The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-16
VIRGINIA. BRED
HORSES FAMOUS
Frank j. Bryan. New York l5x-
pert, Tells How Racing
Helps Industry.
DY FRANK y. bryan,
National stccplcchnsc nnd Hunt Assoc


National Stccplcchnsc nud Hunt Assoc
clinton.
The Virginia Racing and Horse Show
Association entertained at the Fair
Grounds Saturday not alone a goodly
asscmblage of the lovers or the horse
In Richmond and the nearby vicinity,
but from ali parts III the state. as well
as from Washington. Baltimore ana
other points more distant.
1t was n pleasing tribute TO those In
charge to hear when Essex's number
was displayed as the winner OF the
stecplechase. which closed the pro-
gram for the day. unstinted praise for
President j. w. Gfaves and his assoc
ciates. They deserved 1t all. for their
efforts In behalf of both the horse show
and the racing Is in Keeping with a
very general movement throughout the
entire country to uplift these two par
ticular branches Of sport.
During the last couple of years there
has developed in all parts of the coun-
try an nnwarranted so-ca1led reform
movement. the tendency of which has
been to m~isconstruc, to paint in false
colors. to make laws. the effect or
which might have been tho almost
total wiping out of the great Industry
of breeding thoroughbrcds.
Happily In the darkest hours came a
rally from tho right sort OF people.
Men whose standing In the social and
financial world cannot be questioned
came boldly to the front In defense
of what came pretty close to being
an attack on their personal liberty.
Inc man whose name demands re-
spect In every community made It n
point to show his love OF a horse, not
alone. but with his family and with
ia 4 $3.50
prompted this stand. and virginia viii
do It's part TO build up what has been
torn asInder. 10 revive a sport that
has been countenanced for more than
. century. and Will go on for all time.
! twin work back to the pinnacle 1t held
Tor so many years, and the Virginia
Racing 5and Horse Show Association
viii play an important part In the up
building If Yesterdays attendance is
a fair criterion of what may be ex-
pected In the future.
Helps Breeding Industry.
IN addition to this it means a ma
lerlal enhancing of the breeding in
teersts of the State, Nowhere in tho
country do things look brighter in
this respect than in Virginia. There
was a time when the mention of a
great horse of almost any class meant
glory for Kentucky. with Tennessee
coming in for q share now and then.
The fame of the bluegrass regions was
worldwide. II brought millions of
dollars each year 10 that section.
Slowly but surely Nlrglnia has been
coming into a part In this great in
dnatry OF breeding and developing
the horse TO be roadster. saddler, hun
ter or r~ace-horse. During the recent
meeting At Piinlico in one of the hest
steeplechases run in years. the first,
second and third horse was Virginia.
bred. Sir Wooster. who won last fan
The champion stcepiechase at Belmont
Park. the most important cross-coun-f
try fixture of America, vas foaled on
the farm or the late Colonel Robert
Neville. and for a eng time carried
the famous white with green dIa-
monds' OF his breeder. rhe r~ecordsi
OF racing show many bright ~pagesi
which carry the dotngJ of those Old
Dominion bred. and the same can b.
said for re doings In the hunting
Held and in the show ring as well.
M idea of Profit.
To develop this interest TO increase
tte number of prisc winners, there
AUST be e chance to exhibit. and for
this reason due praise must be given
President Graves and his associates
OF tho local organization. The idea
of profit does not enter into their cal
culation. 1t Is sentiment alone that
prompts their energy and their lib
crafty. and their efforts call for the
support they nave and will receive.
Saturdays program was attractive
from beginning TO end. To-day's will
be even more so, for some of the start
c have been reserved for the clos
ing day. 1t will include for the show
ring the green hunters, pairs of hun-
tiers. roadsters. the handicap jump. thc
middle and heavyweight hunters in
competition, the %runabout class. ladies'
saddle class, the showing of hunt
and a free-for-all.
The race rogram includes two flat
races, a hunters and an open steeple-