Temptation & Friends

Before Alcibiades won a chariot race in Olympia, rich people had made it clear that equine amusements were the most suitable for the well-bred. Nero's horses ran at Rome and, last week, a coach was pulled around the arena, in Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, by four horses which belonged to Mrs. Frederic Cameron Church, once Muriel Vanderbilt. Three other coaches also rolled around the ring; and the best was judged to be one entered by James Franceschini, a onetime day laborer, out of Toronto.

James Franceschini began his curious conquests when he arrived in Canada from Italy, 20 years ago. For a time he dug ditches for a contractor; later, he became a contractor and hired other immigrants to drive trucks for him. Three years ago, he began to buy horses. Last week, four of these--Temptation, Preston Mavis, Myrtle Fashion and Sensation--pulled the high coach around the ring. James Franceschini, wearing a checked suit, a derby, a large cigar, and a diamond knuckle, watched them win the blue ribbon. It happened to be the 108th prize which his horses have taken in the last four shows that they have entered.

In general, the National Horse Show proceeded much as it has in other years. Horsewomen dragged their acquaintances into boxes and compelled them to use constantly whatever odd phrases they knew connected with horses, as "hocks," "hind-quarters," "withers" or "whiffle-tree." Astonishingly pretty girls rode enormous, savage hunters around the tanbark enclosure and judges, in silk hats, permitted blue ribbons to be pinned to the dark, nervous faces of exactly 160 superbly tall and graceful winners.

Seaton Pippin, a seven-year-old bay mare owned by Paul Moore, won every event in which she entered, taking nine prizes altogether. Jean Regan rode The Flirt over ten jumps without touching the top-bar on any one. Seventy thousand people, more than had ever done so before, attended the horse show; one of them was Senor Aime F. Tschiffely, who three years and four months ago set out from the Argentine to ride to the U. S.; Peter Manning, the greatest trotting horse in the world, slapped around the ring pulling a featherweight two-wheel sulky; and the German Army team rode and jumped better than all others (see p. 10).