subject Other communications have fol-
lowed in that and other papers which are wide Of the
mark when they style steeplechasng and hurdle
racing in America 'a subject for derision "a
those who have seen anything OF the real artcle'
and our ''wretched steeplechasers'i as sknockini
over hurdles strong enough TO pen in a calf II
would be sneer folly to attempt steeplechasng in
America If possess nothing but species ol
caltle whose 'clipped coats and banged tails only
make their crooked legs and points the more con
pcuous This not the proper mode OF treating tha
subject and such attempts 10 bette our racing stock
and our modest efforts 10 engralt sieepechasing as
feature Of turf sports are calculated todo more
| harm than good.
Steeplechasing is Of Irish origin, and DR.. Lever ha.
| immortazed it in his graphic and humorous descrip
tions of the fox chase. England adopted IT. but oI
many years the Irish and Irish jockey were the
victors Then gentlemen riders, and The contests
between these amateurs gave new zest 10 the sport
| now steeplechasing and hurdle are among the
priced pasmes Of English and Irish sportsmen;
| AS sequence their horses are bred and trained
for the purpose Sturdy compacty built, Win
frames well knit, they able TO carry weight,
and their thoroughbred blood gives them speed and
1 endurance. They also educated IN jumping py
gradual of training In the stud, proper sciec
tons made; and thus the steepechaser aho
hurder produced. Both IN England ana ireland
there natural advantages of country also, all OF
| which tends to foster and popularize the sport It's
to be supposed, therefore, that shorn oil these
many advantages, Americans are TO succeed lmnle
diaely in establishing their regular meetings steepe
chasing son grand scale But there is much thas
can be accomplished il we set about it in the right
way The steeplechase meeting at Newport X l.,
last summer. gotten up at the instance OF Mr. James
Gordon Bennett, though called at short notice. is an
ayfAan frha Ran ha 1nnA ha of
made. The natural advantages OF location the nature
OF the grounds the fences, the bitches, ~atot
suFnr the success Of that meeting.
Where these advantages lacking at other
courses they be measurably supplied. If we have
no Atbcrstones and Quorns among our racing stocks
we have the material 10 produce them. Even now
! there are q number OF hardy well bred youngsters
that could be readily educated for Il hurdle and the
steeplechase, if their owners only be brought 10
discard that horrible bugbear the carrying of weight
Since the reduction OF welter weights from 10 to 25
lbs the present weights are light in comparison WITH
English weights.
A hue and cry was raised last fall at Jerome Park
when Davolo years old, who was required to carry
It's lbs in steepechase of two miles and three quar-
ters, injured in taking the water jump, not over
ten feet wide with brush fence in front two
and half feet high. His accident was, to the unni-
tiated, OF course the result of being over weighted
How this weight for hveyear old, compares with
English weights, the few examples annexed will show
Rose of York. by Morocco, years old, won Evas-
by outcas years old won welter Steepechase Plate
two and one half miles, with lS3 lbs. Hussar aged.
by Hesper, won Open Hunter Race, two miles, with
1876 lbs Lucy 6 years old by Commotion, Open
Hunter Stake two and onehalf miles, with 1885 lbs );
Goldander years old, Hunt steeplechasc Cup, at
Kngsbury three miles with lS9 lbs Carbineer,
aged, by Young volugeur won the Middlesbury Hunt
Steepechase two and one-half miles, with 2l0 lbs !;
he also won the Tynsdae Hunt Steepechase three
miles, with l99 lbs. harmion, aged by COdrngton,
Car Horse Cup, three and onehalf miles, with Isl
lbs. Lucy, aged, won Hunter steeplechase,
The Bloomer, aged, won the United Hunt
.steepcchase, three miles, with 1Ss lbs. !.
weight, &C. &c. These are but few Of the hundreds
of steeplechases in England in which the weights
sides the difference in weights, the stone walls in Eng
land five feet high, the hurdles four and one-ha
feet, made stiff, and the waterjumps from twelve to
fourteen feet In steeplechase courses the stone
walls are three and onehaf feet high, the hur
dies about the and the water-jumps seldom
feet Again, the English steeplechase
uneven and rolling making the racing much more
exhaustng 10 tho horses engaged than ours. over .
these facts is ndisputable. We cannot afford 10 be
behind the times. Owners Of racing stock must bow
the that calls for steeplechase and hurdle
racing essential feature IN our racing pro-
grammea or necessity they win have to breed to
long distance sturdy horses until distinctive type
created fitted for cross country purposes Meanwhile
those that adapted to such work should be
for the business and gradually accustomed TO carry
weight The country affords ample material to work
We must utilize and make 1t available. why
should not with the resources at our command be
able 10 accomplish what others have done and are still
dongf II is now well established fact that we have
greater number of long distance horses in the United
| States than the whole Of Great Britain can boast
| Added TO this have in perspective the and
daughters OF Lexington, Planet Jonesboro, Barney
Williams, Harry Bassett Fellowcraft, Wanderer Fos
ter Morgan Scout Limestone, Arizona, oyster
man, Thsd Stevens, Tom Bowling Monarchist,
Big Fellow, haywood Enquirer, Glenelg Long
fellow, &c, &c, besides endless number that
will follow when Katie Peaso, Wildide, Rutherford,
Preakness. Mate Grinstead Springbok, Abdel Korce
Catesby, Tubman, vandalilc Madge, Acrobat, Stam-
pede Colonel Neligan, Silent Friend, Jack Frost,
Aaron Pennington, Arstides, Shyock, Whisper, Lizzie
Lucas Bessie Lee and host OF others that do
at this moment, shall have been retired from
the turf which they now adorn, TO become the hon.
ored sres dams OF future heroes and herones OF
this material will the steeplechasers OF America be-
composed and with the aid OF the Jockey Clubs who
should cooperate with and breeders by Offering
inducements in the shape of liberal stakes purses
! the time is not far distant when, Americans, we
may with honest pride, boast OF our stecplechases
| and hurdle
| THE RIFLE