National Horse Show

To the Squadron A Armory, Manhattan, last week resorted horsemen, steelmen, chewing-gum men, debutantes, dowagers, adventurers, grooms -- they went there because it was the scene of the 39th annual show of the Horse Association of America, they went there to look upon some thoroughbreds.

At one end of the Armory had been erected an exact imitation, in lath, of the imperious porticos of George Washington's house in Virginia. In front of it, as the week went on, a thousand horses paraded, galloped, caracoled -- black and grey, hunter and hackney, carriage-horse and teamster. There were innumerable classes ; many times the judges clipped a blue rosette to a moist cheek-strap, many times a red, but only a few of the thousand that put their hoofs down so neatly into the tanbark ever came to wear one of those rosettes, and those few often. Notable in that thin company were:

Knight Commander. A ten-year-old chestnut gelding, bred by Robert Scott in Carluke, Scotland, sold when a year ling for "one of the highest prices ever paid for a harness horse in Europe." Purchased last spring by Miss Jean Browne Scott, of Manhattan, he lately beat Charm, famed hackney, at the Olympia show in England, thus becoming the champion English hackney horse. At the recent Bryn Mawr show, he was awarded 21 blue ribbons, an un precedented performance. In the present exhibition, he won the Bal- manno Challenge Cup, defeating his ancient rival, Field Marshal, and a blue in the class for harness horses over 15.2 hands. Blooded, debonair and sleek, Knight Commander is like the horse of a legend: flawless in line; in action, the incarnation of scrupulous dandyism. His performance in this show makes him the most valuable hackney in the world.

Field Marshal. A tall bay, four years ago grand champion of the Olympia, owned by O. W. Lehmann. Successful campaigner of uncountable shows, Field Marshal returned to the ring this spring at the South Shore Country Club, Chicago, where he was victorious, though later beaten at Brockton, Mass. Proud as a falcon and dauntless still, his defeat by Knight Commander shadows the end of his show days.

Newton Victor. Another harness-horse owned by Miss Scott, which beat J. R. Thompson's mare, Clyde Iris, for the Coxe Prize. Miss Scott drove in this event, with a scarlet flower brave in the black lapel of her habit, as she drove once in the past when the Earl of Derby was watching. "There," said that old nobleman, "there--God bless my soul--goes the finest driver I have ever seen!"

Golden Twilight. A five-gaited saddle horse, owned by Hugh B. Wick, of Cleveland. This type of horse, common in the South and West, was first seen at the national show three years ago.

Other Horses. Biddy and Mike, Ajax Trucking Team, captured the challenge cup for commercial teams. There were many entries in this class; the Sheffield Farms' team took second the Knickerbocker Ice third. Bunny won the class for horses of the New York traffic police force, defeating Morgan, the winner last year, and Captain, the horse General Pershing sat when he rode up Fifth Avenue with the First Division. Tango Dance, with Captain Padgett up, won the Bowman Challenge Cup for jumpers without tipping a bar.