The record-union., 1893-09-07
HIGH-JUMPING HORSES.
Madame Marantette's Trained and
Springy Steeds.
Something About the Noted Rider
Who is to be Seen Here During
the State Fair.

Madame Marantette, the skillful lady
rider who has been engaged to give exhi-
billions here during the State FAIR, and
who is now nearing the coast, is most
remarkable horsewoman, and has made
some exceeding high leaps with File
maker, the celebrated jumping horse.
Almost every schoolboy in the East
knows about the wonderful perform
ances given by the famous horsewoman,
as she has given exhibitions at nearly
every county fair in the Eastern States,
but this is Madame Marantette's first visit
to the West, and her daring and skill will
be revelations to Californians.
The equestrian queen will bring all her
noted horses to California, including File
maker, who holds the worlds jumping
record OF feet Al inches, and Cricket.
another great performer over the sticks.
Marantette was bora in the State of
Michigan, and began her career as
horsewoman in 1882. when she partici-
pated in the purses offered for five and
ten-mile races, changing horses at the end
of every mile. She kept at this business
for several years, and secured record of
riding ten miles in Is minutes and II Sec
onds. This performance was made at
Lansing, Mich, in 1893 In 1885 Maran-
tette drove her team of thoroughbred
running horses, Major Banks and Ever
green, to road wagon in 1:501. Later in
the year the Michigan woman electrified
several thousand people at Buffalo by
driving her team mile in the wonder
fully fast time of 1:453, which broke the
worlds record by several seconds. In
the fall of 1885 Marantette purchased the
sensational saddle-horse Woodlake. This
is the Woodlake that won number of
first premiums at big Eastern fairs. She
then gave exhibitions in the large skat-
ing rinks, showing Woodlake at eight
different gaits under saddle and six dis
tlnct gaits to the wagon. The practice of
making exceedingly high jumps which
Nine. Marantette has accomplished with
t1lemaker would be very dangerous
one to one less skilled in the art. File
maker has never suffered defeat in his
life. He is a large horse, standing seven
teen hands high and weighs over 300
pounds. An Eastern authority in writ
ing about this wonderful jumper says:
While not handsome horse, he is
not at all unwieldly in appearance, as
every ounce of muscle that he carries is
as hard and elastic as steel, and there is a
certain air OF superiority about the grand
old fellow that proclaims him no plebeian.
FIlemaker is native of Canada, and was
sired by Terrill, a horse of thoroughbred
blood, his dam being of Irish hunter
stock.
"Of his disposition Nine. Marantette
has written: l purchased Filemaker in
the latter part of September, 1890, of
Mr. Lewis of Chester, Pa. He was sun
burnt and very thin in flesh, and in fact
L thought him the worst looking horse I
had ever seen, and such temper He
had the reputation of being a bad horse
wherever he was known, and every one
said l would never be able to ride him.
In fact, he took every one for his enemy
and was looking for war all the time. /
began with patience and kindness, but it
was long time before could make him
understand that 1 was his friend, and
even now, at times when he gets nervous,
he shows some of his old temper, but If /
stop him still and talk to him, then start
him, as usual thing ain mistress of the
day.
Il commenced to ride Filemaker on the
9th day of April, 1891, and l rode him
November q, 1891. At Three Rivers,
Mich. at their spring meeting, 1 rode
him over the bars at feet 81 inches high
l rode him several times during the sea-
son at 7 feet q inches. At Taunton,
Mass, October 7th, 1 rode him over the
bars feet 43 inches, which gives US one
inch higher than any horse ever jumped
in public in the world. Then, in Chicago
in November, at the fat stock show, 1
rode him feet 81 inches. The weight
that t1lemaker carries when l ride him is
l49 pounds, including myself, saddle, pad
and bride, and not to my knowledge has
any other horse jumped seven feet and
carried over rs pounds. and when Tom
Potter rode him in Chicago, November,
1890, at the fat stock show, Filemaker
carried 168 pounds feet q inches"
Nine. Marantette never carries whip
nor uses spur on making the wonder
full jumps with Filemaker. Sometimes
she carries whip until the jump reaches
six feet high, when the whip is thrown
aside.
Being interviewed in regard to the peril
of making such high leaps, Marantette
said:
"The fault lies at the door of the rider
mines times out of ten when there is a
fall. Because man or woman can ride
horse across country, over fence or
ditch, it does not qualify the rider to 90
over high bars at seven feet or more, and
If they undertake it they must expect a
fall. think where the greatest mistake
is made in riding over the high Jumps is
that they do not allow the horse to use
his own judgment. Then they take the
horse back three times the distance from
the jump they should, head him FOR the
jump, and using whips and spurs with
all the force they can, he reaches the
jump at a race-horse clip and is under
such headway and so anxious to get away
from the punishment that he has no time
to gauge himself and measure his take
off; then if he falls they blame the horse.
My experience in riding over high jumps
is that it is necessary to handle the horse
as quietly as possible to obtain the best
results, and not to take him back over
thirty or forty feet"
In addition to the celebrated jumpers,
Filemaker and Cricket, the wonderful
little Welch pony Jupiter will be ex-
hibited at Sacramento. This fellow, al
though only forty-eight inches high, has
cleared the bar at feet 81 inches.
The exhibitions Of Filemaker and
Madame Marantette are sure to attract
considerable attention in this State as
the exhibition will be decided novelty.