Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-11-13
VIRGINIA HORSES.


closed in that city that night, says:
In the "Old Dominion" the en-
courgement of jumping horses has been
carried on in au organized way much
longer than it has in Maryland, and
Virginians to-day stand well up among
the representative riders of jumping
horses in America.
Among the well-known Virginia
horsemen who have hunters entered in
the Maryland show are: ]. S. Gaines,
of Warreuton, n. r. Williams, of Up
pervile S. Russell Smith, of Culpep-
er; H. &. Nalle, OF Leesburg James
X. Maddux, of Warrenton Henry
Fairfax, of Aide, and n. Barclay Bev-
an, of Warrenton.
The spirit which has for centuries
prompted true sportsmen in "Merrle
England'' seems to have found fertile
field in Virginia, not only for the
breading, but for the practical use of
jumping horses.
The region in which this species of
sport fourishes to the greatest extent
is in the neighborhood of Fauquier,
Culpeper and Loudoun counties. These
horses are not only trained for the
chase, but for exhibition and competi-
tive jumping, and when foxes become
scarce and the chasing of anisseed bags
across the country grows monotonous,
contests in jumping are resorted to for
the diversion OF those who own what
turf followers are wont to designate as
''leppers."
The horses are not sent at fences
built of posts, which fall at the lightest
touch, but are put over good, stiff OBJ
stacles built of sold posts and rails br of
stone, and should one of these horses
Jump badly and strike the fence the re-
suit is 20 joke for the rider.
To this competitive juml ing the Vir-
ginia horses owe much of their fame.
All through the autumn the horses are
exercised over fences of various heights
and toward Thanksgiving Day jump
ing contest or a hunt is organized
and well-known riders from all sections
of the surrounding country are asked TO
enter their mounts. The Virginia
jumping horses, in these exhibitions on
their native heath, accomplish feats
which in the arena at a horse show
would be considered remarkable.
Jumps at feet are often taken by ordi-
nary well bred horses, and fences 5 feet
6 inches high offer no obstacle TO the
best of these gamey steeds. The fail
ure of the animals 10 do well in the
arena may be accounted for by the
strsnpeness of the surroundings. AS
before stated these horses are not train
ed over anything but stiff fences, and
their owners claim that the animals
soon find out that the rails at the horse
show will drop off before slight touch
of their hoofs and not throw them, as q
solid fence would, and therefore can
not be persuaded or forced to do their
best. Neither are the horses used to
jumping at night by artificial light, and
the glare OF the lamps and the bewil-
dering shadows discoacert them.
Mr.. Gaines's crack horse, Pelham, is
representative Virginia hunter. He
is chestnut geldiEg, five years old and
sixteen hands high, and was sired by
Circassian. He is true Virginian,
having been bred by Mr.. w. G. Mar
shall, of Warrenton. A year ago, at
Warrenton, Pelham cleared a fence five
feet four inches in height. Other noted
hunters from the Old Dominion are
Tony and Safety, owned by Mr.. Mad
dux; Sportsman, owned by Mr.. Bevans
aud Game Cock. owned by Mr.. Will
lams. Mr.. u d. Benner, known as
one of the best cross-country riders in
Virginia, has attended the show and
ridden several of the Virginia horses, as
we'll as many other entries, notably
those of Miss Mollie George, of Balti-
more. A number of Baltimore gentle
men have ridden horses in the jumping
classes and have acquitted themselves
we'll, comparing favorably with Vir-
ginia's cracks, James K. Maddux, n.
K. Williams, N. Barclay Bevan and o.
ID. Benner.