For the first quarter-century of its history as a parade of sport and fashion, the National Horse Show, traditional premiere of the New York social season, was hampered by the fact that the horse was a standard means of conveyance. Not until the automobile removed its last stigma of practicality did the Horse Show really come into its own. Since the War, while the utility of the show horse has declined to the vanishing point, the glittering popularity of the Horse Show has enormously increased. New events, active and frivolous, replacing stodgy regiments of carriage horses, have made the whole affair intelligible and even entertaining to people who once considered it no more than a malodorous nuisance. Last week the National Horse Show entered the second half of its first century as a New York institution. Though it could not be said to have opened the social season, already in full swing, it made all old horse shows look uncombed and shabby by comparison.
Opening night was the most brilliant on record. The crowd of 15,000 that packed Madison Square Garden crackled with applause when a severe, vaguely familiar-looking man in a tail coat came out into the ring to receive the salute of 26 of the world's ablest cavalry officers, picked from Canada, Chile, France, Great Britain, the Irish Free State, Sweden and the U. S. He was General John Joseph Pershing. Most popular event of the evening was the performance of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. More spectacular than in fiction or cinema, a troop of 37 in scarlet tunics and broad-brimmed hats, carrying lances with pennants, maneuvered to the tune of The Campbells Are Coming.
International Military Jumping was first introduced into the National in 1909. Since then it has become the No. 1 event of the show. Last week cavalry officers from seven nations were entered in the jumping events. For the first international event on the program, for which competition lasted three nights, riders were judged on form after a succession of difficult individual and group jumps. In first place after the first night's performance were the French (Captain François Durand and Lieutenant Amador de Busnel), with 19 faults to 23 each for Chile, Great Britain and the U. S. Jumping in pairs the next evening, the French team was charged ½ a fault, when Captain Durand and Captain Pierre Clave were a step out of alignment at one barrier, but even this left them a lead of 3½ points over the U. S., whose score was perfect. The margin grew no larger on the third night of the show when Swedes, Canadians, Irish and Americans negotiated the course of nine jumps perfectly, and the Frenchmen, jumping last, did likewise. To them was then awarded the High Score Challenge Trophy for a total of 19½ faults to 23 for the U. S., 34½ for Canada. French Captain Clave later carried off the individual honors.