The sun., 1903-01-07
STATEMENT OF THE VETERINARY SURGEONS

When the mare "Ruritania" came into the
ring on saturday afternoon. November, iso!.
aed M aGss hsr out snat sue s Sf noted the
driver. Mr. webb, the Ring Committee and two
Of the judges to this effect. Aiter we had
decided TO ALLOW the driver OF the mare 10 I'm
harness her and lead the mare TO halter in the
yns not TS o fsn 9ss
she went sound She again became a COM
pctitor and was awarded first prize.
WILLIAM SHEPPARD.
THOMAS g. SHERWOOD.
J. +. RYDER.
Mr. Heckscher's reply to this was az
follows:
:, NEW ioRK. Jan; 2.
W. Y " Hofmd"' Esq Ware" stree"
DEAR SIN: The board of directors Of
the National Horse show association beg ct to
addressed to YOU the board expressed ts
o asve . he n rn or fSr the pnrpos Of
sidrration Of this incident, and while they
refrain from protesting the mare "Ruritania,"
yet they regret In view OF your present eN-
traordinary REQUEST for an examination into
promptly eNercis.e, the right which the As
soctatlon especially provides for Just such
Incident ard a." formal protest Mithtn IN
rules of the association providing for pro-
test is intended to cover cases analogous
TO this and the board thinks that you will
SOC that to make a detailed examination at
this date into the incident related by YOU
would b" 10 all intent, and purposes to con-
20 the closing of the show. and consequently
against our rules. customs and usage.
as the f.ea a,sd MADE
and the veterinarians had passed beyond its
control. the board would have given per.
sona attention and examined into the allie eed
condition OF affairs At this late date It would
h. uractically. imrossible 70 reoreate the
conditions that ,has eyi-tsd and i would would
10 al parties in interest. \ decision rem
dered now By the, bpard, OF directors Of thi.
would b" the ot
OF th. institution and cause injustice to the
exhihitors, and i is With regret that the
miuatlon not to reopen thi. question. No
formal report from I'll" veterinarians has
ever reached the association and in the alb
aence of the protest provided for under our
rules the ribbons were awarded by the judges
and the certificate has been issued by The asso-
srror Il made Should NJ nct have been Corrected ORE
at the time. u is beyond th. province of the
board Of directors TO ass now upon this
question. Yours very truly
JOIN G.. HEckscHER. Secretary.
II will he noticed in the first letter from
I he show officials hat the ribbon was given
TO Ruritania on the ground that the ma
jority Of the veterinaries decided TO pass
neT, out MI. ToHfnaHs secOhu iettef
shows this to have been a mistake. Mr..
second letter makes no mention
Of this reason for awarding the prize. but
takes the ground that il Is now too late
for action and the question cannot be re-
opened
The case involving horree Of such promi
nence and questions Of such importance TO
exhibitors. can hardly be allowed to pass
wit hout the fullest consideration by the
directors Of the Horse Show. Apparently,
4 wrong has been committed, and Mr..
letters do not seem to relieve
The horse association of responsibility for
Hoffman's argument, the wrong does not
rest upon any failure Of his TO protest. so
much as it does upon the direct infringe
nent Of the rules on the part Of the Horse
Show officials themselves, which lie felt by
other exhibitors who may have been ig-
lorant of the facts known to Mr.. Hoffman.