Evening star., 1934-04-22
BY ROBERT b. PHILLIPS, JR.
HERE Is not much to be said
/ about yesterdays Little Grand
| National meeting, except that

1ldy SOCh WOulu nave NOIl OIl
luckier day, the sun was well
come on its return to the race world
after a seven-month Information with
Admiral Byrd. and the newspaper men
want something done about the
Churchville Cup.
The Grand National was not truly
run race and that is too bad, but it
does not detract from Vaudeville's
honor as a good fencer and a speedy
sort. Perhaps there was still IS lengths
of performance left in the winner.
Certainly Gray Cock, a close second,
had that much knocked out of him
by the hex which belabored him at
every turn.
AS for the Churchville Cup, it drove
the scribes almost crazy. Crazier, If
you want to put it that way. Seven
horses started. Four finished. During
that time each and every one of them
hao refused once or twice, fallen, run
out, written memoirs or done some
thing else spectacular in one far
corner of the course, while a colleague
or two performed in another remote.
invisible Granny.
Following the trail of screams,
obs. ash and sounds of splintered
timber ringing on all sides. your
faithful correspondents leaped from
one vantage point to another, took the
top rails out of fences in hurdling
them even as belligerent race horses
took the top, middle and bottom rails
out Of other fences, painted and sat
down to write about horses which
were also painting and sitting down
hither and yon. This sort of nonsense
will have to be stopped or left unsung.
The Churchville next year should.
(a) Try to forget, (b) find some new
entries and Co get smaller course
built of match sticks
Nevertheless, it was a good after
noon. Next Saturday in Worthington
Valley should be a better one.
THIS is intended merely to spike
rumOr. After the March in
door show of the Riding and
Hunt Club, there was some talk af1oat
to the effect that Mrs. M Robert Gug-
genheim's FirenZe Marokan had won
the championship on a miscount of the
score. There were no formal COM
plants. No one went to the Guggen-
helms and told them. But there was
talk. 1t reached US few days after
the event and we visited the club to
make check of records.
AS gossip's case was set forth,
Marokan had been entered in class
for horses which have not won a blue
ribbon in a hunter class during the
club show series" The Swedish lep-
per won, and the impression was prev
alent in certain quarters that the vic
tory determined his superiority on that
occasion to William Hansons Bat
talon.
The championship of these shows is
decided on points. A first counts 5,
second and third 2 in the scoring.
On the records 1t is found that
Marokan won the Corinthian class 80.
took second in the model hunter (3)
and was third in open hunter and hack
and hunter divisions q each). Total,
IL points. Plus 5 points for winning
the afore- mentioned green hunter
test
Battalion, however, had two scores
only in the evening. Both were blues
in the open hunter and hack and
hunter competitions Total, 10 points.
THEREFORE,, without the 5 points
earned, or perhaps not deserved,
in the green hunter class,
Marokan won. Since he was crowned
the grand champion Of the show sea-
son, the Guggenheim star deserves to
wear that laurel with a clear name.
Whether he was eligible for the green
hunter ribbon is a question open to
debate. He had shared in winning
pair hunter class at an earlier show.
That may or may not constitute a blue
for the individual horse. The answer
does not enter into this controversy.
There will be charges that all this
rates with the well known tempest
in a teapot. Mr.. Hanson never COM
planned about the championship de-
cision of the March show, The Gug-
yenheims probably did not know about
the small talk. Nevertheless, there
has been wagging Of tongues, and such
idle pot-shooting at regulations has
left more than one stable in history
unduly splotched.
In this case, neither the Guggen-
helms nor Mr.. Hanson can be held
Marokan is an honest,
deserving champion. Notable as an
open Jumper, the bay has earned
hunter laurels this Winter, and his
tricolor should futter with pride.
MOTE for those who feed horses;
N Col. C. L. Scott, backed by such
authorities as the American
Horse Association, remarks there are
So 600, 100000 worth of horses and
mules in the United States.
Annual grain, hay and straw bill
81 900 ,00O, 900. Mind that horse, lady,
he's eating himself.
Virginia Gold Cup Associa-
ton sets forth its projected pro-
gram on May as follows:
11:15 am. - The Agricultural
2 miles over timber, for
horses owned by bona fide farmers in
the country hunted by the Warrenton
hounds. To be ridden by farmers or
farmers sons who have never ridden
a race other than one for farmers
horses.
IL m.-The North Wales Steeple-
chase, purse of $500. Two and one
half miles over brush. Amateurs 10
ride, no allowances. A 5000 plate to
the owner of the winner and a trophy
to the rider.
$3.50 pm.-The Virginia Gold Cup,
4 miles over timber, with a challenge