New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-16
Italy's Cavalry Officers Have Been Lifted by
This Pet Scheme of the Marchese di Roc
cagiiovine from the Most Extreme
Inehciency to the Forefront
Of Equestrian Ability.

, GUS hocpen and other huge obstacles, be-
sides having TO lead their horses up and
down almost perpendicular entertainments
that are true neck breakers.
Meanwhile. as soon as the pupils can
!! handle themselves over the average jumps
they begin TO attend the meets, so that
they alternate between class work at
home and practical experience in the field.
1t is a case of fox hunting on Mondays,
| form schooling on Tuesdays, a stag hunt
/ on Wednesdays, fox hunting again on
! Thursdays, instruction in the morning
and a drag in the afternoon on Fri
days and stag hunting once more on Sat-
urdays 1t is busy and strenuous lie.
practically in the saddle from morning to
night for three months, but 1t turns out
| horsemen without peers.
From Tor di Quinto have been grad
uated a number of Europe's best riders.
men Of the stamp OF Caprilli, Fattori.
| Savoiroux. Bertolotti. Solari, CampeIlo,
Acerbo, Bulgarini and others who have
made names for themselves over the
great steeplechase courses and becoms
famous at the horse shows and in the
hunting field CaprilIi, indeed, is counted
the best gentleman jockey on the CONT
nent
Nor is 1t only Italians who have profit
ed by the establishment Of the world re-
nowned school. Many foreign officers.
like Captain Rodzanko, have taken ad-
vantage OF its open -to-all policy.
When the Argentine Republic decided
TO have a similar school of its own Lieu
tenant Tomquist attended one of the
courses, then returned TO Buenos Ayres
and instituted there the same methods.
The scope Of the Roman enterprise has
gradually enlarged, too, and its influence
has been felt throughout the Italian cav
airy corps. Every trooper is now good
rider and encouraged TO further improve
himself through the inducement Of inter
regimental competition.
TESTS AT TOR DI QUINTo.
Each spring there is held at Tor di
Quinto a test of all-round efficiency, in
which teams from all the cavalry regi-
ments vie for honors These teams are
| made up OF one subaltern officer. one
non-commissioned officer and five men
from the ranks.
| On the day of the contest the various
groups are sent over 'cross-country
| course of nineteen miles in the morning.
and must cover a regulation steeplechase
course measuring Psi yards, with ten
Jumps. in the afternoon. They are re-
CURED in both undertakings TO carry full
equipment. including sabres, carbines'
lances and ordnance saddles actually in
| fighting trim.
| The six teams making the best showing
compete on the following day for the
prizes in a final steeplechase. and the
winners are then presented their trophies
by the Queen, who never misses the event
The officers bid separately for the Kings
Challenge Cup in a special set of con-
tests which include an endurance race OF
thirty miles. a 'cross-country ride OF fif-
teen miles with natural obstacles and a
steeplechase of 3.272 yards. with seven
teen jumps OF all kinds.
Keen rivalry is shown both by officers
and troopers in qualifying for the team
events, and II will be readily understood
why individually and collectively the cav
alrymen VI Italy are without rivals in the
saddle.
1t tells clearly OF the remarkable effec-
tiveness of the Tor di Quinto methods
that in the last trials held not fall was
chronicled in the team tests. although
twenty-nine regiments were represented
with total Of 20S riders.