Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-06
Esny Sportsmen Give Up
Prize Hounds Also as
Nonessential
SOME co TO ARMY MEN
Samuel, d. Riddle and C. Ross
Hamilton Among Those to
Make Sacrifices

X t4At II man or dratt age were not
employed in some useful occupation 1t
was up to him TO get such job or
Join the army.
Much has been written as TO whether
4 professional baseball would go by the
board much about the fate of pro-
fessional golfers; much about what
would happen to the boxers and their
managers, especially the latter. and how
the movie companies and the theatres
would be affected.
But apparently one very popular form
Of sport was overlooked by the para
3 grAphers, a diversion that has been very
& prevalent in recent years. This is the
{ horse show. Not only will the work
or-hght" order still further complicate
the already perplexing problem of OBJ
tanning enough grooms and stable help
ers. but owners who have been keeping
Z their strings" of thoroughbreds intact
out of personal pride or affection for
their pets are placed in a peculiar posi-
tfon.
Can't Get Stable Hands
You can't run a big stable without
men, and good. husky lads at that And
II you are a patriot. and certainly the
horsemen of this country have shown
where they stand since the United States
entered the war. you can't see yourself
be hghting or working in a shipyard.
so the chances are that the horse
show will go into the discard until the
war Is over and may never, in fact re-
gain its former prestige. Racing, on
the contrary, is increasing in popularity.
for the Government has become con-
yinced that the only way to determine
what stations are suitable for breeding
II to test them out on the track against
the pick of their age and type.
They held the National Indoor Horse
show in Madison Square Garden last
winter, the receipts going TO the Red
Cross, and the indoor show was held
here. The Devon Show, a local outdoor
AFFAIR, was called off but a volunteer
committee took charge and staged an
exhibition at Devon. a week later than
the original date. and made a neat sum
for the Red Cross.
Odds Against shows Thu War Ends
But, as a well-known horseman here
put 1t today, the man-managed horse
show should be tabeoed until after the
war. It's not appropriate. II there is
such a crying demand for a horse show
that 1t Is felt one should be held, then
have show that is managed entirely
by women with women riders, judges
and even grooms. Too many slackers
uauBtuk dTOunu the morse SHOW ana
horse-racing game. in my opinion. Tn
Gle Sam ought to get after those boys"
80 the odds are against any more
shows in the Philadelphia district until
peace comes again, unless the indomita-
BILE Mrs. Walter C. Hancock. founder and
manager Of the indoor show, decides to
run an exhibition next spring without
anysmasculne assistance whatever
->There is still another angle to the
horse show game, however, and that is
the factor of food conservation 10 SAY
nothing of expense. There is chance,
though possibly a remote one, of break
Ing even In the racing game, but the
owner of a string of show horses must
pay. pay. pay with not a cent coming
back to him.
Then. too. with feed as high az it is
now. and with the Government keeping
after everybody to save eatables. men
do not feel like keeping a number of
horses. no matter how blueblooded the
animals may be, in luxurious idleness.
1t strikes them that the horses should
be doing something useful. In fact. this
notion hit many of them a year ago,
and there has been a great clearing out
OF the stables Of this city's "horsey set
Only Breeders Retained
Those horses that were suitable for
breeding purposes were kept, while others
were either sold or given away. Good,
clean limbed hunters were quickly
snapped up by the purchasing commits
sions of the United States or the Allies
Other types went to farmers or for use
In station wagons The high price OF
gasoline, tires and other motorcar neces-
stiles has brought the horse back into
favor as a means OF locomotion, espe-
cially in the more remote country dis
tricts.
One prominent sportsman here who
has cut down his stable considerably Is
Samuel D. Riddle. He first went over
his pack of fox hounds, had the old and
useless dogs chloroformed, gave away a
number of the less valuable animals and
sent The pick of the pack TO his farm
in Maryland. There they can be cared
for and fed at minimum of expense
After the war by proper breeding he
will soon be able to bring the pack up to
full strength again.
Next he turned his attention to his
Young hunters. All save a few were
uiven away, many to friends in the army
His thoroughbred show horses. Nancy
Pansy, regarded by many critics as the
best timber topper in America : Bally-
heather and four or five others, were
urned out to grass. Mr.. Riddle would
lot take chances on what might happen
% these fine animals II they passed into
|alien hands. But. save for these ribbon
ywinners and enough horses to work his
| farms at Glen Riddle and in Maryland
! he stripped his stable bare.
Many stables Stripped
C. Ross Hamilton, another well-known
hiladelphia horseman, disposed of all
Il the pick Of his stable and used his
Ares for breeding purposes He has
& k nne young colts this spring, all being
z 1<nllions.
My. Hamilton retired from the horse
show game year ago. His son being
In the army In France, he felt little
like exhibiting thoroughbreds in a show
ring.
81 think a horse show is distinctly
nonessential," he said today. They
take too much time, money and energy
In proportion to the possible returns for
the Red Cross and they really serve no
good purpose
Others have followed suit, many be-
cause they were going into the Govern
ment service and saw no use in keenIns
. stabletul OF horses eating their hsads
~ while their masters were away
5 okhers because they knew they would he
80 busy to hunt or show their horses
~ any exhibitions and felt that at such
crisis as the country is now facing a
onow horse was an anomaly
There Will be some fox hunting aronnd
Phiiadelphia this winter, no doubt tn
1f1or men will need the exercise snd
2 ~ women who are spending their davs
&Qtng Red Cross or other war work VIII,
~ glad Of the chance for a bracinr aash
( N the early hours Of a crisp autumn
IN - 1<..< a.. ..aalas,, .,tii -