The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-21
THE HORSE SHOW.
John w. Knibbs Has
Some Pretty Strong
Views.
AGAINST 1T.
AS Exhibition Of Horse
mans Ideal He Thinks
1t Is a Failure.

| John W. Knibbs returned from Bos-
ton last night after passing the great
er part of two days at the big horse
show. He is enthusiastic over the
show as a parade of all that is beauti-
full in horse flesh. and is enthusiastic
over the show as an entertainment pure
and simple He believes, however, that
the style of horse that came in for all
honors in the high stopper and roadster
classes is a decidedly poor type of
horse for anything outside of the tan
bark ring.
THE type is wrong" said Mr.. Knibbs
to The Spy man last night, wholly
wrong. 1 agree that a certain number
of dudes are apparently quite neces-
sity, and surely very ornamental por-
ton of society in general, and very nice
in their way, but what l consider the
| true ideal is the man that can roll up
his sleeves and go at hard work and
| stay at it ten hours a day. At the
horse show. the dudes of horseflesh are
the worshipped. Cakewalkers and pa
raiders are the true type, while the horse
that could be covering dirt while the
high stopper is climbing air, is rele-
gated to back seat in the synagogue
of the show ring. Even soundness is
not a. necessary qualification for rib
bon winner. Action, nothing but eX-
cessive action, appears to impress the
! judges.
Now" said Mr.. Knibbs "in my way
of thinking, the desirable horse for
coaching or for the road is the horse
Of attractive conformation, that can
step out a three-minute gait when
| asked, can pull out and go by the
other fellow when dust is too plenty,
and that can road off 10 or 10 miles
the first hour and repeat the operation
the next, if called on for it. This is
the type of horse that should be en-
Fcouraged, and nothing would improve
the general qualities OF the American
roadster more than the adoption IF a
common sense style by one of the lead
| ing shows of the country.
Under existing conditions, the
horse that is good for the show ring
| is good for absolutely nothing but the
tanbark. He must be kept for show
purposes only He is absolutely no
good on the road, nor for any pract-
/ cal use. He is a calxewallSer. He must
be dude unfit for work and incapable
of doing anything of any use to any
| body. In many of the classes l saw
| judged, the money winner was high
stopper of the exaggerated type
drawn out beyond all reason. Fore
! knees were almost in his mouth, and
his head was well checked AZ that.
Hind legs had piston rod motion that
would gore a horse on city streets or
even country roads before he had paid
| for his oats. He mpst and would be
unsound with any ordinary usage.
From out the mass of dude horse
| flesh on parade in Boston there stood
one shining exception. The chestnut
| gelding, Lord Brilliant appeared as
| clever a piece of horsefesh as over
! looked through a bride. His action was
not training. 1t was rather the natural
boldness of a courageous fellow with
energy in his every motion. He looked
| the horse of natural beauty coupled
with stamina, and was a deserving
winner Of every honor that came his
way.
ALTHOUGH I have little sympathy
with the horse show as an encourager
| Of the extreme type of actors, thus en-
| couraging the breeding of excessive
knee performers yet in another light
e is a great institution. 1t has become
the professionals game throughout
The amateur cannot compete success
1 fully with the dealer who spends years
in training and mannering a ribbon
performer and who when he secures
one. has the prestige of having BOWED
over the best that have come against
liz. AS a society event, the horseshoW
is a marvel. AS an exhibition of the
horseman's ideal in horsefesh either in
conformation gait or action, the show
has little or no value"
Among the Worcester people VIII
have visited the Boston horse show ar
Mr.. and Mrs Richard Healey, Mr. an
Mrs. John w. Knibbs and Charles II
Knibbs, George A. Stevens, Il. IL. Bige
low John c. Machines, Leander
Herriclz. Mr.. and Mrs. Samuel Porter
lJ.NJ. Quinn, J. Frank Gates Col. an
MRS. S. e. Winslow and DR.. and Mrs
Homer Gage.