New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-11

CKOSS-COUNTRY RACING.
HOW THE SPORT HAS HELPED TO DE-
VEIOP HIGH BRED HORSEFLESH.

NELOP HIGH-BRED HORSEFLESH.
Cross-country racing and steepechasins form
OF cdes. established sp rts IN this country
Strange to relate. racing over obstacles
fayorit- pdstIne I'm the bleak land 81 the Puritan
Ion. before it obtained foothold in the SUMMER
cline OF the cavalier. The hardy robust horse Of
New England. the result Or M union OF mares
from England with the descendants OF the sons
and daughters OF the Arabs and Berbs that
shipped from France Canada gave the sturdy
Puritans animals .ncompsr ahe FOR endurance. and
also POSSESSED Of uniform speed that enabled them
80 carry their riders great distances the
rough trails md SIN rousher hills and valleys ~
NeH- England
The English garrison at Boston and Halifax had
regular meets o. their officers. and prizes
Tor races over long distances with obstacles both
natural and artificial for me horses and tncir
riders to surmount
IMPROVEMENT or THE sTOCK.
When England wrss,rd Manhattan from the
Dutch and = garrison Wa stationed IN New-York
racing over obstacles and on he Hat WIS INDUCED
in TO the intense dissatisfaction Of the slowgoing
Dutch burghers. who objected 70 the reckless
pranks OF the rough-fiding Britous There was
ra,"'ourse oH Harlem Plains before the American
Revolution Many Of The wealthiest residents OF
Ceorg- ana were Tories throughoui the struggle foT
lndepsndenGe But Tory or patriot the farmers
sturdy-brvd ones from TIM mo.hcr country 20 up
hold ne stsndaTd OF exce.lence n me neieh9or.
Elizabeth, y. j.. where the cracks from Maryland
and Virginia me- 70 contest FOR SUPREMACY, and
scions Of wealth from the plantations Of Virginia.
where packs OF hounds Were kept and fos-cha~ing
was recognized pastime
LESSON or TWO FOR RRITIsHERs
The Caroliuas were not one whit behind their
Northern brethren. for the records OF Marion and
his brave followers tell ,ha, they were adopts at
riding across country. Alitoug a sailor Marion
easily won prizes from the British officers who
we're quArtefed N Charleston. In the dark days
Of the Revolution he taught the fearless Tarleton
one or the famous rough riders OF the BRUSH Army
. lesson Cowpens iu cross-countrY riding that
caused Marion and his followers to ~ feared dur
Ink the remainder OF the Wal. Paul Revere. Israel
nent the war Tor independence were accom-
plished riders. and engaged IN IN, eXhilarating
prizes. These races were from village To village
mant the best Of your way 90 the conditions.
ia the land at that tirne can be easily ascertained
by delying into oldtime records that may be
Requital Nick ReprissL Rhadarnanthus and many
other well-known horses that have raced success
FULLY in recent years trace their ancestry their
that was connscated from a Tor named Delaney
Among the treasures thai were taken To Halifax by
the Tories. when they len NeV-lolk n the time
81 the british evacuation wer. sundrv horses and
mares OF substance and endurance. which had won
valuable prizes in sever" trials Of wind and limb
racing as sport north OF thu Maryland line So
intense WIS ths hatred ~ The Tories that any
thing that had given them AMI the British oppres-
sors pleasure was now abinred In th. North by the
Victorious Americans.
DEVELOPING GREATER SPEED
'ross-country riding. however Increased m pop
ularity IN the South. and VITA that increase came
the desire for speed. Doomed. the first horse
that won the English Derby. was imported by Il
wealthy Nif2inian. and the planters had plenty
or leisure they began 10 breed produce both
speed The he de-
sire for speed soon supplanted the neok-breakng
cross-countIy sport Hnd races Naiying In distance
from n quarter mile dash 10 four mil. heats were
substituted The names Of Baston. Fashion and
Lexington became familiar TO sport-ioVine men and
women with the result that racing "A sport
rrhablitated- Even the devout persons OF strait
laced New England began 70 desire more speed
Mn speed enough to beat me deacon 70 meetin
WIN more speed cr9ss,c9nntry racing ana steeple-
The OF 1895 put an end TO racing Of every
description. Nearly all The trainers took sides 4
majority Joining the Confederate Army Before
host.lities had ceased however, number Of train
was In tnat neighhorhood. under tie guidance OF a
M 20 tm Norm wsr T
ard PbtIndeIphIs win hurdle race ~ an .x,pa
attraction. In Orleans hurdle racing was en-
ticpated IN In" hurdle races Virgil Who gave 10
the American turf the great Hndoo and the
mighty Hanover, was sie'pechaser before he
Cross-country racing existed in a happy -so-ucky
sort OF WAY for several years. when the National
81 epechase Association was organized and the
sport was placed firm basis. TO be sure
there good cross-country racing when such
horses as Charles Reeds Trouble or such ster-
Ing BourBe Cochran contested FOR the
honors but that was In ISIS before the nalien
influence Of evil nearly wrecked the turf
CroSs-country racing Is slowly regaining ia pOpu-
lariy ln the East. owing 20 the exertiOns of Il r.
clyde Mr.. chamblet, Harry Smith, William G.
Whitney. sydney Paget Thomas Hitchcock. Frank
Hitchcock and many other wealthy men. who have
Invested heavily IN the purchase Of material suit
able for cross-country racing.
~ NET