view raw text
ENDURANCE CONTEST Three Hundred Mile Test Results . in Victory for Thoroughbred. Norfolk Star, Bidden by Captain H. E. Watkins, First in Long Contest for ,000 Prize. -A There was considerable encouragement for breeders of thoroughbreds in the result of the 300-mile endurance race, which took place in Colorado recently. The race was won by Norfolk Star, a bay gelding, seven years old. by Tim Payne Cheridah, by Bannockburn. His sire, Tim Payne, "was a son of Star Ruby and Ladybug, by Hayden Edwards. The following account of the race by AVayne Dinsmore is taken from The Thoroughbred Horse : When it was announced that a 300-mile endurance race would be held this summer out of Colorado Springs, in which the participants should travel sixty miles per day for five days, the general idea prevailed that that was simple enough, and about fifty j horses entered training in the spring. Sixty miles did not sound unusual at all for a days travel, and in consequence some of the horses were given but little conditioning. The week before the event, however, only eighteen were regarded as possible starters, and on the opening day but twelve horses actually undertook the journey. A preliminary word as to the saddle horse situation in Colorado and other western states will show the importance of the endurance race. Colorado uses approximately 100,000 saddle horses, and, with the other states, formerly raised enough to afford selection of the best, which filled their needs amply. In late years, however, the quality deteriorated and the numbers declined. The horses shipped in were not always up to grade the work of the western cow pony required speed, sure-footedness, level head and great endurance. BREEDING AT TKIKCHEEA RANCH. Bryant Turner, owner of the Trinchera Ranch, after having horses and riders suffer injury from falls while galloping over rocky and uneven terrain, decided that the onlv way he could be sure of quality in his horses was to breed them for himself. A sire which met all requirements was purchased in 1918 and has been used at his ranch ever since. Major Henry Leonard, an intimate friend of Turners, known here and abroad as a keen judge of horses, was interested in Turners objective, and, because the situation was general, additional sires, well suited to beget good saddle horses, were obtained from the Army Remount Service and distributed throughout the state in 1921 and 1922. Major Leonard then conceived the plan of holding an endurance race in Colorado, sucn as is held yearly in the East, to focus atten- tion on the breeding of good horses, and to bring out certain practical lessons which such races demonstrate. Spencer Penrose of Colorado Springs and H. M. Blackmar of Denver, wealthy sportsmen, appreciated what it would mean to ranchmen and. to all western riders, and agreed to donate cash prize money of ,000 and a silver cup to the winner. In addition to this, a permanent trophy will stand in the Broadmqor Hotel, in Colorado Springs, on which the names of the winning horse, his owner and rider will be engraved each year. RULES SAME AS IN" EAST. The rules adopted for the Colorado rac-; were identical with those governing the 300 mile endurance race in the East, except that weight carried was set at 200 pounds instead of 225 pounds, and breeding left open to horses of unknown lineage. The routes were laid out from the Broadmoor Hotel, thirtv miles out and thirty back, each of the live days travel over a different road from thi preceding. The riders were given nine hours minimum and eleven hours maximum in which to go the sixty miles. Speed counted forty points and condition at the finish sixty points. As stated, twelve horses started on the opening date, August 1. All had been weighed and examined for soundness on the day previous, and every defect of any kind recorded, so that future developments might be observed. There were "three entries from the United States Army, two polo ponies, a saddle horse used for pleasure riding, and the other six were seasoned cow ponies entered by various ranchmen and ridden by cowboys of varying ages. Some had been trained thoroughly ; others had not. Some were ridden hard to make the sixty miles in nine hours ; others sacrificed points in speed to gain points in condition. But as early as the end of the first day all previous notions that the race would be a "snap" for a good seasoned saddle horse were dropped by the wayside. COW PONY FIRST TO DROP OUT. The first to go out was a chunky cow pony, common in the West, exhausted by noon of the second day, after doing ninety miles; lameness took another cow pony out in the afternoon of the second day ; a third went bad at 9 a. m. the third day at the end of 135 miles, and a fourth, after ISO miles grind, was too lame to siart out the next morning. The other eight finished, although two showed signs of lameness the last two days. Only three, out of all that started, went through without signs of lameness during the test or at the finish. Any tendency to defective action, such as winging, paddling or interfering, became exaggerated as the horses became ratlgued, ana cut their pasterns or bruised their fetlocks in going. On this point Major Leonard, who has ridden in one and served as judge in four endurance tests, says: "These endurance races have fixed indelibly in my mind the fact that straight action is a utility characteristic of the highest importance which horse breeders generally have not appreciated as they should. Defective action means self-injury when horses are tired, and earlier disability. The British army officers who purchased horses here during the world war refused to buy horses with material defects in action, on the ground that such .horses, when tired, became disabled quickly, and this is the one point which every endurance test has stressed in particular." The prize awards follow: First, Norfolk Star, officers charger, thoroughbred, owned and ridden by Captain H. E. Watwins, Fort Russll, Wyo., height sixteen hands, weight at beginning 990 pounds, at finish 950 pounds. Second, Rabbit, cow pony, breed unknown, owned by C. Cusack, Denver, ridden by C. E. Netterfield, height fifteen hands, weight at beginning 990 pounds, at finish 9S0 pounds. Third, Fox, cow pony, noted as "cutting horse," half-thoroughbred, owned by E. A. Pring, Colorado Springs, and ridden by Ed Snurr, height fifteen hands one and five-eighths inches, weight at beginning 975 pounds, at end 930 pounds. Fourth, Jerry, officers charger, standard-bred cress, owned and ridden by Captain Larrimore, Fort Sill, Okla., height fifteen hands, weight 925 pounds at beginning, S671, pounds at end. Fifth, Maltese Cat, polo pony, three-quarter thoroughbred, owned by Mrs. Lafayette -Hughes, Denver, ridden by Lafayette Hughes, height fifteen hands, Aveight 930 Bounds at start, 875 pounds at end. Sixth, Rumford, approached hunter type, us:U for pleasure riding, sired by quarter horse, owned by Miss Rhoda Cameron, New York City, ridden by "Slim" Sherwood, height fifteen hands, weight 1,000 pounds at start and 935 pounds It is very probable that in the future at finish. the Colorado endurance race will send their best to take part in the 300-mile race in the East. Tho one this year is to be in Vermont, from October 12 to 16, inclusive. But in the meantime the western event has demonstrated not only to the ranchmen of Colorado and adjacent states, but to saddle horse users elsewhere, that good blood counts, that conditioning is necessary, and that it requires straight, true action to carry through. There will be another 300-mile race in Colorado next August.
