St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-24
STEEPLECHASING
Longman's Magazine.

The nature of chasing has altered since
our forefathers, mounted on their fayorite
hunters, had spins against each other in the
course of run, and were borne to magnify
the excellence of their steeds, or perhaps the
capacity of the steed's riders after dinner.
By some such reflections as these it was
that steeplechases were originated In former
times. Matches grew up in the course of
discussion about the events OF the days sport
after hounds-and probably the older gener-
alton of sportsmen were more careful to ride
after hounds instead of over them. Some
times, indeed, the men could not wait till
morning to- decide the question, for more
than one case is on record where party of
sportsmen have risen from the table and
started off on steeplechase forwith, putting
white garments-nay one say shirts-ever
their coats, so that competitors might be Wis
ible, and a man who was down might not be
jumped unnecessarily in the shadow.
In these days steeples had something to do
with steeplechases. Courses were not marked
out; that came later, and the regulation
''steeplechase course'' of the present day
later still. Some distant point was fixed on
-four, five, eight, it might have been ten
miles off(unneccessarily and cruelty severe
chases of twice ten miles are recorded, and
to this the riders made the best of their
way. The hunters that ran these races were,
as regards the question of speed, very far in
ferior to the chasers OF to-day, which later
are almost invariably thoroughbred; most be
levers in the past fatter themselves that
there was wonderful superiority of endurance
about the old-fashioned hunter, that is to say
that he could ''stay'' at racing pace better
than our horses, casts-off from the fact as
they often are. Nevertheless, one cannot
but regret the contests OF by-gone age, and
admit that there was more of the real spirit
Of sport in them than in the fashionable
Sandown chases of to-day-infnitely more
Pluck has in no way decreased. Not long
since a good man who is still to the fore,
Mr.. Arthur Yates, broke his collar bone on
the way to the post for a four-mile steeple-
chase, but took so little notice of the matter
that he rode his race and was beaten only by
a short head. On another occasion the same
rider, after bad fall, caught his horse by
the tail, and getting somehow into the sad
die, won in canter. The sound horseman-
ship of Mr.. j. NJ. Richardson, the delicate
handling of Mr.. Arthur Coventry were prob
ably never approached by the good men of
half "a century back; yet there was something
about those old chases which calls for special
admiration.
So much more tax was laid on a mans re-
source. He had not to jump so many regu-
lation fences, but to find his way over the
country Discretion aided him, or want of
discretion stopped him, as the case might
be. He had ground of all sorts to cross, and
here his judgment was tested-how best to
get over the plough; whether it was good
thing to ride little out of the line where the
goingwas heavy, to splash down that watery
furrow; how to manage the ridges; whether
to chance that Doggy piece, and dash boldly
throughit or to cast about for firmer ground
To weigh all this, and to pick good places at
the jumps-the country was stiff one, but
man did not select ugly places for the sake
Of crossing them-showed that knowledge of
the real sport which one cannot but admire.
Chasing used to be nearly allied to hunt
ing; now it is sort of offshoot OF racing.
We have seen how chases were gotten up in
the hunting field, and how the consequence
was struggle over so many miles of coun-
try-fair hunting country, as a matter of
course-and generally ''owners up.'' But
this sort of thing did not last. A well-bred
hunter doubtless held his own in most cases
against a coarser bred animal; but the thor
oughbred was superior to all. An owner,
we will say, had horse which disappointed
him continually under Newmarket rules.
"What's to be done with him?' the owner
says, when, after having been fancied and
backed, he has run third an outsider win
ming, with the first favorite second.
"Well, sir, he's got turn of speed, and
he looks like jumping. He might win
hurdle race" his trainer suggests. IS
''See what you can do with him, then,n is
the owners reply, and the disappointing one
is put into schooling for hurdles, or, if he
jumps well but is not very speedy, for the
more advanced game.
Thus steeplechasing, that is, steeplechas-
ing proper, declined. Courses sprang up,
or, it should rather be said, were made up in
all directions, and the clerks of these courses
lived on their success, and laid themselves
out to secure as many horses as possible. 1t
is natural, however regrettable, that they
should have made their courses more and
more easy, half-schooled chasers being more
plentiful than the finished article, for it takes
a long time to teach steeplechaser his bust
ness.
Jumping fences in the hunting field is one
thing, jumping them at racing pace is quite
another. Most men who have had any ex-
perience of country life know how the hunter
jumps. AS he sees the fence before him. he
usually shortens his stride, goes at it in
more collected form, pauses more or less as
he takes off, and, having made his effort,
Slightly pauses again on landing. 1t is an
sight to see the young horse be-
ing taught the business in which it is hoped
that he will shine. Here is our young one
coming. He is to have his first gallop at rae
ing pace over his training ground, having
been through his course OF schooling and ac-
quilted himself we'll We will take our place
by this fence and watch. The big brown is
a well-known chaser, who wants gallop; the
gray mare is a hunter-a genuine hunter by
professionalism is to be run at a local meet
ing, and is let into the spin to see what pace
she has; and the bright chestnut, On which
the trainer himself has mounted-after see
ing him carefully lifted with shoots" lest he
should cut or oYerreach-is the novice.
But the three have started off, and are near
the first fence. They come to it in line
but the brown is over first and, moreover,
is away first More is not perceptible, ex-
cept that he evidently has the lead when they
have landed, lead soon wrested from him
by the impetuous young one, whose rider
does not violently haul at his head, but lets
him go on for little way almost as he pleases
and then quietly draws him back again to the
others. They near the fence where we stand,
and now we shall see what they can do. The
brown has taken hold of his Bit not to run
away, but to lean on his riders hand; the |
gray on the left is evidently galloping her |
hardest, though her companion is going east
" within himself; the young one speeds |
along, his hind legs well under him, and, as
they near the fence, he pricks up his ears to |
10 take in, as it were, what he has to do. |
The thud of their hoofs on the soft turf is
unchecked. Here they are! The br own,
With no perceptible effort in rising, glides
over the fence. 1t is firmly made up, as he
knows, and he jumps it, with nothing to
spare, but safely enough. How he picks up
MS legs it is not easy to say, for the twigs