Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-02
Copyright 1882

TRIBUTISa ''MoUNrs'-HoRsEs AND RIDERS.
(Copyright 1882
You say that an instance wherein the West
Point preparation was shown to fit a man to
ride successfully against experts of the turf
would be OF interest. That would imply an
atom OF doubt on the part of some OF your
readers as to the justice of the claim made by
Mr.. Roosevelt and tacitly endorsed by myself
In previous articles. This is no surprise. / ex-
pected it now, and encountered it fifteen years
ago. A man whom had known i'll New York
and whom next met at the beautiful old Met
alrie race course in New Orleans came briskly
forward one April morning in 70 and laugh
| lngly said, You won't mind hope; I've bet
my money against you. You may be good
cavalry rider, but-these-why, they're all ex-
perts.'
Now shall have to tell the whole story, de-
spite its being personal affair, but if it serve
to illustrate the principle referred lowell and
good.
BEFORE THE MEETING.
1t was just before the spring meeting of the
Metairie jockey club of New Orleans-some-
where toward the end of March, 1S72--and a
great concourse of prominent horsemen from
all over the country was rapidly assembling.
1t was destined to be the final meeting on the
! finest course in the south. and the directors
were eager to go out in blaze of glory. The
stables OF Buford and Swigert, of Kentucky.
and of Sanford, of New Jersey. were among
the most notable on the ground, but every
southern stable of any consequence was repre-
sented. Ex-Gov. Paul o. Hebert was then
| president of the Metarie; Gems. Beauregard
and Westmore were among its leading spirits;
Lawrence Barrett sported its colors an hon.
ored guest so did Manton Marble. of the New
York World, then spending month at the old
Hotel st. Louis; LeGrand b. Cannon, of New
York, was daily visitor to look at the ''pre-
1 llminary canters': Cuthbert Slocomb. of New
Orleans. was an enthusiastic member, and the
invaluable Billy ConnOr was then one of the
prominent track officers. 1t is the season of
the year, too, when the quain. old city is
crowded with tourists from the north, and this
spring OF II was the gayest that had opened
since the war.
NOBLE CHALLENGERs
Among the daily visitors at the club were
two young foreigners, Monsieur George Rosen-
lecher, of France, and Count Victor Creme
vile, of Austria. both light cavalry officers in
their own countries; both practced riders in
many race at Longchamps, Baden Baden and
Vienna; both had brought with them their
gorgeous silken ''casaques' Cockey shirts) and
complete race rig; both frequently exhibited
photographs taken in their beautiful Jockey
dress. and both were eager at the coming
meeting to ride race against any American
gentlemen who could be induced to ''pick up
the gauntlet" For some time there were no
takers. Then they offered to allow seven
pounds to any gentleman who would ride
against them, Z. e., carry seven pounds dead
weight on their race saddles heavy penalty.
Still no takers, and then there began to be
some talk
just then 1 got back from duty on which 1
had been sent in northern Mississippi, and re-
porting to Gen. Emory. on whose staff l was
serving as aide-de-camp, spent the evening
with him at the st. Louis hotel. where all these
prominent Metalrle men happened to be gath
cred. Almost the first thing said to me was by
Gov. Hebert: why won't you ride against
| these foreign cavalrymen?" And i'm this wav I
first heard of the challenge. Little by little
the whole story came out and turning to nv
chief-himself an enthusiastic old cavalry off,
Ger and horseman-I asked him if he thought
Ia do. His answer was of such a character
that the matter was settled then and there An
American was found to ride against the chal-
| lengers from France and Austria and though
New Orleans society at that day would doubt
less have preferred somebody other than a
Yankee officer, still-that was better than no.
body. Then, as the papers began to take the
matter up. and interest increased. some English
men came forward and said young country
man Of theirs was in town and had with him
the jockey dress in which he had ridden many
gentlsmans race abroad. He would gladly
ride for the royals. Then, in another day.
Ireland added her champion in tall, slender
young trooper,-a capital fellow he proved to
be, and all OF sudden 1t had become
AN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR.
By the terms of the race it was to be known
as the International Race for Gentlemen
Riders A dash of mile and 80 yards $50 that
the ladies' stand might have full benefit of
both the start and finish). Prize, the Metairie
whip-gold mounted. The club to furnish the
horses from the racers of the stables present.
and these were to be assigned to riders accord
ing to weight. The first meeting of the five
contestants, therefore. was the day we scaled" at
the club office with old Generals Westmore 1.-THE
Admiral Rous of the Metairie) and Abe Buford.
OF Kentucky, to supervise the ceremony, 1t
was then found that l was the heaviest of the
five by pounds (weighing 143) while Count
Victor was diminutive shadow barely touch
ing H. l had to train down at once. 1t was
arranged that we were to have horses ready
for us at the judges stand every morning at
sunrise-for track practice, DC. My asso-
ciates rode in and out, but 1 arose every
morning at 8, and in fannels and over
coat tramped, hard as / could, the z miles from
my quarters up ON Prytania street out to the
Metairie course at the end Of Canal Then,
after an hour of brisk work in the saddle.
tramped again back to town; took couple of
chops and pot Of tea at Moreaus; then went
to the office for a rub down and the duties of
the day. In one week had trained down Just
pounds and was in tip-top trim. In that
week, too, had learned good deal about rid
ing thoroughbreds and that it was infinitely
easier, handler prettier work than what had
been doing for a couple of years previous
teaching two to five hours day at the prac-
tlces at the West Point school of horsemanship
and doing it on any and every kind of horse
but thoroughbred. After that experience
found riding these 1.-the. beautiful, springy
creatures, no matter how they plunged or tried
to bolt" simply delight.
PRAcTICING.
OF course had watched many a year the
jockey seat and jockey hand, and knew that
there was reason for it ALL For an instant
the first day amounted (under the eyes of
crowd Of club men eager to watch the perform
ances of the great horses gathered there for
the races and wildly curious to see how the
amateurs" would get along) remember that
the first thing did was to slip the reins with
my left hand-cavalry fashion-but while my
trainer" (the owner Of the horse, but in no
sense an instructor), was setting the stirrups
under the instep-anything but cavalry fashion
and giving numerous orders to the stable
boys hanging on to the head of my paving
impatient steed, slipped both hands forward
down along the horses neck, gave the reins q
couple of "fips" around both wrists so as to
give plenty Of friction against his hardest pull
and told the grooms to let go. In another
minute we were of-a jockey from the same
| stable racing alongside on a big chestnut geld
ing. Three and four years previous. on my