Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-02
HORSES WITH BAD TEHPERS
Enoch Wishard's Great Victory Over
Royal Flush.
HAS TO TAME A BAD ACTOR
Savage ThOrouEhbreds owned by the
Dwyers-An Colds Attack on n
JOckey-CasuaItIes Caused by
Equine Combatfveness.

NEW YORK, Jan. 1.-The london dis
patch printed a few days ago about the
English t-horoughbreds having shown such
bad temper at various times attracted the
attention OF an old time trainer who sat
in the Hoffman House rotunda and re-
marked to half a dozen listeners:
II notice that Ladas and a few other
bad tempered ones were mentioned as
having wanted to savage their Jockeys
and attendants at different times, but 1
saw nothing about Royal Flush and some
other English horses that were brought
out here and were cured Of temper, or
at any rate 80 much improved that they
would be considered fairly tolerable at
home. This horse Royal Flush was a
mighty Splinter. but 1t took half a dozen
men to saddle him In the paddock, and he
was liable to run amuck at the post or
during a race and hurt some man or horse
seriously.
"Enoch Wishard. the American trainer,
who is now in this country, was training
for Drake in England, and he saw the
possibilities Of converting Royal Flush.
The owner and trainer Of the big brute
were pretty well Disguised. and though the
horse was worth big money IL he could
be handled they knew that the stewards
OF the jockey club we're seriously consider
ing the barring Of the horse from partici-
patton In all races run under their juris-
diction because of his savagery. It was
therefore a golden opportunity not to be
lost when Wishard offered 800 for the
horse, taking the odd chance that he could
pick up a few races after the application
Of a thorough system of whip breaking. at
which art the western horseman is an
adept.
You should hear Wlshard tell Of how he
conquered the horse. He had him brought
to his quarters at Newmarket. The big
stallion arrived there full of fight and was
put in a special box stall about twenty
four feet square.
The box was cleaned OF everything
but a light litter and the horse was fas-
tened to the wall on either side. Wishard.
armed with a new coach whip, entered
and he gave Royal Flush such a thorough
drubbing that there wasn't a spot on him
from ears to tail which did not show the
severity Of the punishment. At the start
the horse fought savagely and roared his
defiance like. a lion, but In the end he
yielded, as they all will, and fairly squealed
for mercy.
The bruises were treated with a cooling
lotion and the following day, whip in hand.
Wishard once more went to the stall and
was prepared to renew the punishment.
1t was not necessary, however, and that
day two Of the youngest boys in the train
er's employ made the horses toilet while
Wishard lay in the straw and looked on.
The horse knew his master and was
tranquil. Within ten days after purchas-
ing him Wishard took Royal Flush to the
paddock in a halter without a muzzle and
saddled and bridled the hitherto savage
stallion without assistance. The English
trainers and racetrack habitues were
amazed and they were still further sur
prised when Royal Flush cantered tract
ably to the post and won his race In a
canter.
He won many other races, too-about
$20,OOO in all-for his owner before he went
wrong that autumn and had to be thrown
out of training. 1t is true that in bring
ing Royal Flush to this country the per-
son who had him in charge became care
less and the horse bit one of the mans
thumbs off as cleanly as though 1t had
been chopped away by a butchers cleaver,
but It is not recorded that he subsequently
gave much trouble during the time he was
in the stud in California and Kentucky
'Metuchen was a pretty bad PROPOSE
tlon." spoke up a listener, land he was
purely American and his bad temper could
not be laid to the rubbing and drumming
the English give their horses. Metuchen's
original name was c. H, Gillock and he
was bought by Mike Dwyer for a fancy
price when he was 8 years old.
II had heard of some of his tantrums
around the Dwyer stable at Gravesend and