HORSE SHOWS AND CONTROVERSIES 



addressed to the National Horse Show Association 

 Mr. Hoffman stated his case: 



" The mare, Rurltania, driven by Mr. Webb in 

 class 15, was unanimously declared unsound by all 

 three of the Association veterinary surgeons, and was 

 given the gate on account of being unsound. After 

 the mare was given the gate, the driver of the mare, 

 Mr. Webb, obtained immediate permission from the 

 ring committee of that day to re-enter the ring with 

 the mare, after unhooking her from the vehicle, and 

 allowed a groom to jog the animal In the ring up 

 and down in front of the veterinary surgeons In 

 order to try to prove that the mare was not unsound. 

 After jogging the mare up and down several times, 

 one of the veterinary surgeons declared the mare to 

 be sound, the other two still holding to their opinion 

 that the mare was unsound. The ring committee 

 then allowed the mare to be rehooked to the vehicle 

 and to re-enter the competition, and she was Imme- 

 diately awarded the first prize, and my mare, VIda 

 Wilkes, was awarded second prize. I write this let- 

 ter sirnply to ask your Board of Directors whether 

 It Is right or just, after a horse has been declared 

 unsound by the veterinary surgeons and given the 

 gate on account of such unsoundness, to be allowed 

 within the space of three minutes to re-enter the same 

 competition." 



The statement of Mr. Hoffman was questioned 

 by the directors, and a bombshell came In the shape 

 of a statement, signed by the three veterinary sur- 

 geons, Wm. Sheppard, Thomas G. Sherwood, and 

 ^. E. Ryder: 



181 



