view raw text
AMERICAN INVASIONS OF EUROPE. Charles E. Brossman, famous as the trainer of Imp, recently contributed the following to the columns of the Cincinnati Enquirer: "At various times In other years American horsemen have sought European countries to try their horses with the best in England and on the Continent and have always had a fair measure of success. As far back as 1850 Richard Ten Brocck took over Pryor, Lccompte and Prioress and won some of the most imjiortant stakes. P. Lorlllard frequently maintained a winning stable in England and was one of the few American owners to win tho Derby, which he did with that great son of Learn ington, Iroquois. The late Hon. W. C. Whitney. ex-Secretary of the United States Navy, and Richard Croker, Tammany chieftain, Doing the other two. Messrs. August Belmont, Sr., and Jr., have always had winning representatives abroad, and Mr J R. Keeno was successful with such horses as Fox-hall, Blue Grass, Cap and Bells, Chacomao, cte Edward Corrigan, the master of nawtliom, returned after a campaign in Englnnd well laden with British gold. Duke and McCafferty with Helen Nichols and others, and Dwycr Bros, with a good stable won their share of the races abroad, but these gentlemen and others simply shipped over good race horses, ready to race, as a sport, for the honor acquired, or as a business proposition. It was not until after 1000, when the drastic and unjust laws began to injure the horse breeding industry all over the United States that the exodus became an invasion. Stallions, broodmares, yearlings and horses in training were sent over by the ship load, even as far away as the Argentine Republic and distant Australia, entailing great financial loss to the breeding interests of this country that wil take years to replace. Men of capacity, business abilitv great wealth and worth, foremost in. all of the different lines of achievements, have been compelled to seek their pleasure in this line of sport, and maintain their racing establishments and spend their money in foreign lands. Such men as W. K. Vanderbilt, Frank J. Gould, Harry Payne Whitney, II. B. Dnrvea. August Belmont. Thomas Hitchcock, Joseph E. Widener. Henry Ziegler anil a host of others have permanent quarters, pleasant surroundings and evervthing agreeable, and no effort is spared to make them welcome and persuade them to stay and continue racing on tho other side. All of the American traiiiers and jockeys aliroad are doing well. "Boots" Durnell is almost in partnership with the King of Roumania, and it would not lie surprising if the king should confer a title upon him. Eugene Leigh. Billy Duke Lnoch Wisllaril. Galen Brown, Sam Ilildreth. Tom Walsh. Frank McCabe, Frank Van Ness, Fred Bur-lew, Johnny Hyland, Johnny Campbell and other prominent American trainers who helped to develop the American thoroughbred in this country were compelled to go abroad to engage in the profession they had chosen for a life work. "One of the first American horsemen to make a profitable and successful journey to foreign shores as an exponent of the art of horse training was John S. Rarey, born near Groveport, Ohio, in 1S27 a village ten miles south of Columbus. At an carly ago Mr. Rarey displayed tact in the management of unruly horses and by degrees he developed a system of training that was founded upon his own experience and observations. After a tour through the United States, giving lessons to horsemen and demoustrating his method, as far southwest as Texas, he procured from Governor Salmon P. Chase of Ohio, in 1S50, letters to the Governor-General of Canada, whither he went. His remarkable power soon attracted attention and secured him letters of introduction to the array officers of Great Britain. Among the number was one to Sir Richard Airy Lleutenant-General of the English armv. This gave him an opportunity and assured him a fair and impartial trial of his method before the high-class breeders and horse loving public of Great Britain and the Continent, and he surpised and astonished his audiences everywhere by his complete mastery of horses that had hitherto been considered unmanageable. "In England especially the most vicious were brought to him and he never failed to control them. One of the greatest triumphs of his skill was the taming of the thoroughbred racing colt. Cruiser, a horse that had become so vicious and unmanageable Unit he had killed one or two of his grooms and was only kept under control by being confined in an extra strong box stall, bolted and barred, and by the use of an iron muzzle. Cruiser was owned by Guy Carlton Earl, of Dorcestcr. foaled In 1S52 bv Veni son, dam the dam of Buccaneer, bv Little Red Rover; second dam Kciat. by Edmund; third dam. Squib, by Soothsayer; fourth dam Bcrnicc. bv Alexander, on to the thirteenth dam, the Oldlicid mare. The Little Red Rover mare, besides being tho dam of Cruiser and Buccaneer, was also the dam of the winners Tho Chase, Michaelmas Maid, Bracken. The Vigil, Chiffonier and. Becky Sharp. Buccaneer was one of the best race horses in England, ami ii great sire. Among others he sired the great For-mosa, winner of the St. Leger, One Thuosand Guineas and the Oaks in 1SGS; Brigantine. winner of the Oaks in 1SG9; and Kisber. winner of the Derby in 1S7G. Venison, the sire of Cruiser, was an extraordinarily good race horse. He was beaten only twice in Ills three-year-old form, once by Bav Middlcton and once by Touchstone, two of the brst race horses that ever galloped on the turf in 17ng land. Cruiser himself was highly tried and his early work was promising, so much so that Lord Dorchester sold a half interest in him to the Rad-cliffe Stud Company for 5,000. He was a dark bav. nearly sixteen hands high and elegantly formed, but his temper was so bad that his trainer could do absolutely nothing with him and he was called by some an archfiend and crazy, therefore his owners failed to realize their great expectations. Under Mr. Rareys management Cruiser became docile, submissive and gentle, so much so, indeed, that he was patted and stroked by the queen and other ladies of the court and readily learned a number of tricks and feats that required intelligence, affection and fidelity to his master to perform. Lord Dorchester presented Cruiser to Mr. Rarey for subduing him. "Queen Victoria complimented Mr. Rarev bv an invitation to give an exhibition of his skill in the riding school of Buckingham Palace on tho evening before tho marriage of her daughter Victoria, the Princess Royal, to Frederic William, the Crown Prince of Russia, who afterward succeeded to th throne of Prussia and Germany, for the entertainment of the royal guests. Among the spectators were Queen Victoria, the Prince Consort, the Princess Royal, the Prince of Wales, afterward King Edward VII., Prince Alfred. Prince Frederic Wil liam of Prussia, the Duke of Wellington and other titled and famous persons, guests of the queen, assembled to witness the marriage of her eldest daughter on the morrow. A number of medals, badges and mementoes were given Mr. Rarev by members of the nobility from the different European nations, sonic of them granting special and extraordinary privileges to the holder. "He returned to this country in ISfll. after an absence of four years, in which time it was estimated lie bad made 50,000 and an international reputation. He brought Cruiser back to Groveport with him and placed him in the stud, where the horse never had a chance to succeed as a sire. Bonnie Scotland, less than twenty miles away-at Lancaster, starved him for good mares, and the blacker Mr. Raresv and his friends could make the reputation of Cruiser that much more they exalted the prowess of Mr. Rarey. so the people were afraid to breed. In spite of this, however, he did get a number of the best road horses ever in that country and if he could have had an opportunity he no doubt would have- become a famous sire, as did his half brother. Buccaneer. Mr. Rarey did not live long after his return to enjoy the money lie had earned. He built an elegant mansion on the old farm for his mother, a show place and one of the most magnificent country houses then in Ohio. It has since been converted into a fashionable summer hotel. "He died in 1SGG and in his will specified that Cruiser is not to be used for any other purpose than as a stallion, but is to bo kept and remain on the farm where ho now is and within the enclosure and stable occupied by him. or a similar one. as long as he live;; he must be well taken care of and never sold. And I direct that Said charge and incumbrance is to be perpetual and run with the farm, whosoever may be the owner, as long as Cruiser shall live. The conditions of the will were fully complied with and Cruiser died in his paddock on the farm, as the will provided, July 4, 1875.
