The Washington times., 1920-12-12

The Points OF Excellence by Wh1
IF there is any one fundamental upon
which all gentleman sport is built 1t
= is that 1t shall be honest straightfor.
ward and clean.
And yet, in the best-known and greatest
event of the year, in the world Of American
fashionable sport-the National Horse
Show at Madison Square Garden-a first
prize was won by fraud the other day.
Right in front of the eyes of Mr. Regi
maid Vanderbilt. who stood in the ring as
the official in charge that Wednesday az
ternoon, horse was entered in one Of the
prize competitions under a name not Its
own, in a class which 1t had no right to
be in, pretending to be Of an age which
was false and disqualified 1t. And this lit
tie animal, masquerading as something
which it was not, walked away with the
blue ribbon, the first prize in the class, by
trickery and Misrepresentation.
The astonishing thing about 1t all is that
this horse was entered from the stables
owned by Mr. Samuel M. Vauclain, the
Inultimillionaire president Of the Baldwin
Locomotive Works, Of Philadelphia, and
lis own granddaughter rode the animal.
put it through its tricks and won the prize
which it did not deserve and which was
later stripped from it in disgrace.
There is more or less mystery surround
ing this extraordinary event which marked
the Horse Show with a scandal which has
teen the talk of the social world-and the
end is not yet.
The public race tracks have always been
notorious with gamblers tricks. Many OF
tie persons connected with the horses, the
stables, the jockies and the betting ring
we're often professional crooks. And even
the national sport Of baseball has been in
yaded by crooked gamblers.
But one thing everybody believed re-
rained clean; the honorable competitions
en- their merits of the exhibits from the
ables of Americas millionaires and great
social leaders. 1t was upon this unques-
oned belief that the arena boxes at Madi-
son Square Garden were filled morning,
afternoon and night during Horse Show
week with the same men and women OF
wealth and fashion who adorn the famous
lorse shoe of boxes at the opera. 1t was
OF supposed that there would be any
j
il the Madison Square Garden arena than
there would be likelihood OF Mrs. Wander
I Hts stealing Mrs. Astor's jewels at the
opera.
The catalogue announced:
"Class 148-Ponies under saddle to he
ldged at 2:30 p. M. Wednesday. Ponies,
lares or geldings, IL hands and not OK
ceeding 1872, four years old or over. First
Trize, $780, second prize, $25."
There we're fifteen horses entered in this
competition. The last one on the list was
entered from the Broadlawn Stable under
tle name of Little Fire Lady" four years.
On the ponys back sat Miss Patricia
Nauclain, granddaughter of Samuel M.
aucIain, owner of the horse.
But Little Fire Lady" was none other
than a two-year-old flly, whose real name
vas Mystery, one Of Miss Patricia's pets.
Little Fire Lady was what is known as a
.'ringer" an old race-track gamblers
phrase.
When rumors Of the fraud crept round
the Garden and reached the ears OF the
officials OF the Horse Show, an investisa-
ton was Immediately made and Patrick
O'Connell, master OF the Vauclain Stables.
vas summoned and the evidence was dis.
covered q the trick The prize was with
Crawn and awarded to Chestnut Blossom.
owned by Mrs. +. =. Garvan.
Who entered the two-year-old Mystery
ruder the name of Little Fire Lady as a
four-year-old?
Was 1t to win the $50 prize money and
perhaps some heavy betting? O'Connell.
the head of the stables, said It was "a
mistake"
Who else besides O'Connell was party
TO the trick? Horse Show officials. for the
sake of the good name Of their annual
competition, mean to follow this thing to
the end.
The officials OF the Horse Show sent this
not very pleasant letter to the Brosdlawn
Stables:
1T has been brought to our notice that
,our pony. Little Fire Lady. entered as a
iour-year-old, was shown in Glasses las
End ISL and awarded the blue ribbon in
10th classes. Investigation shows that
this animal was less than four years old
md therefore not eligible. We beg TO in
f)rm you that our executive committee
as decided TO withdraw these blue ribbons
and prizes and not allow this pony to be
,hown In anv ofbpr Class at the show and