Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-07-09
eOuESTRIANISM IN THE FARK.
New Workers Out Horseback Riding.
Growing Popularity of the Exercise


Crown. Popularity of the Exercise.
lBrooklyn Eage.l
Eque,tranism has grown popular within
a few YEAR, and the number Of people who
ride now regularly in the park is very
large. \ large majority of the riders
are out-for- G-holiday young men, who ride
with round shoulders and bowed heads and
grin perpetually as they 60 through the
park There are also many thin faced men,
who are evidently riding for their health.
They move along slowly. aud seem To find
great enjoy meut in watching the occupants
of the carriages as they whirl by. Then
there axe the stout Old gentlemen, who
puff rs audibly as the horses, and
the very proper and picturesque young
man of fashion The latter is usually a
member of some hunt clue, AMI his costume
is usually the result OF Years OF stIiy ana
care He invariably rides well, AMI his
horse is a beauty Not infrequently groups
OF twenty Cr thirty hursemen in the uniform
of one of the higher class riding schools or
the fatigue dress OF the huzzarS move along
through the crowd.
But by far the most interesting of them all
wear low Derby hats and blue or black rid
ing habit. Their skirts are made extremely
short nowadays, the tailor-madc costumes
fit close 10 the figure, aud n typical and we'll
built New York girl on thoroughbred
horse Is more almirir:gly stared at than any
one els, who enters She park. Nearly all
the girls ride hard ami fast They seldom
venture into the drive, but they are to be
seen dashin, along the br.dle-path at hard
gallop.
The vile popularity Of the exercise is of
very recent growth. 1t is only few years
az, that the people who rode formed very
small proportion Of those who entered the
yora Now nearly everybody ride. In the
morning il is the custom tor business men
81 take a JOLT through the park before break
fast, ard there is brigade Of them out
about O'Clock looking for apietites
Macy amateur athlstes who year, ago made
it Il point TO get up in the morning and take
spin in a she'll On the Harlem river before
breakfast. have compromised On canter
through the park
The number OF women who handle the
reinS has also greatly increased. While it
Is cay enough for woman, or chill for
thai matter. TO drive tractable horse in
the country or small city, it is extremely
dangerous in New York The driving is
fat and crowded IN the park or up tbs road
at ) O'Clock, aud a woman who can take
h re around the route and return in good
order must Ie capital whip. Coachmeu
have a pr. verbal dislike for women drivers
AMI they impede them and annoy them as
much as possible when the opportunity
occur.
Nevertheless, there are dozen or more
women in New York who drive every day
and WHO handle their hor with consum-
mate skill They are all the wives OF mil
lionaires ami nearly all OF them drive carts
or gigs The buggy is quite tabcocd They
sit erect, square >houlierei and alert, with
their heads well up in the air and their el-
bows a. their sides Occasionally another
wcms- - with them, but never a man. \
E.Ian English tiger in irreproachable Eng
liSh livery sit, with his arms folded like a
WAX fi~urn hchin9.