New-York tribune., 1903-07-05
ROCKING HORSE EXERCISE
Girl athletes Find Great Sport IN
This Strenuous Work.

There is something unnatural at first slght III lhe
thought of summer school in gymnastics loi
women, and OF the women who would want 10 90
to It. When all the world is feeling moist ana
letbarric. when every ones thoughts turn fondly
70 fans and shady verandas and ice cream SOFAS.
to roof gardens and the windswept decks OF ocean
greyhounds, what induce lot Of girls 10 enter
upon a six weeks summer course OF physlcal uaiii-
ing?
Yet this is what they will do Monday in Cam
bridge Mass where each summer Dr. Dudley A
Sargent director of the Hemenway Gymnasium at
Harvard University trains girls in the art OF being
bright eyed deep chested. clean limoed athletes-
Under his tutelage they perform stunts and un-
dergo physical strain in manner to astonish the
lay beholder.
Many circus lady" might envy the cool daring
of these summer athletes. for they not only have
mastered some OF her best tricks. but have added
many of their own which quite picturesque
and wonderful. But where there is trapeze
performer of the gilded show there hundreds
of the summer girl athletes-not all stars. perhaps
but all strong, fearless and earnest after physical
perfection.
Many are girls OF wealth. anxious to prepare
themselves against the and tear of next
winters season. These young women have learned
the truth that sparkling eyes, pink cheeks round
ed column of a neck. fine arms and graceful car
riage are valuable assets in society than all
the chiffons, diamonds or culture they can muster
So for that reason they putting themselves
body and soul into dumbbells. wands and the mani
fold appliances with which the up to date gym
rasium richly stocked
Others take the course simply for the fun OF It,
Still others intend to make the teaching Of physical
culture their profession ard studying sys-
tematicay to that end \
Perhaps nothing shows more unnlistakably the
change in the popular ideals Of womanhood than
the fact that so many young turn to the
profession Of athletics, either enthusiasm
means of self-support So widespread has the new,
athletic type OF womanhood become that not only
every womans college, but also most private
schools for girls and many of the public schools
specialists to oversee the physical training of
tho girls.
1t Is recognized that woman stands far better
chance of social and professional success in this
world if she is well set up robust and agreeable
to look at, Nobody is proud to-day Of narrow
chest and feeble pair of lungs. Whereas. Araminta
in the fashionable novels OF sixty years ago was
pale and stoop shouldered, coughed delicately and
tainted conveniently, the modern young woman
gIories IN good color in pair OF broad shoulders
and in her immunity from nerves .
1t is fashionable to be well. 1t is fashionable
@ be as 80 men RS in their Of beauty
by the strenuous road of systematic athleuc cult
ure.
One of the most fantastic and daring Of the ex-
ercises recommended for girl athletes Is the rock
| rockers curved almost to semcircle and sup
he middle Tf 9Md one at each END The game is
advance the horse by rocking it over the smooth
but still it requires strength and daring. BY shift
! ing their weight the occupants of the horse can
| rock ii that it nearly stands on end. In Such
! a position the girl the Top throws her body and
| head away backward to prevent the horse
from turning completely over, the girl in the mid
| die hangs on for dear life, and the one at the
bottom with her back stretched straight along the
floor grasps low railing with her hands and by
q sharp effort jerks the huge weight forward in the
| direction which they wish to go. Each of the
others also takes advantage Of the rocking horses
! temporary stiffness to give il hard jerk, so that
if all work together in perfect unison and the floor
/ is smooth they shoot it forward a foot or SO
! with each rocking lunge.
1t all depends on how strong they are. how will
) ing to rock high and hard, and how perfect their
| team work.
! Since Dr. Sargent has introduced this exercise
! rocking horse races have been held in which
girls propel the clumsy machines fifty or sixty feet
down the full length of gymnasium hoor. The
excitement at these is often intense, for not
| only must the horses be propelled considerable
! distance, but they must also be turned around at
the further end Then. too. II the girls in one