The New York herald., 1920-01-13
Steeplechasing
Men in Session

More than one hundred men and two
women-Mrs Payne Whitney and Mrs.
| f. Ambrose Clark-were in the ballroom
of the Commodore Hotel yesterday after
noon in response to the invitation of the
Hunts Committee of the National Steeple-
chase Association to attend a meeting
for the purpose of considering ways and
means of reviving and improving the sport
OF steeplechasing. Such an assemblage
OF prominent gentlemen riders, fox hunt
ers, army officers and others identified
with the amateur side of racing and
| chasing has not often been seen in New
York.
A. Henry Higginson. of Boston. chair
man OF the Hunts Committee OF the
Steeplechase Association, presided. and
among the others present We're Charles
e. Mather, NJ. F. II. of the Brandywine
Hunt. near Philadelphia: James w. APP
pleton, NJ. f. Fl. of the Myopia Hunt:
Harry $. Page, dean Of the amateur
riders; Colonel Goetz, Of the regular
army. who has been detailed by the war
Department to instruct the students at
Harvard University in equitation and
horsemanship as n matter of national
defence; d. G. Sar. IS. of Mildeburg, Va. +:
~. Il. Griffith, of Baltimore, who owns
the great steeplechase- The Brook; G..
NJ. Stryker and Winthrop Chandler. from
the Genessee Valley; j. X. X. Scott, for
merly member of Congress from Penn
sylvania and n breeder Of hunters and
hackneys; Walter L. Goodwin. of Hart
ford, who played in the international
polo games; F. Ambrose Clark. of the
Meadow Brook Club: Colonel Henry l..
Bell: Joseph u. Davis, sometime Sheriff
of Nassau County. l.. L.: G.. Bernard
Fen wick. +. S. Won Stade. Henry G..
Vaughn, Rufus c. Finch Henry w Bull
,,.I 4. Il d., oil of he
National Steeplechase and Hunt Asso-
cation: william c. Wilson, master of the
Chester Valley Hunt. in Pennsylvania
Captain r. Penn Smith. Jr.: Colonel
Charles X. Rockwell, Frederick Allpers. S.
Bryce Wing, William A. Prime. Thomas
+. White. Leonard Jacob. III. A. Buck. sec
reetary OF the Turf and Field Club; Walter
y. Salmon, Charles Appleton, Ralph
Beaver Strassberger. who gave steeple-
chase meeting last season at his farm
near Phladelphla Edward Weld, Bayard
Tuckerman. Harry Tucker and Russell
Il. Tucker.
Representing the army officially were
Colonel G.. p. George Major Guy ".
Henry Colonel Koch, Major Henry Leon
ard and Colonel 4. X. r. Lyman. all Of
whom had come from Washington to at
tend the meeting.
The speakers included Mr.. Higginson.
Mr.. Mather, Mr.. Page, Major Henry.
Colonel Rockwell, Mr.. Jenkins. Of Balti-
more, Mr.. Weld. Mr.. Scott, Mr.. Wilson,
James w. Appleton. Mr.. Clark, Mr.. Davis,
Colonel Goetz. Colonel Koch, Mr.. Bryan
and Mr.. Salmon, all of whom deprecated
the scarcity Of well schooled horses and
amateur riders.
In speaking OF his work at Harvard.
Colonel Goetz expressed the opinion that
college horse shows and intercollegiate
polo games may be looked for in the not
far distant future, and he said the colleges
might also develop some amateur steeple-
chase riders.
Mr.. Jenkins advocated some concerted
action to standardize the jumps in steeple-
cha sing and urged that measures be taken
TO enforce such regulations when made.
Mr.. Weld said the low easy jumps at
present In use on many tracks invite the
entry of imperfectly schooled horses and
are manifestly unfair and discouraging
TO owners Of well schooled steeplechasers.
He, too. advocated jumps of a regulation
height and character on all recognized
courses.
Mr.. Clark spoke In favor OF more long
distance steeplechases. up to three miles.
with higher jumps and better kept courses.
Mr. Wilson thought that substantial
purses for jumping races open only to
farmers horses would go far to encourage
the breeding of more hunters and steeple-
chasers.
Mr.. Scott spoke of the Importance of
suitable roads for horses as a means of
the breeding. keeping and
riding of steeplechasers and hunters as
well as driving horses He predicted that
all classes OF light horses would dsap-
pear unless such roads are built in the
near future.
The sense Of the meeting was expressed
in the following resolution introduced by
Mr.. Page:-
THAT a committee Of three be appointed
bv the chair. the chairman 10 he included,
one OF the three to be representative of
the United states Army. and one repre-
senting the sport of fox hunting the chair
man representing the National Steepe-
chase and Hunt Association: the commit
tee 10 take up the revival OF the sport,
with an effort 10 arrange suitable dates.
aver which the Hunts Committee shall
have Jurisdiction. and TO carry out the
suggestions rendered at the general meet
ing Of those interested in steerl echasins.'