JUMPERS DETERIORATE?

NZ Truth, Issue 1176, 14 June 1928, Page 11

JUMPERS DETERIORATE?

E^caticm In Hunting Field Is No Doubt Essential

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) ■. , The question may well toe asked at this stage: "Are, bur jump^ era deteriorating?" -

ItT would seem that in point' of quality 11 they surely are, when serious conII sldsration is given to the number nf falls registered throughout the Great Northern fixture, It was simply astouncling, while the fact that "only five of a field of ten 3ompleted the G.N. Hurdles course and 'our out of eleven the Great Northern Steeplechase distance, certainly provides food for deep thought. It. is true that the. majority of those Itvhich tailed to see out .the Great Nor - ■them Steeplechase distance were not ■eliminated from the contest because af failure to clear the obstacles, but t is even worse when we realize that :hey did not possess the vitality to see out the journey at a reasonable pace. . No fewer than three had to 'be pulled up, white another ran off. Regarding the big hurdles, it j I was different, for each of th© five which" failed to complete the track had falls registered against them. Right throughout the fixture, weak fencing was "observed, but never more so than when the farcical Campbell Hurdle Handicap came up for decision. • .' .' '...'■ .-' '• -'. ;.. An acceptance of four for the £600 stake was in , itself bad enough, but for two of the contestants to, topple over at the initial obstacle — and another to experience two separate spills the- trip before eligible to claim second honors— does ; not say much for the majority of hurdlers, seen out at Ellerslie. It is admitted that the hurdles up north are difficult to negotiate than on most . courses, but still the number of falls recorded during the big June fixture cannot fill turf students with any degree of enthusiasm regarding the majority of obstacle aspirants at the present time. Unless some improvement is shown, ;lbe time may come when a «a,tisf*o'tory course at "loyßfpa" jfa

the hunting field may be necessary before horses are eligible for competition over obstacles in public. While on this phase of the question, it may be well to note that the last two Great Northern Steeplechase victors 'came from the ranks of .hunters. Even that pair, Beau' Cavalier and G^endowie, have had falls registered against them- on the .public racecourse, but there" is less risk of a.fullyqualifled "hunter toppling over, than the majority of sp-called 'chasers; which line up for public competition q,t the present time, ' , vi' • No matter how good - the hor^s, it would seem that a course of education in the hunting field will still •work improvement in fencing ability. '' •"; >.