The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-18

England, expresses his views for the
benefit of Spy readers. Like the major
ity OF drivers, Kervick believes in hop
pies, and is opposed to the rule.
KERVlCK'S OPINION.
will hoppled horses be seen on the
trotting tracks during the season of
1892"
My answer to this question is I'M
qualifedly Yes" On the majority of
tracks there will be seen as many
horses wearing the straps as in any
past season.
The rule barring horses wearing hop
Piles from competition upon tracks un
der the Jurisdiction of the National
Trotting Association, was adopted at
the last February session of the turf
congress. 1t did not become operative
at once. however, the Legislators al
lowing the horsemen year in which
to prepare for the enforcement of the
rule
Because the rule is now on the
books, and is operative does not, of
necessity, mean that it is going to
be enforced. Track associations and
track secretaries will find it difficult to
fill their classes if they are going to
bar the horse with hopples. For that
reason I expect to see the rule waived
on nearly every track, which means
that to all intents and purposes, the
hoppled horse will be in just as good
standing as ever and able to win just
as much money.
The almost universal opinion among
trainers is that the rule is wrong, that
it never should have been adopted, and
that it should be repealed as quickly
as possible. The drive against hopples
was made by very estimable men, but
men who are not thoroughly versed in
the racing end of the game Had they
been, I feel confident that it would have
been voted down by an overwhelming
majority. We're it to be strictly enforced
| it would rob many an honest driver
of his bread and butter and throw
out of training a lot of horses which
might otherwise be winning money
upon the track.
Like every rule or law that was ever
drafted, the anti-hopple clause has it's
followers. There are few drivers or
trainers that are favorable to the rule.
The most notable example is Ed Geers,
who has gone on record as saying that
he would not drive hoppled horse in a
race. That is all very well for Mr..
Geers. He does not need to employ
them. He has at his disposal every
spring several hundred horses from the
| Village farm and from that number it
would indeed be a pity if he could not
select a string of stars that did not re-
quire the use of the straps.
But not all trainers are so favored as
Ed. Geers. The average driver of
trotting horses-the man, I mean who
maintains public string-is obliged to
take what comes to him. He cannot
have his pick, but he is expected to win
money with the material that is placed
at his disposal. Every trainer when he
| receives an addition to his string, first
drives the animal without hopples, and
| if horse can go without them as well
as with them, you can depend upon it
that the trainer will not put them on.
| But in the majority of cases, the hop
pies bring horse to his speed quicker
and make him go more level. These
! are always very important considera-
tons in the training and campaigning
of any horse intended for the race
track.
Look at the good race horses that
would be rendered absolutely valueIess
| for track purposes were the hopples to
be hung up. Instances come rapidly
to mind. That good race horse, Che
halls, with mark of 2:04M, cannot go
rod, they say, if he does not have on
the hopples. Prince Albert was cam
paigned all last season with hopples.
and his driver did not hesitate to say
that hopples had made him a race horse
ana enabled him to step to a mark of
2:Oo 10. The chestnut Planet is an
other horse that comes to mind
He wears hopples and cannot go
without them. Here in Worcester, Pc
ter Turney won all his best races when
wearing hopples. and X L., which |
drove to the track record at Saugus,
never amounted to anything as a race
horse until 1 put the straps on him.
AS guess, ] should say that 20 per
cent of the horses out last season wore
hopples; either the whole or a portion
of the time. l remember at the fall
meeting at Dover, a party of drivers
got to discussing the hopple question
and the results of the rule was it to be
carried into effect. That afternoon l
started Lochiel in a class race there.
Thirteen horses scored for the word
| twelve of them wore hopples. What
would that class have amounted to had
| hOppled horses been barred from com
| petition? This is undoubtedly an ex-
| aggerated case, nevertheless it is sig
nificant.
In the hands of amateurs hopples are
| dangerous. but / do not consider them
so when the experienced driver super
| intends the adjusting process. The cry
| harness. is all wrong. 1t takes too long
to put them on to warrant any such
assertion. l might add that / am thor
oughly opposed to the use of hopples
on road horses. They are not a neces-
sary adjunct to the road drivers out
| fit.
do not imagine that the turf con-
gress will abolish the anti-hopple rule
| Immediately. To do so would be a con-
nj bp lYst pf
| those by whom the law was enacted.
But ] do expect to see the rule waived
on about every track excepting per
haps Charter Oak and Readville where
the rules are complied with very strict
| ly. And in closing, | might say just
a word on the license rule which was
adopted at the same time as the anti
hopple legislation was enacted In the
first place, the fee was too small-sim-
ply the price of your photograph. If
the license fee had been placed at $50
or 800, the rule would have possessed