The New York herald., 1921-12-04
TIMELY GOSSIP
OF HORSE SHOWS
Early Closing Stakes of ST, 900
and 1000 May Be Numer-
Gus Next Year.

and $1,000 May be Numer-
GUS Next Year.
That the early closing stakes intro
duced this year at Brockton and the
National Horse Show will be adopted ir
a modified form at several other leading
shows next season is already a foregont
conclusion. Devon, the first big outdoor
show of the year, will make them q
feature of the exhibition in 1922. Ex-
hibitors have demonstrated that they
like the large prizes II the entrance fees
are not too large, and most of those who
enter seem to be satisfied If they car
win back what they have to pay to COM
pete.
The Association of American Horse
Shows will hold it's annual meeting ir
New York on January 81. and It is re-
ported that one or two ringing cases
Will come before the directors on this
| occasion. 1t was thought that the pen
atty of suspension imposed in the Little
Fire Lady case a year ago would be q
out of their proper classes by surrepti.
tiously changing their names to conceal
identity, but some of the exhibitors seem
to have forgotten it before the end oi
the season.
1t Is twenty-four years since Joseph
%. Wideners trotting bred gig horse
Won Harbinger won the first leg on the
original Waldorf-Astoria Cup at the Ma
tional Horse Show. Until this season
there had been few IL any competitors
for the famous trophy or its s1iccessors-
the Forest King, Nala and Sir James
cups-in which trotting bred gig horses
were not conspicuous This year, how
ever. the eleven entries were all hack
neys Judge William H. Moore. who wor
it outright with Melancthon. is the first
owner who has ever scored with a gig
horse Of his own breeding. The winner
is scven-year-old bay gelding by i'm.
ported Marlboro out of imported Phos.
phate by Polonius.
The absence this year of such horses
as William Fl. Wanamaker. Jr's. Fire.
away. with two legs won on the trophy
and OF r. Lawrence Smiths Hamilton
Star, the winner In 1919. and Mrs. Loula
Long Combss champion mare Animation
occasioned considerable comment Few
spectators knew that all there is left oi
Mr.. Smiths sporty little brown gelding
Is his skin, made into a rug. He met
with an accident which caused his death
last spring. Fireaway is alive and well
but for some unknown reason she has
been unsteady of late on the turns of a
small ring. Mr.. Wanamaker says. ano
so he decided to show Netherhalls Pride
instead of the mare. He made a bold
bid for first prize and was placed re.
serve to Melancthon in what looked lik,
close decision. Just why Animation
did not compete is a conundrum. True
her owner always let's David Smith, her
trainer. drive the chestnut mare, which
he would not be permitted to do in the
cup competition, but IL Mrs. Combs can.
not drive Animation Il is the first one
she has owned in long time that re-
quired professional handling.
Mr.. Wanamaker calls attention to a
widely published mistake in the cham.
pionship awards at the National Horse
Show by which Animation and Admira.
tion were credited with having wof, in
the class for pairs under152 hands. The
real winners were his own Eve and Meth.
erhalrs Pride. winners also in the open
class. the lady's phaeton class and the
class for small tandems. Eve in single
harness finished second to Animation
for the 5000 stake, beating, among
others. the English champion, Field
Marshal. All told the PHILADELPHIA
horse fancier won nine first prizes, -four
seconds and one third with two harness
horses and three ponies.
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