Extraordinary Jumping.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 19 August 1890, Page 2

Extraordinary Jumping.

— — -♦ All authenticated records of bori* jumping hare been broken bj th« performance of Ontario, a sixteen hands gelding, own«d by Mr 0. O. Holland, of Mount Morrio, New York. High jumping for horaet ha 3 not taken the hold on public fancy here as it has don* in the Statei and in Canada. No trustworthy record c ists of any higher jump than one of 6ft Gin. by Jack Spring at the Dublin Show in 1869, though there are traditions of high jumps in various ports of the country, particularly of that credited to Mr Bickwell, who is sail, in 1792, to have l«pt his horse backward and forward. or«r the spvpii foot wall which then enclosed Hyde Park. In America all previous records were broken at the New York Hnrse Show of 1888, whon Leo and Filmmaker tied at the then extraordinary height of 6ft d}'m. Next year Ontario made his appearance at the Cliicaeo Horst Show, and contes ing with Rose" berry, a horse belonging to Moorehouse ami Pepper of Toronto, tied at 6ft lOf in. Anxious to prove that his horse could clear 7ft., his owner, on May 18, save a public exhibition, at the Washington Ridin? Academy, of Ontario's jumping powers. After he had cleared a scies of jumps 4fr. Gin to 6ft. Sin , the top bar wai placed af 7ft. ; and a committee cer* tifiad to the correctnpss of the ni D asurement. On the first attempt the hnrso knocked dowi the two top bars, but on the second cleared the wbole 7ft. beautifully, ihus beating hi-* own record and that of nny other horso.