The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-01
FEATS OF BgLGIIN RIDERS.
BlspIa, Of IIoFsrmanship ~ the MuiiaTy
Rkiins schooI.

RIdins school.
YPREs. Belgium. April IS Inc Belgians
are especially proud Of their Ecols
d'EuuitatiOn. or Natiolal Military Riding
school, at Ypres. Their pride y certainly
justified. Never in wandsrings over thres
continents has the writer seen more per-
feet craftsmanship.
The Ecols Reputation is a Government
academy established exclusively for the
purpose Of teaching horsemanship 10
Belgian oaicsrs Every Oficer on finish
i1g he courss at Sas Brussels Military
School IL OF liged 70 take a years course
Of workmanship before joining has req
mont
The writer was received Al the Ecols
d'Eqlitation by the commandant and
first saw a class Of cadets riding the
French saddle. A. II is called This saddle
u practically identical with ths iousting
saddles Of medieval knights The saddles
as ridden by the cadets had no stirrups
and only snaiIie bits were used
The long line of men turned, circled.
wheeled and advanced IN tWos aud fours
and platoo2s Then they put up the
obstacles. not the old fashioned low
Obstacles seen al military tournaments
the world over hut solid walls. fences
ana hedges that had TO he jumped clean
or the rider came TO grief The cldsts
first wer. over these hurdles singly IN
rairs and fours; then they began 20 turn
somersaults ON their horses as they went
over the FIVE foot hurdles ~ uncon-
cern@dly a. Il practising in a gymnasium.
f The commandlnt then led the way 70 a
more advanced class Of riders The men
IN this second menaRe rod pIgskin hunt
ing saddl"s and could have given points
IN horssmlaslip to COssack veterans.
Thcy threw themselves on and 81 their
horses a. u made of rubber They stood
zap in their saddles IN true Cossick style
and hacked yiciously al heads and posts.
They rod" backward and they changed
horses while going over the jumps Then
they lined hp In squadron formation at
the further end Of the hall and came rae
ing toward ~. every man rising In his
stirrups and yelling like Wild Indian until
AZ the word ~ command they pulled
their horses hack on their Launches the
noses Of the leading line within reach Of
the commandant's hand
After the exhibition the commaHdln,
took the correspondent 10 the steeple.
chase course. which h unequslled IN
Europe The Courso n b,ui; around the
barracks and contains every imaginahle
Kind Of lump bullhnch an IN and ont
jump. a Liverpool, ditch 30 broad and
deep that i is called the river. two hankl
and a rail fence
The hanks are seven feet high and have
AZ the further end just about vhere a
horse would land In The ordinary courss
u events. a single rail raised four feet
from the ground. and placed In the mos
. awkward position possible.
Next Was shown n division ~ senior
, ola students performing the high schoO
minpuvTcs. These youths were certAinl,
the most finished high school riders IN
writer has ever seen They drove the
thorouEhbreds IN a way that circus rider
fnis hg have oaVisd. Particularly worthy
q note was the movement known a. th'
7 Cahrade ithe prancel. IN which tho hOTs'
! rears and goes down the line on his htr,
: legs. Only thoroughbrods are used In IN
! high school division n man has heavy
/ hands during the cabrade his horse VII
almost invariably q over backward
J On the drill plain was shown the pm
cipal feat ~ the day A long tut gradtia
. ascent covered with turf arose from tn
} drill plain aud az tho top broke away sud
J denly into a precipice about 80 feet hlgl
} ait D a grade % about 20 degreea
The exercise consisted in horses Rallop
b ing up the turfcd incline az full speed ant
then sliding down the precipice a. IN
/ plain he.0W. feat which required nor
: than an ordinary amount ~ nerve. q va
. strange spectacle In the twilight n NJ
I the gayiy uniformed ofirers racing ~
= the slope and then dropping out Of Ugh
D ~ 90 ~pietely AZ II they had been swal
loEed by an earthquake.