The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-12
SOL0N Of TURF
| EXPRESSES HOPE
August Belmont Cheerful and
Happy in Speaking OF
the Sport.
SEEKS TO AMALGAMATE
ALL RACING INTERESTS
Points to Thomas H. Hitchcock
as Finest Type of the "Rac-
ing HOrseman."

NEW YORK. Feb, 11.@"I have not
sold my race horses and do not intend
to sell them. And, what is more, many
of the leading turfmen of America have
adopted similar course. 1T is source
Of great satisfaction TO me to be up
held in this manner. The fact that my
friends are keeping their thoroughbreds
in this country is another cause for
qualification
That was August Belmont IS reply TO
query from representative Of the
press as TO the outlook for racing this
season. 1t was ambiguous an nature, but
if you read between the lines you will
find that the solons of the turf are
very hopeful. Belmont would not say
more than this on the subject. But his
tone and manner of speech carried the
conviction that his mind probably en-
tertains regarding the racing situation
in this state. He was cheerful and
happy in speaking about the turf, and
was In no way cast down by the trials
and tribulations the sport has passed
through.
Welding sportsmen.
tThe sportsmen of America are bust
continued. Gin welding together the
various interests in racing Onr plans
are reincarnation, as it were, of the
sport of racing. We wish to cleanse
and to purify it of all Objectionable
features, We hope to make it what
we have always strlven fora pure,
clean sport, not an eyesore to the COM
m,qnity, but an eedifice Of pleasure, keen
delight and downright satisfaction.
This is as the turf should be- what we
have tried hard for during the last
| fifteen years, and which we intend to
accomplish and obtain in the future.
''1t is with this idea foremost that
we have called the sportsmen of Ameri-
ca together. In the past there have
been too many interests. although the
men at heart have all been great ad-
mircrs of blooded horse The trouble
has been in the lack Of cohesion and
singleness of purpose. The hunting
man has thought only of following the
| hounds with good mount under him
| to carry him wherever the wild hel-lo-o
comes from; the cross-ccuntry enthu-
siast has only shown interest in steeple..
chasing; the amateur rider has cared
| for only those races in which he has
| taken or will take part. the horse eX
hibitor forgot all else pertaining Ia
the horse save those contests in the
show rings, and the turfman only cared
for the struggles at the race track.
ifIt is high time that these devers.
fled interests should he amalga mated
under one glorious banner, the horse:
Unless the motto becomes one for all
and all for one, there is great likeh
hood that the love for thoroughbred
horse will soon die out. and such
thing ms it's species will become as
scarce as the buffalo. In order In pre-
serve the bIooded horse to America
and in order 10 inspire desire among
Americans to become breeders of high
class horses, we. will try to bring to-
gother the various horsemen of the
| country.
Hitchcock's Experience.
"Let me cite the career of Thomas
II. Hitchcock as the purpose of our
was an amateur rider when he rame
into the turf circle. As an amateur
rider he was capable and able to guide
n horse. lie was an enthusiast, but his
enthusiasm was not limited in scope.
He did not confine his efforts merely
TO riding horses. and he soon purchased
string of polo ponies and hunters.
The hunters whetted his appetite for
steeplechasing, and ere long he had a
stable of cross-countrv horses.
"That is the idea of the sportsmen
of America today to bring out among
the men who are interested in the
blooded horse Of this country-a racing
horseman. Our desire is to have men
familiar not only with the horse that
takes part in the polo matches, the
hunting field and the steeplechase, but
also the horse that races on the flat.
HThis contention among the anna
tours has fostered the idea among the
members of the hunt clubs that there
was a vast difference between races in
which amateurs take part and those of
hers of the Jockey club do not share
in this belief, and it is in order TO
amalgamate the various rscing men
under the banner of the horse, so that
there wall he uniformity Of spirit,
that the sportsmen of this country are
now working