Steeplechasing

About Philadelphia there have been hunt races at the Radnor, White Marsh Valley club, Wissahickon Farms, and in other hunt ing countries, two of the leading patrons of sport being William Clothier and William Kerr, the latter's Algie and other cracks for years having made steeplechase history. Good sport has been provided by the Essex hunt since 192o and elsewhere in New Jersey. The Bloomfield hunt held its first meeting in 192o near Detroit, and the Onwentsia, near Chicago, the same year. Fine sport was shown by the Westchester-Biltmore Association at Bowman Park, Rye, in 1927, and in 1928 a meeting was held for the cavalry school at Ft. Riley, Kansas. In Massachusetts the Willowdale cup has become a prominent feature, and in 1927 a splendid inaugural meeting was given by the Norfolk hunt. The Eastern horse club, founded by Augustus F. Goodwin and others, continuing the work of The Country Club in Massachusetts, has held three most successful meetings, and for a number of seasons the United Hunts Racing Association has held important meet ings on Long Island. Private meetings were given by Joseph E. Widener at Elkins Park, Pa., and in 1927 and 1928 by John R. Macomber at his racing plant at Raceland, Framingham, Mass., and by Robert C. Winmill at Warrenton, Pa.

The National Steeplechase Association.

In 1891, the National Steeplechase Association was founded by S. S. Howland, August Belmont and others, and was later merged into the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association, providing rules for racing which have been accepted by a number of the clubs, but their efforts have been small compared with what might have been accomplished. The chief work on behalf of sport has always been done by individual endeavour. In 1899 Robert Chamblet Hooper, Thomas Hitchcock and others founded the Champion Steeplechase of America and the Grand National, the former worth about $1o,000 and the latter $8,000. The first Champion was won by James W. Colt's Van Ship, the second by Harry Worcester Smith's hunter The Cad, owner up, and the third by Self Protection, Harry Page up. "Billy" Hayes won the Grand National on Trillion, and in 1906 Thomas Hitchcock's Good and Plenty, carrying 170 lb., made a show of his field. At that period

Hooper's stable were also consistent winners.

For a time without individual effort the sport deteriorated, except at the hunt clubs, until 1926 when Bayard Warren of Boston planned the rejuvenation of the Grand National, which was won at Belmont Park in 1927 by Jolly Roger, owned by Mrs. Payne Whitney, one of the strongest patrons of steeplechasing in America. Joseph E. Widener's colours, carried by Fairmount and others, have been prominent over the Park courses at Sara toga, Pimlico, Aqueduct and elsewhere, but to the Maryland Hunt Cup Association must be given the credit of upholding the true importance of sport "between the flags," for with their course of 4 m. over solid post and rails, averaging almost 5 ft., only first rate horses and riders can conquer, and the list shows such great sportsmen as Jarvis Spencer, Jr., Redmond Stewart, A. Devereux, G. Mather, Arthur White, Raymond Belmont, J. N. Ewing, J. T. Bowen, A. B. Ober, F. A. Bonsai, Jr., and such horses as Prince ton, Landslide, Sacandaga, Oracle, Burgoright, Billy Barton and Bon Master. Billy Barton has to be acknowledged as in a class by himself over timber courses, and his gallant showing, when he finished second in the English Grand National of 1928. shows that steeplechase horses can be made in America, but not when raced over low park courses such as Belmont, where the water jump is but 9 feet wide, and the hedge is in proportion.

Vosburgh has so truly said : "Put up the fences and put up the weights. Weight seldom breaks down a horse, and never has broken down one-tenth as many as speed has. By raising the weights we can have men in the saddle instead of boys, and by raising the fences we will have less falls and better races. It will stop the speed and make the contest steeplechases where they are now little better than hurdle races." See W. S. Vosburgh, Racing in America 1866—r921 (1922) ; The Toronto Herald; Toronto Turf Club, Union and Niagara Races Race Cards; American Turf Register; The Turf, Field and Farm; The Spirit of the Times. (H. W. Sm.)