The Florida star., 1902-12-05
A HORSE SHOW STUDY
Vefeschagin's Word Picture of
New York's Equine Display.
WHOLE EXHIBIT VERY BEAUTIFUL

Rus.ia's Great Painter Glad That He
Saw it-fae Deems the Judges Good
and American Women Charming
to Wear Their Most Becoming
Gowns-some Points on Russian
steeds.
Vassii Vereschagin, Russia'S great
painter, has written for the New York
American the following description of
the national horse show held in New
York. He says:
1t was beautiful The horses were
play horses. horses for show. In this
: respect they We're excellent
The women In the boxes and on the
walls around the circus were charming
l am sure that they did not wear more
diamonds at the coronation. They do
well to ornament themselves for the
horse show as well as for the cOnsecra-
tiOn OF a sovereign.
Horses are worthy OF worship. In
my country they are free. They do not
wear shields on their eyes. My people
think that the eyes Of horses are mag
nificent and that 1t is not well to hide
them. In the stalls Of the horse show
why are the animals covered with blan-
kets? The stalls are warm enough, Ii
seemed to me- The stable bOys-they
are not In blankets-told me that the
covering was to guard against drafts.
l think that Russian horses are not
afraid OF drafts. 4 saw in. the stalls
that the horses ankles. too, were wrap
ped with wOOlen stuff. II asked the
stable boys why this was done. They
said, ''To keep them in form"
1t is the Chinese fashion OF compress
ing tbe feet, which 1t is well to criticise
as cruel. did not like. either. the way
of riding OF one OF the judges. He was
very dihgent: he was very patient 1t
was good Of him to ride the horses TO
be sure OF their action. But his feet
stuck out at an angle with the horse.
He ought to see our COssacks ride.
The show was beautiful l do not
wish to appear not to have admired it.
But could those horses gallop for fifty
miles without water to drink or q mo-
ment to take breath? Our Turcomans
who have always stolen the wives and
daughters or the Persians, need horses
that gallop for fifty miles at a stretch.
They could not use the horses that l
have seen at the show. We have splen-
did horses In Russia.
In our steppes a man owns 5000 to
5000 OF them They are free; they are
not In stalls They do not use blankets
or CATERS. They are free. The mas
ter will not sch one to you, not one
He might give one TO you. but TO sell
would be a shame. General Strukoff,
the head OF the Russian cavalry. and |
often quarrel about horses He wants
them to be big. l want them to be
small 1t is folly. think. TO imagine
|opersa
kxSith, TuFcoman's horse Is big. but not
ssill. looking He looks like an ass
Ynen he is at rest. But when he gal
). fps he is an arrow shot from q bow.
'she kirghiz horse is small and runs
bt so fast. The Polish horses are half
Arabic. They cannot stand against
rough winter. The Kasach horse. the
gnrd horse that is accustomed to carry
robbers. are swift as greyhounds. You
Ieught to see them cut the air.
[BI'hst, state stables. with their Orion
trotters. are excellent, OF course. do
not have to praise them. But want
to tell you what happened in Moscow
~st year. We had races there. as
~dual You do not know a race In the
'ffbrid as proud OF its horses as the
gduscovite. Well. last year the Musco-
7vite horses In q race were beaten by
J that do you thinkf BY an American
v brse.
arOh. it was a great shame, and the
ladies blushed. and the men Were pale.
I see now that they We're right to be
ashamed. that they could not be
ashamed enough. But the horse show
was very beautiful l am glad that
saw it The judges decided as l
thought they ought to decide in every
case. They are good judges. And
American women are charming TO wear
their most becoming gowns and to be
50 beautiful at the horse show.