SHOWING ABROAD 201 



here. I have ridden in saddle classes at Olympia, at 

 which there were seventy entries, and in championship 

 classes in which twenty-five were eligible for competi- 

 tion. There is a " preliminary" judging which takes 

 place in the morning, after which weeding out there 

 still remain usually as many as twenty-odd horses to 

 compete against each other in the afternoon or evening. 



As the thoroughbred is the accepted type of saddle 

 horse in England, the canter is the gait most in favor 

 and most critically judged. The horses enter at a 

 walk, which is followed by a very short trot and then 

 an interminable canter, at which gait most of the horses 

 excel and are the poetry of motion. 



After the canter is over, each rider is given a few 

 moments in which he is supposed to show his mount 

 off as he sees fit, choosing whatever gait at which he 

 thinks the horse goes best. During this period the 

 ring usually looks like an animated polo field, for the 

 riders take pride in showing how handy their mounts 

 are; changing leads, stopping short, etc., and going 

 through all the feats that would be acceptable in a 

 rough-and-ready hack for the country. The first year 

 I rode at Olympia I was mounted on a gray thorough- 

 bred of Mr. Walter Winan's, called "Fairyhill," who 

 had a superb trot; so during this sort of "catch as 

 catch can" period, I endeavored to show him off at 

 what I considered his best gait, namely the trot. I 

 won the class, but after it was all over, Mr. Gooch 

 gently and smilingly advised me, next time, not to 

 trot so much as the judges didn't care so much about 

 that. Personally this advice rather delighted me, as 

 the canter was my favorite gait. 



When the horses are lined up for inspection, the 

 judges pick out the best dozen, or so, and ride them to 



