New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-06
Cowboy Celebration at
Sheepshead Shames
Movies with Stunts.
THE REAL WEST HAS
BEEN BROUGHT EAST
Exhibition of Ranch Sports
Amuses Large Crowd at
the Speedway.

With a oop-hooray and a yip-ky-yi
"The Stampede and Spirit Of the West
Celebration" began at the Sheepshead
Bay Speedway yesterday afternoon.
The cowboys and cowgirls and range
bosses, ranch foremen, remuda hands
and Injun braves have ridden the
drawing-room Pullman trails all the
way from Waukomis, Okla, and points
west, to celebrate. And, having come
so far, they intend to do the matter up
in a whole hearted Western way. Be-
ginning promptly at 2 p. m. each day,
they are going to celebrate right
through until next Saturday night.
Some 5000 resident New Workers re-
paired to Sheepshead TO contemplate
the Westerners casually engaged in the
pastimes Of the range. And whether
it was the real West at holiday they
saw, or merely an exhibition Of West
ern sports specially contrived for East
ern eyes, hardly matters at all. 1t was
something new, and they enjoyed 1t
immensely. The stands, however, were
not without some real, honest ex-
plainsmen. And the reminiscent way
their eyes would light up at times
seemed pretty clear proof that some OF
the things they saw same mighty close
to the true Western thing.
Tomorrow a percentage of the gate
receipts at the exhibition will be shared
with the Womans American Supply
League, an organization formed to sup
ply necessities to National Guardsmen
on the Mexican border and in concen-
tration camps. Mrs John Hays Ham
mond is president Of the league, which
also provides for the INDECENT families
of soldiers.
Every Sport Shown
The programme runs the gsmut of
known ranch sports, with trimmings on
some for exhibition purposes, while
others were all trimmings, as far as
ranch antecedent goes. But the cow
boys were a picturesque lot, the cow
girls were alert and winsome, the Mex
leans saddle-colored, furtive and SOM
breroed, and the ponies ill-behaved
enough TO rouse the most jaded movie
fan. One event that made a hit was
the cowboys nightshirt race"
This is typical cow-country game,
the rules OF which may be epitomlzed
as follows: Game is played on a cir
cular half-mile track, such as all
ranches cliuging to true frontier tradi-
tons have. Contestants start at post
mounted, dismount at one-eighth mile
post, open suitcase, remove and don
nightshirt, mount horse with suitcase
and ride 10 quartermile post. dis
mount, take out and raise umbrella,
hold suitcase in one hand and umbrella
in other and finish race.
Cowboy Floyd Irwin was the victor
in a spirited contest. Dave Cromwell,
who rides fence out in Wyoming when
working, claimed he would have won
the race but for a misunderstanding.
Dave belongs TO the more progressive
class of cowpunchers. and passes his
nights on the range with earth for
bed and sky for a pillow, clad in pale
blue cashmere pajamas. Naturally, ne
says, he never dreamed the old-fash-
toned Mother Hubbard-like "nightie
would be used in bang-up 1916 model
contest. His unfamiliarity with the
obsolete garment, and that alone, he
says, caused him to lose the race, which
was for the worlds championship.
The bucking horse bareback con-
tests, the bucking steer riding exhibit
tions, the steer ropng, pony express
race and steer bull-dogging tournament
were events of different ilk. II mod
ern pay-as-you-enter daredeviltry can
produce anything more hair-raising
than genuine steer bull-dogglng
match between a keenly rivalled outfit
Of punchers, the thrill hunters would
like to see it. Steer bull-dogging is
real Western sport, and a steer-dogger
who puts his heart into his work is
poorer life insurance risk, two 70 one,
than q bullhghter.
A Dangerous Leap.
The object is TO leap from the back
Of a flying horse on TO the head OF a
maddened and fleeing Texas longhorn
and throw the steer BY hanging sus-
banded from the neck and en.angling
It's legs. Jack Fretz brought a gasp to
5000 threats when he hurled himself
from the saddle of his plunging mount
and, catching his foot on the pommel
OIL his saddle, was thrown sprawling
on to the lS-inch horns Of the charging
steer. Cowpuncner and animal went
down in a heap. The steer scrambled
70 its feet and trotted off, minus one
horn. but Jack didn't.
"Whewl" exclaimed a cowboy, who
had witnessed the mishap from in front
Of the grandstand, 81 guess Jacks done
for"
The cowboy started for the PROSTATE
man on a run. A first aid squad hur-
red to the spot. Luckil" however,
Fretz was not seriously hurt.
The bulldogging event was won by
Mike Hastings, who threw his steer
thirty seconds after il had been re-
leased from the corral. The cowboy
whose aggregate time for the week is
lowest will be declared champion steer
buldogger of the world. It is an honor