New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-26
ARMY RACES IN FAVOR
Promise Of Big Field for Military
Chase This Year.
INTEREST GROWS STEADILY
Outlook Bright for the ohi'ea
Hunts Meeting at Belmont
Park Terminal.

That officers OF the United States army
are in earnest In their efforts to encour"se
the breeding Of horses for army purposes
was shown last week at a meeting Oh ''e
board Of directors Of the Uniteo 'l""''
Racing Association. held In the W iiiuSoi
Arcade. when Perry Belmont. president u
the association. Informed the members '"at
he had received letters from army Objects
stating that they would participate IN 'he
Military Steeplechase. the feature race OF
the spring meeting. to be held at Belmont
Park Terminal on June and 10.
For a long time Mr.. Belmont and mem
bers OF the association OF which he Is the
head have been endeavorng to establish
military races in this country. II Is con-
coded that American cavalrymen are not
well mounted. With the purpose Of I'M
proving the army mounts Mr. Belmont as
president OF the association. inaugurateh
the Military Steeplechase and annually
this race Is competed for by horses ridden
by army officers. II has always been the
feature race of these meetings.
When In Paris several years ago Mr.. Bel
mont through the military attache of the
American Embassy. succeeded In obtain
ing transla ton OF the rules which govern
the races in which officers OF the French
army compete. These rules were trans
mitted 10 General Franklin Bell. Chief OF
Staff OF the army, TO be used as basis
for establishing the regulations under
which United States officers might take
part in military races held under the au-
spices OF any racing association that might
meet with the approval Of the War De-
partment
The fact that regular army officers are
badly mounted was perhaps best demon
strated at the recent horse show. held in
Madison Square Garden, when American
horses in competition with horses ridden
by foreign officers did not carry off a rib
bon In the military classes.
General Franklin Bell, General Grant
General Wood, Quartermaster General
James p. Aleshire. Colonel George "
Dunn. Lieutenant Rockwell. Charles q
Treat and others have been active I'm their
efforts to encourage officers of the regular
army TO enter their mounts in the Military
Steeplechase. They have succeeded In not
only interesting persons high in the gov
eminent in the movement, but even pri-
Yates i'm the regular army.
On January Is, when the army appropria-
ton bill was before the House, various
members of Congress took a decided inter-
est In the question OF establishing remount
stations for the breeding Of horses for
army purposes. Whether the government
is TO establish breeding stations or whether
individuals should furnish animals for army
use under the specifications and regula-
lions of the War Department is a matter
under discussion. In the mean time, how
ever several stations have been offered
TO the army by members of the Jockey
Club, and at Fort Riley Kan, where there
is a mounted service school which turns
out some Of the best cavalrymen of the
army, Messenger. bred by Henry 7. Ok
nard. is serving mares in the neghborhood
for the benefit OF the farmers. and also for
army purposes.
At the November meeting of the United
Hunts Racing Association 4 government
horse. entered by the Mounted Service
School at Fort Riley and ridden by Lieu
tenant John Spring, jr, 18th Cavalry, won
the Hunt cup for the army officers steeple-
chase. This cup. il was finally decided. be-
longed 10 the eth Cavalry. and is now re-
tanned as regimental trophy. The regl-
ment has furnished the school with a re-
production for its library. MI Belmont
as president of the association. gives a cup
each year for tho military race.
II is expected that when the hugle is
sounded calling the horses 10 the post for
the military race in June, the largest num-
Der Of horses ever entered I'm a race OF the
kind will face the starter.
II was during the war with Spain that
Mr.. Belmont first conceived the idea TO
further the breeding of horses used by the
regular army. He received commission
from the late President Mckinley, making
him an inspector general, with the rank
of major. and he was assigned 10 the 1st
Division. ID Army Corps. under Major
General NJ. e. Butler, who was stationed az
Camp Alger.
When Mr.. Belmont arrived at Camp Algcr
he observed that the officers of the regular
army were generally poorly mounted
while the volunteer cavalry We're compare
lively we'll mounted. He talked the matter
over with General Butler. with the result
that several other army officers became
deeply interested
In 1906 when President Taft was Score
tary of War he was informed by General
Bell of the military steeplechase proposed
by the United Hunts Racing Association
and gave his consent that army officers
might participate
The first military steeplechase was run
in 1895 at Morris Park. under the auspices
Of the United Hunts Racing Association.
with only one entry from the regular
army. Six horses. however. faced the
l1
regiments from Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The race was won by one of the militia
horses. and General Grant. commanding
the Department of the East. who witnessed
the race, said he was delighted with the
good beginning then made, although the
inferiority of the regular army mount was