Small but Mighty Jumper: Story of First Attempt One of Romances of Show Ring-Now Known as Little Squire, Daily Racing Form, 1936-10-27

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SMALL BUT MIGHTY JUMPER Story of First Attempt One of Eo-mances of Show King Now Known as Little Squire. NEW YORK, N. Y., Oct 26. Mrs. M. Robert Guggenheim of Babylon, L. I., and Washington, D. C, who Is recovering from a fractured collarbone suffered in a fall at the North Shore Horse Show on Saturday, purchased Little Squire, the foremost jumping pony of the United States, from Daniel Shea of Dover, Mass. Mrs. Guggenheim said that she purchased the pony for her personal use and will ride him in all his events, including the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden November 4 to 10, where he will be pitted against the leading miltary and civilian jumpers of three continents in the open jumping contests. The story of the pony is one of the romances of the show ring. Bred in Ireland, he was originally known as First Attempt. At the Dublin Show in 1932 Capt Daniel Corry of the Irish Free State Army team, mounted on a great army charger, had victory almost within his grasp. Only a six-foot wall remained to be jumped, and he felt that the little gray pony against which his mount was competing could not negotiate so great an obstacle. The army horse hit the fence and the officer felt that he had earned at least a tie. Little Squire is a gray pony only 13.1 four feet five inches in height as compared with the average height for a jumper of sixteen hands, yet this little fellow, carrying as much as 165 pounds, has distinguished himself by jumping fences almost two feet higher than himself. First Attempt entered the ring. Fence after fence was taken faultlessly until only the big wall remained. The pony gathered himself and, with a magnificent leap, was over with plenty to spare. Corry was so impressed that he bought the pony on the spot and brought him to the United States with the team to compete at Boston, and the National. Between the Boston and New York shows he was purchased by F. Harold Tolman, of Cohasset, Mass., but only with the proviso that Corry should show him at the National, where he became the pet of thousands. He was not seen again in New York until last year, when, having been purchased by Shea, he was again exhibited at the Garden. The pride of the Shea stable at that time was the veteran Squire, champion of the 1934 National. The pony, having grown a mane, was a miniature of the 16-hand gray, so Shea changed his name to Little Squire. Squire went on to win the jumping championship for the second year in succession, and the pony also won his share of the ribbons. The two former stablemates will be rivals this year. Squire will also return to the Garden, this time as a member of the Canadian Army team, to compete in the nightly international military jumping contests, as well as against his diminutive rival in the open jumping events.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1930s/drf1936102701/drf1936102701_13_1
Local Identifier: drf1936102701_13_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800