Horses at Chicago

Manhattan, Boston and Toronto are the scenes of the three great annual indoor horse shows in North America, the greatest being the so-called National in Manhattan's Madison Square Garden. Lacking funds this year, Boston did not want a show. Having a World's Fair, to which a horse show was as essential as a balloon ascension, Chicago did want one. Last week the Chicago Fair held its show in the 124th Field Artillery Armory.

Horsey folk in the East watched closely for hints of what competition to expect next week in Manhattan's "Golden Jubilee" National, where the cream of the Chicago entries were to perform. As at all present-day shows, the most spectacular performance at Chicago was the internal tional military jumping.

The U. S. team from Fort Riley, Kans., winner of last year's title, was slow to start. The Irish Free State squad forged to the front with faultless rides by its Leader Captain Dan Corry and Captain Fred Ahearn. On Swedish Day the Swedish team celebrated by nosing into first place while the Irish dropped to third behind the U. S. The finals found Lieut. Carl Raguse of the U. S. matched against Sweden's Lieut. Nyblaeus for the deciding round. Mounted on Ugly, Lieut. Raguse cleared every barrier without a fault. Lieut. Nyblaeus had to equal that performance to win. He took the first five barriers cleanly. On the last his mount's hind foot knocked down the top bar, giving victory to the U. S. But Sweden's Captain Ernst Hallberg won the hotly contested honors for individual jumping. Throughout the meet the un happy Czechoslovakians, who had arrived late and lacked practice, never budged out of last place.

If there was a horse-of-the-show at Chicago, undoubtedly it was a magnificent old grey mare named Sweetheart on Parade, owned by Mrs. William Roth of San Francisco, and valued at $37,000. For four years Sweetheart on Parade has been prancing off with blue ribbons for five- gaited saddlehorses, until last Sept. 11 at Louisville, Ky. when Mrs. Locke Brown's Bell Lee Rose outpointed her. Again last week Sweetheart on Parade faced such potent mounts as Bell Lee Rose, Roger Selby's stallion King Genius, American Dream, Lady of Lexington. Time and again the judges had them go through their tricks of changing nimbly from walk to running walk to rack to trot to canter at the slightest touch of the rider's finger on the rein. Sweetheart on Parade stepped flawlessly, again took the blue ribbon--the last she will ever win under saddle. Henceforth Mrs. Roth will use her in harness.

Other able performers included: P:Sweden's Lieut. Sachs who, after his mount fell at a barrier and nearly rolled over him, got up and took the next five jumps without a fault. P:Miss Mary Gwyn Fiers's nine-year-old chestnut mare Roxie Highland, which won the three-gaited stake, at which no horse has beaten her for three years. P:Mrs. M. Robert Guggenheim's chestnut gelding Firenze Fairfax, champion jumper of the meet, which won 50 ribbons.

P:Mrs. John Hay Whitney's famed team of dappled grey hunters. Two Leggins, Grey Knight, Bon Diable, which took first, second and third in their class. They will meet hotter competition in Manhattan from the stables of Mrs. Bernard F. Gimbel, Mrs. John V. Bouvier III and Isaac Clothier Jr. ?ho did not exhibit at Chicago.

P:Two heavy six-horse hitches, in which the team of R. C. Flannery of Kansas. Ill. outpointed Anheuser-Busch's spanking bay Clydesdales and glittering brewery truck.

P:Not seen at Chicago, but entered for the Manhattan show, is an extraordinary brown stallion named Sir Gilbert. Sir Gilbert is 17, is nearly blind in one eye. Stephen E. Budd of Newtown. Conn., bought him five years ago as a farm dray taught him to jump. Currently Sir Gil bert alternates between fox-hunting and hauling a manure cart.

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