New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-11
ObsessiOn Has Shown up
Well, Winning the PriX
de TuilerieS.
RAN SECOND IN HIS
FIRST PUBLIC CHASE
BurWoOd, Kings Ransom, Riggs
Cure and MeadOWsWeet Also
Win on French Turf.
From The Tribune correspondent.


Paris. Jan. AN American bred horse
achieving success over the steeplechase
courses OF France is Mr. Hitchcocks
Obsession. by Marta Santa. big bay that
Ed Corrigan took from England 10 Amer
lea. out Of Possession. a mare that ran
well in the Middle West.
Although just become a four-y ear-old'
by rule. Obsession already is a pretty
safe conveyance across country. At his
first public outing over the jumps he ran
a good second in a field of nine. and
few DAYS later he won the Prix de Tuile-
lies steeplechase at Auteuil from field
OF six that included the horse that had
beaten him.
In both of these 'chases Obsession was
ridden by Fred Williams. the American
'cross-country Jockey, who came over to
Sam Hildreth last winter and had the
mount in the English Grand National on
Highbridge. the big-jumping American
steeplechaser owned by John Fell, OF
Philadelphia.
Burwood. Kings cure and King Ran
som. all grandsons of the Dryer Broth
ers' grand horse Kingston, are other
winners Of American blood at the cross
country sport over here; another is
Meadowsweet by Yankee-Campo.
Mr.. Felrs Highbridge has returned 10
England. after spending the summer ana
autumn in Germany without success, Il
second at Bremen being the nearest ne
came TO winning over German course
He has been trained by j. Is. frayiihe,
who came over from America with the
horse a year ago. Fred Taral, now
trainer of the Messrs. Won Weinberg
big German stable. but twenty years ago
famous in America as the Keenes' chief
Jockey and Snapper" Garrison's great
est rival for premier riding honoTs, pro-
nounces Highbridge grand jumper Dut
ont Of form. He thinks that If the horse
gets right again in England 1t Will nave
TO be reckoned with at Aintrcc three
months hence-unless the offcial hanoi
capper piles weight on II for the next
Grand National.
Alexander Smith Cochran. the American
sportsman who bought the irish steeple-
chaser Postboy Tor $500 last spring and
took the horse 10 the United States 10
win. has registered his colors on this side
and intends TO have Postboy trained for
the English Grand National. The horse
has come back from America.
AS a matter Of fact. France IS the lead
ing country. by long way. for steeple'
chasing and hurdle racing. But one has
TO come here to learn H.
ola theories and out-of-date facts often
die hard, which may account for the gen
eral belief among turfmen In the United
states and Canaoa that Great Britain and
ireland still are the leading countries for
'cross-country sport. II may come as a
surprise TO many Americans TO be told
that I'm France there are $50 packs Of
hounds for hunting the roe deer. the fox.
the hare. the wild boar and the wolf, and
that there are thousands OF good riders OF
both sexes among the French, who are
riding across country.
Another surprise-at least it invariably
proves such TO American turfnen visit
ing France for the first tme-is that the
Paris Grand Stoeplechase. Of something
over four miles ran annually in June II r.
weight forage event. with stakes worth
between $4,000 and $4,000. whereas the
English Grand National is a handicap
and its value has only just been raised to
$4,000.
The Auteuil Grand Hurdle Race Of
three miles and furlong. has $4,000
added 10 sweepstakes Of $120 each for
starters. or half forfeit. As there usually
are from sixty 10 seventy entries. OF which
from fifteen To twenty generally go TO the
most this spiendidly spectacular race has
an annual value OF approximately 800
oOc. which is threeyor four times the