Evening star., 1937-03-16
BY ROBERT B. PHILLIPS, Jr.

point meeting, was trying
to imagine some type Of weather that
would inspire the hunting people of
that country to postpone their annual
cross country hunter test
1t had been showing al. morning
that day, and just before the race
the sitting snow turned half to sleet,
canceling the races, or even delaying
them until another date. Of course,
the professional tracks operate on this
theory, too, but it is rather startling
to find people who are out for the
sport Of the thing voluntarily taking
a beating.
Surprising, that is, if you do
not happen to know the War
renton viewpoint.
The records show that the first
point-to-point down there was run
in a soaking rain, and nobody knows
how many horse shows, hunts and
whatever have been held in anything
from avalanches of ice to heat that
would fry an egg on the front door
step. l have even been moved to
speculate what the fox hunters (the
serious ones, that Isl would have done
had their country been hit by foods
like those that swamped the Ohio
Valley recently. Would they have
tried hunting on the high, dry ridges,
and maybe laid the race courses there
when the time came? Not improbable
Middleburg, which has the hardy
outlook on riding weather also, will be
faced with neat poser If this snow
does not disappear by Saturday. The
polnt-to-point races down there really
will be fancy if run in couple of
feet of snow, especially If the wind
whips up few handsome drifts.
Nothing quite so much fun as GAL
loping at q fence that only sticks
up foot or two above the snowline.
and then suddenly foundering into a
chest-deep drift that makes it quite
clear the obstacle actually is any
where from feet up in height.
Splendid amusement for those
who like II.
A IL weather reports aside, the War
renton meeting was a great sue
cess. Only one Of 20 starters in the
first race came to grief, and Of the 10
there was a single casualty horse
that ran away and got himself dis
qualified.
Hubert Phipps' agile mare, Miss
Scotch. ran a handsome race to win
the individual plate, and Horace Moi
felt, who won in 1885 with Phipps
StraWback, made a great showing
this time riding his own Nalatac
This big son of Catalan was ma
neuvered into such a position that
there was only one chance left to win
as they approached the finish, and
Moffett took it. He turned straight
down a line of four big plank fences
and sailed every one of them beauti-
fully
This was q nervy move that
made up much ground and
brought him across the line
mere three lengths back Of the
winner.
In the team competition Mrs
Charles Perkins and Capt Dick Kirk
patrick proved an unbeatable combi.
nation, although their invincibilitJ
was established by narrow margin
and the first three teams completing
the course had time averages extreme.
ly close together. testimonial to the
equality Of riding skill and horse fiesf
among the starters.
Altogether, it was an exceedingly
satisfactory day Of sport, one tina
convinced this writer more than eve
before that the point to point is the
real test of a hunting horse, superior
even to hunter trials.
In the latter q horse is asked
to 90 only = mile and = half or
two miles at = gallop, which
even fat show horses can do
with a bit of training.
The greater distance, the unmappet
course and all that make the point tt
point far more exciting for the rider
q more realistic trial of stamina ant
certainly about as much fun for thu
spectators.
The Middlebu"g Hunts recen
switch from the American style hunte
trial to the cross country, unflagget
race is an indication Of the growinl
sentiment on behalf Of these events