Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-22
FINE HOR EMAN S HIP
Good Riding by Troopers Of the Sixth
Cavalry.
Some of the Feats Tint Delighted the
Audience at Fort Myer
Yesterday.

Myer yesterday afternoon. 1t was the first |
exhibition of the sort that has been given |
since Fort Myer was made the regimental |
headquarters of the sixth cavalry. and, con- |
sidering the fact that the troopers have |
only had couple of months experience in
the riding hall, their work yesterday after |
noon was surprisingly good. At the posts
to which the various troops were assigned
in the west there was nothing in the way
of covered hall for practice riding, so
that the men of the sixth cavalry felt that
they were not as well up as they might be
in the fancy business of riding under
roof but 1t was the expressed desire of
Gen. Schofield that they should make a
public appearance soon as possible after
their assignment to this city. While Old
cava1rymen do not look with much favor
on these fancy drills, for the reason that
| they think they are of comparatively little
| practical value as compared with regula-
| ton drills, they yet admit that anything
| that makes a trooper a more expert horse
| man is a good thing for the service.
The exhibition drill yesterday was en-
| titled "Cossack drill" and ii was well
| named. for the riding would compare IA
vorably with any show OF fancy horse
manship ever seen in this city. 1t was
| done by troop A, which is probably the
| crack drill troop of the regiment, and was
under the command of Lieut.. Short, who
| is a past grand master i'm the art of riding.
| He is an enthusiast on the subject. and IL
| is largely to his zeal and hard work that
| the excellence of the performance yester-
| day Is due. The Cossack drill has been
tried by a number of enthusiastic cavalry
| officers at western posts, but nothing of
| the sort had ever been seen in this city be-
fore outside of a circus tent The an
| nouncement of the exhibition sufficed to at
tract across the river more than enough
people to tiil the gallery in the hall and all
| available standing room about the entrance
| and windows of the ring. 1t was an en-
thusiastic crowd, and many Of the feats
| that were accomplished drew forth I'M
| stinted applause.
| Splendid HOrsemanship.
The troopers were attired in light riding
| clothes, leggings, trousers and blue flannel
| shirts with neat white sailor ties and ia
I tigue caps. 1t was shortly after 2 o'clock
| when they entered the drill hall. thirty
two strong. under command of Lieut.. w.
| c. Short The first sergeant of the troop.
Stevenson, is an old soldier, veteran OF
the war who has teen for thirteen years
past first sergeant OF this troop he Is
himself a splendid rider, and what he does
| not know about a horse Is hardly worth
| bothering about. Two other men who
I also covered themselves with glory yester-
| day wer, Privates Hattley and White,
| say, riding two horses apiece. with one
| foot on each horse. This was considerably
more of a feat in big riding hall like the
| one at Fort Myer than IL is when done in
| a
Gus tent. The horses were not tied to-
| gether in any way, and Ii took a rare de-
| gree of skill to drive them so that they
would not become too widely separated as
! they galloped wildly around the ring In
| this feature of the program, as In all the
| rest of the exercises, there was not the
| slightest sign of mishap and the whole
| exhibition passed off as smoothly as If run
| by clockwork.
| Getting I'm Saddle.
| he rfp ba ma ed
on the right-hand side of the building in
columns of fours. and trotted around the
ring, while the band of the sixth regiment
played quickstep. There was some
clever jumping over low hurdles over
which the whole troop, solidly punched.
! sailed as gracefully as big blue bird
Then the men rode in line. with their STIR
| rups crossed over the saddles standing up
| in the stirrups, a la Cossack. Then they
| dashed about the ring by twos, with the
| cinches unfastened. 1t looked as though
| 1t was a very ticklish style of riding, and,
in fact, one saddle did slip off and fall into
| the tan bark but the trooper, although he
| lost his saddle, did not lose his seat. for
| he sat gracefully on the saddle blanket.
| and picked up his saddle by the stfrrup
| and put II back in place on the horses
| back without ever losing his position in
| line or seeming in the least bit ratified.
some Hard Feats.
| One of the prettiest features of the after
| noon was when the men had all been spread
| out in very open order so that they filled
| the entire hall. Then, at the word of COM
mand bride reins were pulled sharply to
| the right while the men threw all their
weight the other way, and the horses were
compelled to lie down. though a battle
| were on and this had been done for their
| protection In an instant all were up again
| at the word of command. and as the horses
| rose to their feet the men dropped lightly
| into the saddles and were ready to be Off
| again. Then a line of thirty-two was
/ formed across the front of the hall and all
| We're backed the entire length of the build
| ing at a good, fast walk, the line being kept
| perfect all the time. The horses were then
| placed side by side close they could
| stand that the thirty-two saddles made
| a bridge across which the light-footed
| troopers ran, leaping to the ground on the
| other side. All sorts of athletics over horses
| followed = springboard jumping, vaulting,
| mounting in various ways-ueating the
horse of flesh and blood very much as ath-
| letes do the leather horse in a gymnasium.
Grand Charge.
| One CT the features that seemed to please
the audience we'll was a grand charge the
| whole length of the building at a pace so
| rapid, that II seemed as though the horses
could not be stopped. but must plunge
| through the other end of the building.
| They pulled up short, however. from a
| fast gallop, the men yelling like wild In
| dams all the time, that when they did
| finally come to halt the noses of the
| horses were but a few inches from the
| wall Running alongside of bareback
| horses, holding on by the bride and the
| name, the men vaulted lightly onto their
horses' backs just as they were jumping a
| hurdle. Then half the men would run
| along on foot beside the men who were
| riding, resting their hands on the cantles
of the saddles, and would jump on behind
just as the horses were In air jumping
| over the hurdles.
| These were only a few of the feats with
| which the hardy and graceful troopers en-
tertailed the audience, and, taking IL all in
| all, the exhibition was a most delightful
| one. The officers of the sixth did them
| selves proud in entertaining the people who
| went over from the city. and there is no
| doubt whatever that they will keep up the
| reputation of the post for hospitality, and
add greatly thereunto.
| Shield Of Honor.