The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-03-06
NOTED HORSES IN WAR.
American ThOrOughbrcdS Ridden BY
French Officers
Washington Post.


the sportsmen of the United States
are playing a large part in the Euro
pean war, but their gallantry will
probably not be published until his.
tory has begun to be written" said
Preston Bureh, an American trainer
OF racers, who has returned recently
from France, at the Shoreham. AT
the outbreak of the war the French
government called for all mares and
geldings years old and over and
among those chosen were such we'll
known American racers as Scarpia,
California King and Mellowmint.
Cooper, a six-year-old gelding, a
product Of the Hurricane farm, at
Amsterdam, n. Y, has the distinc-
ton of carrying Captain Raoul of the
Seventh French Cavalry. Captain
Roaul was training a string of thor
oughbreds at Maisons-Lafitte when
the war broke out. He went in as
lieutenant, but was soon promoted for
gallantry. l received a card from
him from Belgium, in which he said
that Cooper had made the whole
campaign. Another French officer,
who rode an old American steeple-
chaser, told me the horse had saved
his life by clearing a high fence at
critical moment when a slip would
have meant certain death. SO you see
the American racer has distinguished
himself IN the war.
John Sanford, owner of the Huri-
cana farm and a former member of
the house, has one of the largest
strings Of American thoroughbreds in
Europe. He was unfortunate in Sc
lecting last year to make his debut on
the French turf. He began by buy
ing 10 of the finest French yearlings
at the 1913 summer sales at Deauville,
paying for one filly $4,000, the high
est price ever paid for a yearling filly
in France. Mr.. Sanford later sent
over from America older horses,
among them that great old horse
Voter. Voter is now at Mr.. Sanford s
farm at Cheffreville with a lot of
brood mares. He has the nucleus for
one of the greatest American stables
in France. and doubtless when rae
ing is resumed his colors will be as
prominent as those of w. K. Wander
bilt and H. B. Duryea.
when the German army was with
in SO miles of the French capital ]
took the Sanford horses, then at
Maisons-Lafitte, which is 10 miles
from Paris, and started for Cheffre-
vile by road, distance Of 15O miles
There were no railroads to ship them
by, and with a large force of bile
boys we set out on August 81, arriv-
ing at our destination five days later.
My move was followed by a great
many other trainers, until about all
the thoroughbreds had been transfer
red from Chantilly and Maisons-La-
fitte to the rich pastures of Normandy
and to safety.
Before leaving France 1 drove my
automobile in the service Of the
American ambulance corps, with
which 1 left it. On a trip to the
front, on the line between Armentiers
and La Bassee, where the fighting
was hot. had opportunity to observe
the work of the American volunteers
in the American Red Cross work, and
was thrilled with pride. On the
roll call were the names of IS young
men, and a more sturdy lot of young
fellows could not have been found.
Among them were graduates Of Yale,
Harvard and Cornell. These boys
slept is, on the floor in an attic
room of an old house, with no mat
tresses and not much covering. Their
orders were to turn in soon after
dark and get up before daybreak.
Their rations were bully beef can
ned corn beef made into stew, hash
and other plain dishes, but there was
no complaint. Jam and cheese were
served for desert, and sometimes in
the morning they would get a slice of
bacon for breakfast. No one who
has not seen them al. work can real
ize what the American ambulance
corps has been and is doing in the
name Of the American Red Cross.
Uncle Sam can proudly say:
"'One Of my gifts to humanity is
the American ambulance corps at
| Neuilly, France