The American Champion Jumper.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4647, 14 February 1894, Page 3

The American Champion Jumper.

■• The following particulars concerning FileMaker, the American champion jumper, are interesting :—" No whip, no spur, and trust bis gameness and great strength, was how old FileMaker, who is' now seventeen years old, won. The high jump was done over heavy round bars, about seven of them, the top one being raised after each jump, The going was on boards with a thick layer di tan over them, Filemaker cleared 7ft 2Jin in tbe show ring. He nevei turned from any jump, and it would have been perfectly easy to break his great heart by going on, and with the bars at 10ft he'd have done his boat Potter wouldn't take him at 7ft 4it after one failure at that height; hi would give bim one or tiro tries al most, aud if bo rose once and failed he was trotted out, This brings mc (sayo the writer) to bis style of jumping, The horse rushed at the jump, but would not rise at it if he got 'oni of step.' and again and again he would run almost into the bars, but never turned, Potter, his rider, says it was' only thai he knew he'd miscalculated his run. for he'd go at it again' gaily, rush right up, get well under, then rising straight he used to twist bis quarter! to tbe off-a sort of fling he had—and, going down tho other slde,landec at an angle from the bars, Filemakei

jumped 7ft 4in, though he knooked n the bar down. Potter and saddle )• were weighed, aud scaled 1051b, or ». list lllb,"