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ARMY INTERESTED IN MILITARY RACES, Projectors of Contests of That Description Assured of Official Co-Operation. New York, April 14. That officers of the United States Army are in earnest iu their efforts to encourage the breeding of horses for army purposes was shown at a meeting of the board of directors of the United Hunts Racing Association, held iu the Windsor Arcade, when Perry Belmont, president of the association, informed the members that he had received letters from army officers stating that they would participate in the military steeplechase, which is to be the feature race of the spring meeting, to be held at Belmont Terminal, June 8 to 10. For a long time Mr. Belmont and members of the association, of which he is the head, have been endeavoring to establish military races in this country. It is conceded that American cavalrymen are not well mounted. AVith the purpose of improving the army mounts, Mr. Belmont, as president of the association, inaugurated the Military Steeplechase, and annually this race is competed for by horses ridden by army officers. It has always been the feature race of these meetings. When in Paris several years ago, Mr. Belmont, through the military attache of the American Embassy, succeeded iu obtaining a translation of the rules which govern the races in which officers of the French army compete. These rules Mr. Belmont transmitted to Gen. Franklin Bell, chief of staff of the army, to be used as a basis for establishing the regulations under which United States officers might take part in military races, hold under the auspices of any racing association that might meet with the approval of ths war department. The fact that regular .army officers are badly mounted was perhaps best demonstrated at the recent Horse show held in Madison Square Garden, New York City, when Americau horses in competition with horses ridden by foreign officers did not carry off a ribbon in the military events. Gen. Franklin Bell. Gen.- F. D. Grant, General Wood, Quartermaster-General James 15. Aleshire, Col. George M. Dunn, Lieutenant Rockwell, Charles G. Treat and others have been active in their efforts to encourage officers of the regular army to. enter their mounts in the Military Steeplechase. They have succeeded in not only interesting persons high in the government in the movement, but even privates in the regular army. On January 13. when the army appropriation bill was before the House, various members of Congress took a decided interest in the question of establishing remount stations for the breeding of horses for army purposes. Whether the government is to establish breeding stations, or whether individuals should furnish animals for army use under the specifications and regulations of the war department is a matter under discussion. In the meantime, however, several stallions have been offered to the army by members of the Jockey Club, and at Fort Riley. Kan., where there is a mounted service school, which turns out some of the best cavalrymen of the army, Messenger, bred by Henry T. Ox-nard. is serving mares in the neighborhood for the benefit of the farmers and also for army purposes. At the November meeting of the United Hunts Racing Association, a government horse, entered by the mounted service school at Fort Riley, and ridden bv Lieut. John Spring, Jr., Seventh Cavalry, won the Hunt Cup for the Army Officers Steeplechase. This cup. it was finally decided, belonged to the Seventh Cavalry and is now retained as a regimental trophv. The regiment has furnished the school with a reproduction for its library. Mr. Belmont, as president of the association, gives a cup each year for the military race. It is expected that when the bugle is sounded calling the horses to the post for the military race, in June, the largest number of horses ever entered in one of these events will face the starter. It was during the war with Spain that Mr. Belmont first conceived the idea to further the breeding of horses used by the regular army. Mr. Belmont received n commission from President Mc-Kinley. making him an inspector general with the rank "of major and he was assigned to the First Division. Second Army Corps, under Maj.-Gen. M. C. Butler, who was stationed at Camp Alger. When Mr. Belmont arrived at Camp Alger he observed that the officers of the regular army were generally poorly mounted, while the volunteer ca-valrv were comparatively well mounted. Mr. Belmont talked the matter over with General Butler, with the result that several other army officers became deeply interested. In 1905, when Mr. Taft was secretary of war, he was informed bv General Bell of the military steeplechase proposed by the United Hunts Racing Association and gave his consent that army officers might participate. The first Military Steeplechase was run in 1905 at Morris Park, under the auspices of the United Hunts Racing Association, with but one entry from the regular army. Six horses, however, faced, the starter, the other five being from militia regiments in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The race was won by one of the militia horses, and General Grant, commanding the Department of the East, who witnessed the event, said he was delighted with the good beginning then made, though the inferiority of the regular armv mount was evident. Since that time he has done all in his power to encourage officers to enter in such events. The second race was run at Benning. Washington. D. C. being won by Lieutenant Martin. The fact that Lieutenant Martin came all the way from Cuba to participate in the event goes far to show the enthusiasm of officers and the loaning of the War Department as a whole to the movement. Since 1905 the military races have boon run at Belmont Terminal, with the exception of last year, when it was run at Saratoga. Mr. Belmont, the originator of the Military Steeplechase, has been Identified with racing for many vears. He has not only raced and bred notable horses, but lias ridden them, and has in his possession the Members Cup of the New York Jockey Club, which ho won while riding one of his horses many years ago.
