The New York herald., 1876-01-02
Outdoor Sports.

America has made great strides in the en-
couragement of manly outdoor sports dur
ing the past few years, and our youth are
consequently receiving vast benefits by their
indulgence in them. Rowing, base ball,
cricket, football and pedestrian matches are
progressing all over the country, and much
amusement, vigorous health and muscular
accession are the rewards of such exercise.
Numbers Of our right-minded wealthy men,
aware of the benefits attending outdoor
sports have recently shown liberal de-
sire to assist in their promotion by indulging
in racing. yachting, polo, coaching, hunting,
rifle target practice and other kindred amuse-
ments Already two coaching clubs have
been established-one in this city and
another. we believe, in Philadelphia; SO that
what with the excitement attending the dis
play of grace and skill in handling the rib
bons, and the fine manly exercise required
in polo, steeplechasing, hunting and shoot
ing, we are likely to have very lively and
interesting centennial year.
Many of our wealthy citizens also keep
large stables of thoroughbred horses, some
of them for fat racing and others for steeple-
chase purposes. The latter style of racing, it
is well known, is growing more and more in
favor with all classes of people every year
and when these races are run in this country
in the same manner that they are in Europe
they will be vastly more popular than the
short fiat racing that is now forced on the
patrons of the turf by the various managers
of race courses throughout the United States
We would suggest that the time test be ig-
nored altogether in steeplechasing, and that
the walls, fences and hurdles be made much
higher than they are now, so that good
jumping, and not speed, should constitute
the horses excellence Accidents would not
then be so frequent as they are under the
present system, because the horse would
have time to see and measure his Jumps be-
fore he made them whereas with the pres
ent plan horse is run at full speed all
through the race, and the hurdles and fences
are so low that many operate as nero snares
TO trip and throw him in his rapid
flight Jumping high walls, fences and
hurdles constitute the entire charm
Of the steeplechase, and not the
running, except for the last few hundred
yards at the finish. The brealneck way of
going over hedges and bitches is only popu-
lar with certain classes of followers of tho
fortunes of the turf who are interested
in the events for speculative purposes,
which they arrange with the professional
jockeys who have the mounts. Steeplechase
horses should be ridden by gentlemen only,
and stakes should be made up by the vari-
Gus jockey clubs of the country TO encour-
age the sport. Then we would have cross
country riders Of character, and races would
be decided on. the merits of the horses and
not as they have been on many occasions,
since the time of Zg-Zag and Mamie Grad
dock, by bribery and corruption. As the
American Jockey Club are at present opening
stakes for the Centennial we would advise,
before they finish their work, that they make
up one on the plan of those run at Auteuil
near Paris, and the Grand National, at Liver
| pool, as we are sure that this course would in
augurate a great reform in that style of
racing on the American turf