The New York herald., 1922-11-26
CLEVER JOCKEYSHIP
IN THE SHOW RING
r. f. CarEan Tells How Ii
Saved a $4,000 Four-in-
Hand Team.

R f. Carman, better known as
'Dick" Carman In the palmy days of
four-in-hand driving, dropped in at the
National Horse Show DOR look at the
high steppers one evening" week ago.
"lt makes me want to try my hand
once more" he said as he watched the
novice horses stepping 1t off over the
tanbark. II wonder II George Chip
chase would give me a mount"
For the last ten years or moro a
prominent owner and trainer of race
horses. Mr.. Carman was from boyhood
until the advent Of automobiles an ar
dent devotee of coaching and horse
shows. No amateur and few profess
sionals could teach him anything about
coachmanship or horsemanship. He
once took part in memorable four-in-
hand driving match with Morris A.
Hewlett, then the foremost professional
whip OF New York. The contest was
arranged by James Hazen Hyde, Of Lib
erty coaching fame. and took place at
the National Horse Show In Madison
Square Garden. exciting all the interest
Of great horse race.
When Thomas w. Lawson put to-
gether a $4,000 park four, made up of
superb dark, bay trotting stations, two
of which were Garden champions in sin
gle harness., it was "Dick" Carman
whom the Boston horse fancier invited
to drive them for the capital prize at
the National Horse Show. To hear Mr..
Carman tell about it is to get an insight
into the strategy sometimes involved in
show ring driving.
Before went into the ring" he said.
'T found that some Of the stations had
savaged themselves in a mixup just
before coming to New York. and two
of them were a little touched In the
wind besides I got Frank Clarke, then
as now the obliging superintendent of
the horse show. to give me the lead
going into the ring, so l could let the
team have their heads and avoid chok-
ing them back and making them wheeze.
People thought they were going away
with me as they circled the ring with
their heads free but I let them rip. for
I knew the windy ones would give them
selves away il I ever took them back.
One of the leaders did finally begin to
make a noise in spite of all the nursing
I could give him, and the Judges at last
got suspicious. 1t was make or break
then, so I pretended to believe the ring
master had signaled for me to line up,
and brought them to halt next the
Judges stand. AS pulled up suddenly
let clear go the leaders heads, almost
dropping the bits out of their mouths.
The horse that had been making noise
threw his nose straight out the moment
he felt the pressure of the bit and curb
chain gone and by the time the judges
and vets came up to look him over he
was breathing as nice and quiet as you
please. 1t was a close call, but there
was nothing to 1t after that. have
always thought those four trotting bred
stations made the finest park team ever
seen In Madison Square Garden or ever
put together before coach"
Looking back at the harness horses
of other days, Mr.. Carman was In
clined to give the palm to Birmingham
among those over 1872 hands This was
a trotting bred stallion brought out by
Strauss &c Hexter about twenty-five
years ago and sold with his mate.
Sandringham, to Frank Jay Gould for
$4,000, after the pair had won at the
Westchester County Horse Show.
"All horses have their weak points"
Mr.. Carman remarked, ''and Burling-
hams was his middle. He was light in
the body but his front was perfect for
harness horse, and I can't recall an
other of his size that classed with him
for elegant appearance and commanding
presence at rest or In action. was
criticized for giving him the prize offered
by William C. Whitney at the Garden
for the best stallion Of any breed suita-
BILE to get carriage horses, but one or
the critics himself next year gave BUR
l,ngham the championship and the cup
for gig horses at the Garden.