The New York herald., 1922-01-01
RESENT THE DEFEAT
OF FIELD MARSHAL
British Admirers Still Insist
He Was Best Harness Horse
in Our National Show.

~
tional Horse Show has called forth q
column Of criticism from Godfrey d. s
Bennett In the London Live Stock Jour
nal since the return OF the British ex-
hlbitors and Judges to England. The
gist OF It seems to be the belief that
America, after having taught England
to get away from the coarse. vulgar
looking type of harness horse so well rep
resented by Heathfeld Squire, and go in
for the dark, solid colorcd. quality type
exemplified by Lady Seaton. has now
gone clear back on her principles and is
putting to the front a lot OF fast, fat
harness horses. lacking in presence and
carriage. Hear him.
America taught Britain properly to ap-
preciate her best. Has she noto forsaken
her high ideoisf 1t would heem so, for
Field Marshal was put down third. Yet
this horse on all round points Of quality,
conformation, carriage and high, pure
and progressive action. would. when go
ing his best, as he tods in Squadron A
Armory, stand a great chance against
any and every animal in the above list
save only Forest King. If ever, TAX
ing line through past winners. there
was an ideal American horse, It was
Field Marshal. the son of old Matthias,
for which one American citizen, Mr.. O..
w. Lehman. did not scorn to pay over
$4,000!
"It is not too much to saw that Field
Marshal, Is the highest type of show
horse this country has seen since Forest
King left its shores--a very vision Of
elegance and elasticity! Yet what am
told? Field Marshal was In great
form and went in his classes as well gas
ever he did. but the judges did not like
him. Those put over him would get
about fourth in ENGLAND in decent
classes. They want fat. fast animals
here; no matter about their carriage OF
IL they go stralght-this Is never looked
for. The champion is a trotting bred
mare, and we should call her a runner
in England. The big horse classes were
all well filed. and all were great goers,
very fast, but lacking quality and car
riage as we need II to win. Many 10
far from true. but this is apparently no
fault In America Thus Mr.. James u.-
nam. who adds: I do not wish 70 crit
iciZe the show, but would correct the
impression of the big animal wanted
over here to win. He does not need
great presence and carriage, but he does
need stamina and speed. with action
big but not necessarily straight Mr..
w. S. Miller writes: 4 thought Field
Marshals position wrong. but nc tCas
not their sort Of horse Fat. fast
horses, In which presence" and true gait
are unnecessary What sorry picture
after that grand gallery OF old mas
ters' our eyes have lately traversed!
And what of the champion? This
mare Is greatly doomed In the press. yet
Mr.. Cue tells u.s. A little more than a
year ago the judges were treating her
like anything but n champion of cham
pions. for while she won twenty first
prizes in 1920 she was also placed second
eleven times. third six times and fourth
twice. Her defeats were not due to mis-
behavior or lack of condition, but 10 the
fact that several Judges apparently
failed TO see that she was one OF the
greatest harness mares the ring has
ever known. IL Is Just possible that
these gentlemen may have been right
and those I'm the Armory wrong. for an
excellent photograph OF Animation In
action shows her apparently very short
Ia the neck, unbalanced by n long, un-
calmly dock, long In the back and def
cient In hook action
1T may be said that photographs are
deceptive, yet the most amateur snap
per--let alone such a great artist as
Mr.. Haas-could not contrlve 70 make
Forest King or Field Marshal look COM
mon. Rather. as the old dealer said
Let i'm stand hanyways, Bill. That
sort don't never look wrong
May VIC hope that American Judges
will go back to the old ideals and put
up animals after the type Of those /
have named, looking again for that
courtly carriage and correct movement
which denotes the arlstocrat alike in
man and beast"
When Nr. Putnam brought the cham
pion OF the London international Horse
Show across the Atlantic 20 exhibit at
the National Horse Show Of America
every disinterested sportsman identified
with harness horses wanted TO see
Field Marshal get all that was coming
to him at the Armory. When no was
beaten BY Melancthon at his first APP
pearance on Tuesday evening some ~
them thought he wasn't getting Il but
before the show was over II was hard
to find horseman who Still held 20 this
opinion. Several thought he was show
ing the effects of his sea voyage which
either did not show him or did not win
with him at the Chicago show which
followed tho One in New York 10 will
be interesting 20 see what happens 10
the English champion next season in
the hands OF Everett Everett IL he Is
the horse his British admirers oelieve
him 10 be he Is bound TO come 90 tbs
front eventually Just as Animation did