"Cooper" Shows a Significant Text: American Horse at the Front in France Verifies Superiority of the Thoroughbred in War, Daily Racing Form, 1917-09-09

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"COOPER" SHOWS A SIGNIFICANT TEXT American Horse at the Front in France Verifies Superiority of the Thoroughbred in War. By C. J. Fitz Gerald. Saratoga Springs, N. Y., September 8. When the two-year-old filly, Tit for Tat, won a race at this track recently State Racing Commissioner, John Sanford, a member"of the Board of Stewards of lie Jockey Club, who bred the daughter of Chuctnnuhda and Retaliation at his Hurricarina Stud near Amsterdam, this State, turned to some friends in the club house and remarked: "I sent a three-quarter brother of . this fillys to France along with other, thoroughbreds sonie years ago intending to race them in that country. He was by Canghnawaga, winner of the Saratoga Cup and other long-distance races and was named Cooper. AAhen the war broke out in 1914, Cooper was taken as a charger by Capt. Raoul of the 7th Cuirassiers, and Preston Burch, who knew Raoul when he was a trainer of thoroughbreds at Malsons Laffitte, has just received two photographs of the Captain and his1 horse, which should be interesting to all those who are giving the remount question the attention it deserves at this time when our country is practically depleted of this type of horse througli purchases by commissioners from foreign countries. "You will notice," continued Mr. Sanford, as he exhibited the pictures,, "that Cooper is the big bodied, short legged type of thoroughbred like his sire and the tributes paid him by his master should make new friends for the horse of blood as a cavalry remount. On the bifck of the first picture, which was made at Amiens in October, 1914, Captain Raoul says: WONDERFUL ENDURANCE OF COOPER. " I have made with Cooper reconnaissances of 120 kilometers at a single journey. AVith the army equipment, the horse carries more than 120 kilos. Never has he been fatigued- "Tills means that though ridden nearly seventy-five miles, much of the journey probably under pressure, with upwards of 250 pounds on his back, with the exigencies of the service demanding such performances day after day, only the stout heart and stamina of generations of good blood and racing tests could have produced such an animal. You will notice by the second picture, which was apparently taken at Aerdun, that after three years of constant service he is a- bigger and stouter animal and would appear to be good for many additional years of active work should he escape the shells of the enemy. Hear what Captain Raoul says of Cooper last June. The card Is dated AVith the Armies, June, 1917, and runs: " I send you the photograph of your old horse Cooper, with which I have made all the campaign since the first of August, 1914. Never has this horse given a sign of fatigue. He is the best horse that I have ever mounted in my life. "This is only bearing out the testimony," resumed Mr. Sanford, "of other officers, both abroad and here at home, notably our own chiefs of staff, conspicuous among them ,being Generals Scott and Wood, whtfsay the thoroughbred is the only horse for an officers charger, The same authorities favor the half or. three-quarter bred for a cavalry remount. The distribution of thoroughbred sires of the proper type throughout the United States, with view to the establishmenfof this type of army horse, would seem to be a duty at this time."


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1917090901/drf1917090901_2_9
Local Identifier: drf1917090901_2_9
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800