Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22


tional will be run next week over what
has long been known among horsemen as the
hardest jumping course in the world.
But the single suspender, poplin shirt district
south Of the Mason-Dixon line holds new
steeplechase course that provides the sportiest
and the cruelest test for the jumping thorough
bred that has ever been devised.
That course is Grasslands, where the idle
moments and the money of millionaires have
built the sternest test blooded horse could
ask. Grasslands, with its 26 bitter barriers IS
Americas challenge to the supremacy that Tor
years has been unquestionably Aintree's. Sport
ing men who have seen both courses call Grass
lands the harder.
Middle Tennessee the country between Gala
tin and Nashville bordering on the Andrew
jackson pike, is mildly scornful Of the high
hated hunters who pursue the fox in the
moments between steeplechases at Grasslands.
The neighborhood falls to grasp the crushing
necessity Of many of the high-toned rites and
ceremonies conducted religiouSly by the gentle
men of the hunt in the scarlet coats.
But the country is just little prideful too,
for Grasslands is a sporting hazard and It Is
laid out in a country that looks back upon
ancient sporting tradition.
Grasslands is a terrific course. Whereas
horses fall at Aintree, they must learn TO turn
somersaults at Grasslands. In the building OF
the jumps, IL 900 cedar trees were used, and
these have been pressed into unyielding BAR
riers.
In . recent chase at GraSSlandS, only Lnree
horses cut of II entries succeeded in COM
.pIeting the course. Two of the horses were
killed and several others missed death by inches.
one Jockey suffered a conclusion. Another
broke his collar bone. Every horse in the race
1eIl at one jump or another
For Grasslands while copy OF Aintree and
built as q test for American horses destined
to run In the Grand National, is made actually
of sterner stuff than the British original. Aim
tree Is fiat but GraSslands Is pitched over rolf
ing country. The obstacles at Aintree are stif,
vet there is some "giye" to them. A horse
may strike a barrier and it will bend or yield
q little But at Grasslands when a horses
hoofs 60 kerplunk against the rigid timber from
which the hazards have been reared, his equine
majesty usually goes into disastrous nose dive.
Riders at Grasslands must know their aero
nautics.
ONE of the important events at Grasslands
~ is the "King of SPANS Cup" The cas-
ualtieS listed above were wrought during the
little heralded running of this fixture last De-
cember. Despite the lack of ballyhoo for the
affair, $4,000 were gathered to take in the
thrills many of them neighbor folk who came
to sneer, but remained to cheer.
In the members enclosure were the John
Hay (Jock) Whitneys and the Joseph Thomases
of New York; Col Grant Morden Of England,
q member Of Parliament; the du Points of VIII
mington, Del; Stephen (Laddie) Sanford and
his sister and many others whose names are
woven into the fabric of what Gallatin refers
10 as high-falutin' carryin' on.
Those who saw that first steeplechase win
not forget it soon. Rains had enhanced the
perils Of the course and thrill followed thrill IS