NSLM Newsletter - Spring 2003

8 Pages·2003·4.2 MB·English

The National Sporting Library
EWSLETTER
A RESEARCH CENTER FOR HORSE AND FIELD SPORTS MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA
NUMBER 68 SPRING 2003
Doctoral Dissertation Unfolds at NSL
E
lizabeth Tobey, a doctoral stu-
outside of Europe. Tobey has trans-
dent in Art History at the
cribed and translated some pas-
University of Maryland, is currently
sages into English.
researching two projects using the
Tobey's primary research project
collections of the National Sporting
is the history of the palio in
Library.
Renaissance Italy. Her topic grew
''I have found a treasure trove of
out of her master's thesis on the
material within driving distance of
frescoed portraits of racehorses in
where I live - books that I might
Mantua's Palazzo Te. The palio was
otherwise have to travel to Europe
a type of horserace that ran in cities
to see," says Tobey. "I am especially
as part of saints1 days and religious
grateful to those who so generously
festivals.
established and support this won-
Today, the palio tradition contin-
derful and unique collection."
ues, in muted form, in such cities as
Central to her research is the
Siena and Ferrara. The word palio
Library's collection of 16th_ and
derives from the name of the ban-
early 17th_century Italian books on
ner awarded to the owners of the
horses and horsemanship. Many of
winning horse. Cities invested con-
these books are extremely rare and
Elaborate bit from Federico Grisone's siderable expense in commission-
not commonly found in libraries
Gli Ordini Cavalcare (1550).
Continued on page 2
Angling Collection Grows Through McBean Grant
T
he NSL expanded its angling scribing the best places to fish/ says
collection this spring with 79 im- Librarian Robert Weber.
portant books of various editions of He carefully explored the NSL's
works first published from the 1920s needs for improving the collection
to the present. A 2002 grant from the and contacted angling book collec-
McBean Family Foundation of San
tors and area fly-fishermen. Several
Mateo, California, enabled the
recommended books by Lefty Kreh,
Library to purchase the volumes.
in particular a series titled Lefty's
1'The new books run the full
Little Library of Fly-Fishing. Weber
gamut of fresh and salt water fly-
added 15 volumes of the small and
fishing, from technical instructions
on fly-tying and casting, to fish habi- authoritative fly-fishing books to the
tat and behavior, to guidebooks de- NSL' s collection.
Continued on page 2
Doctoral Dissertation Unfolds at NSL
Continued from page 1
ing palio banners and other works of invented them, and words labeling
art used in the festivities. Since the the various parts of the bit often dif-
racehorses belonged to various no- fered by region. Ferraro's treatise
ble families such as the Medici of illustrates some non-Italian bits, in-
Florence and the Gonzaga of cluding Turkish ones from the
Mantua, the palio became more than Ottoman Empire.
just a horse race, but also a political "Since Italy actively imported
spectacle of power. horses from Islamic territories in
Tobey has looked at a number of Turkey and North Africa, it is con-
primary sources in the Library's col-' ceivable that they were also influ-
lection for contemporary perspec- enced by the horse culture and
tives on the palio and the horses that equipment in these areas of the
competed in the races. Passages in world," she says.
Pasquale Caracciolo's encyclopedic Tobey plans to travel to New
Elizabeth Tobey
book on the horse, La Gloria del York later this spring to look at ex-
Cavallo [The Glory of the Horse] devoted entirely to the topic of bits. amples of actual Italian bits in the
(1566) describe the qualities of the Illustrations show examples of elab- Arms and Armor Collection of the
North African Barb and Turkish orately embellished bits that incor- Metropolitan Museum of Art. She
horses that commonly served as porate in their decoration various is also looking forward to continu-
palio racers. These horses came from motifs, including harpies, ele- ing her research at the National
the same blood from which the phants' heads, and Imperial eagles. Sporting Library, where she can fur-
modern Thoroughbred descends. "Riding masters could employ ther investigate its rare collection of
Tobey also recently discovered a particular styles of bits, such as the early Italian equestrian texts.
chapter in M. Claudio Corte's Il cannon, cat's paw, and Ginetta "I am an ardent fan of
Cavallerizzo [The Riding Master] (named after the Spanish Jennets, or Thoroughbred racing, and have vis-
(1562) that gives detailed instruc- Andalusian, horses which were ited and photographed several re-
tions on how to exercise, train, and popular riding horses at the time) to tired champions in Kentucky,
feed palio horses. correct horses' conformational or including Affirmed, Seattle Slew
In addition to her palio research, behavioral flaws," explains Tobey. and Cigar," she says. She is a recre-
Tobey is preparing a lecture on "Ferraro illustrates some bits that ational rider and takes lessons in
Italian bits for the Sixteenth Century were custom designed for specific low-level dressage and equitation
Studies Conference, to be held in individual horses. Other bits, such at Willowbend Farm in Upper
Pittsburgh in October. The prolifer- as the Pignatella or Fiasco, were Marlboro, Md.
ation of bit designs reflects the named for the riding masters who
growth of the practice of classical
dressage, which began in Italy with
Federico Grisone' s founding of a
McBean Grant Expands Angling Collection
riding school in Naples. Continued from page 1
The NSL owns several early edi-
tions of Grisone's Gli Ordini "Kreh is known as the dean of author and his wife, Deep Currents:
Cavalcare [The Principles of Riding], American fly-fishing," said Douglas Roderick and Ann Haig-Brown (1997),
first published in 1550. Grisone' s Lees, of Warrenton, Va. "And salt by their daughter Valerie Haig-
text and other treatises on horses water fly-fishing is where he first Brown. The NSL holds 20 titles by
and riding include illustrations of made his name." Haig-Brown, both fiction and non-
various kinds of curb bits, with two Weber also found a 1991 edition fiction.
books, Giovanni· Battista Ferraro's of Eugene Connett's My Friend the Other authors represented in the
Cavallo Frenato [The Bridled Horse] Trout (originally published in 1961), acquisition include Frank Sawyer,
(1602) and Alessandro Massari a collection of reminiscences by the Dave Hughes, Ray Bergman, Joe
Malatesta's Della ragione e modi d'im- founder of The Derrydale Press. Brooks, Harry Plunket Greene,
brigliar cavalli [On the Reason and Other important works include Charles Meck and Gary Borger.
Ways to Bridle Horses] (1613) the biography of a beloved angling
-2 - The NSL Newsletter, Spring 2003
The Upperville Colt Horse Show: The First 150 Years
&
At the National Sporting Library
T
he National Sporting ning with the first meeting
Library is featuring a spe- following the Civil War: "At a
cial exhibition of historic tro- dinner given by Col. Richard
phies, ribbons, photographs, H. Dulany for the purpose of
show programs and scrap- reorganizing the Upperville
books tracing the history of Union Colt Club -which held
the Upperville Colt & Horse its meetings annually before
Show. the war ... " The ledger was
The Upperville Colt & Horse the bible of the club and listed
Show: The First 150 Years will the initial 21 rules and regula-
run through June 27. tions of the show, lists of
On display is an original judges, premium awards and
and spectacular Tiffany & Co. other pertinent information.
trophy awarded at the first The last entry is 1904.
show in 1853, as well as a Elizabeth Courts, a direct
newly designed Tiffany & Co. Dulany descendant, has
loving cup, which will be loaned an 1859 silver cup in-
awarded on June 8 to the scribed "Upperville Union
owner of the horse winning Club Premium Cup for the
the Upperville Jumper Classic best 3 Years old FILLY for
for permanent possession. Elisabeth Plaskitt holds her 1853 original Quick Draft."
The 1853 trophy, a hand- Tiffany & Co. trophy awarded at the Also in the exhibit are three
first Upperville Union Colt Club show.
hammered and engraved large trophies honoring P. S.
sterling masterpiece, was de- Gochnauer, secretary and
signed by Tiffany & Co., after hibit in our magnificent new build- treasurer of the UCHS from
Charles Lewis Tiffany is said to ing. I hope the Library will be con- 1891-1916, one of which was loaned
have met the horse show's founder, sidered a repository of UCHS by Anne S. Coyner.
Col. Richard Henry Dulany, on a material anticipating a 200th an- Mimi Abel Smith, an NSL direc-
train to New York. Dulany ex- niversary exhibition so that these tor, loaned a magnificent trophy
plained with great enthusiasm that archives can be available to those won by Hickory Tree Farm which is
he was organizing the Upperville who are interested in researching believed to have been awarded in
Union Colt Club show to be held on the history of this fine event," said 1953, the lOOth anniversary of
the grounds of his farm, Grafton. Walta Warren, NSL curator. UCHS.
Tiffany offered to provide a silver The exhibit features numerous From the NSL' s collection are
trophy for only the cost of the silver. items from the Library's collection news clippings, copies of corre-
Elisabeth M. Plaskitt has loaned as well as trophies, ribbons, art, spondence and photographs which
her original cup to the NSL. Her show programs and photographs tell the stories of the horse show
late husband's father, James loaned by UCHS exhibitors and over the last 150 years. Magazines
Marshall Plaskitt obtained the tro- their families. from the 19th and 20th centuries in-
phy from the 1853 winner, Norman The two-month exhibition was clude The Spirit of the Times, The
Legg. kicked off by a gala at the Library Chronicle of the Horse and Spur.
The show has been held at May 9, hosted by UCHS president Detail is rich, not only about show
Grafton each year since. The name George N. Slater and Mrs. Slater. day, the owners, riders and horses,
was changed to the Upperville Colt The exquisite new trophy, also de- but also the saga of the show's
Club after the War Between the signed by Tiffany & Co., was un- founding, Civil War history and the
States. The show did not run during veiled at that time by Tiffany Vice state of Virginia's 19th-century sad-
the war years. President Diane Ray Brown. dle-horse breeding (as opposed to
"It is a pleasure to be celebrating The Slaters loaned a ledger dat- racehorses).
the 150th anniversary with an ex- ing from 1869 to 1904 and begin-
The NSL Newsletter, Spring 2003 -3 -
Bath County Hounds Open to Chairman1s Council
B
ath County Hounds, the private 1901, Tate Sterrett, whose wife was a
pack of George L. Ohrstrom Jr., great-granddaughter of Cameron,
will open its fixture card to mem- purchased the property. The origi-
bers of the NSL' s Chairman's nal farmhouse had burned to the
Council beginning with the fall sea- ground but was rebuilt by Sterrett.
son. Foxhunting guests to Fassifern
Ohrstrom, chairman of the NSL stay at the main farmhouse, com-
board, founded the pack in 1992 to fortably refurbished by Ohrstrom.
hunt over his historic Fassifern Guests must bring their own horses
Farm in Warm Springs, Va. Melvin which are stabled in a handsome
Poe, the celebrated former hunts- new stone stable or in a cozy con-
Melvin Poe leads the hounds and field
man of Orange County Hunt, hunts across the Jackson River. verted dairy barn.
the hounds over beautiful country Many healthy foxes reside on the
consisting of green valleys and acre tract he bought from Jacob farm, offering great sport in the
wooded hills with spectacular Warwick. The farm was named for morning. Following lunch, guests
views. The pristine Jackson River Cameron's ancestral home in may relax in the baths of Warm
runs right through the farm. Scotland. Above the house was the Springs, hike the trails of Fassifern
Ohrstrom purchased the 2000- site of Fort Dinwiddie, named for a or cast a line in the Jackson. A mere
acre farm in the late 1980s when he royal governor of Virginia. The pre- 10-minutes away, The Homestead
saw development creeping into Revolutionary War stockade was resort offers a fly-fishing school,
Fauquier County, his home and the the only sanctuary for miles around shooting club, golf course, canoe
home of Orange County Hunt. In from periodic Indian raids and was trips and even falconry.
1992, he offered his good friend Poe visited by Virginia Militia com- Chairman's Council members
the job of hunting the pack to re- mander George Washington in may make inquiries and reserva-
store foxhunting to Bath County. 1775. tions for foxhunting with John
Fassifern was built in 1790 by Fassifern remained in the Coles at 540-687-6500, ext. 17.
Col. Charles Cameron on a 4000- Cameron family until 1877, but in
Henry Hooker Lecture
and Book Signing
H
enry Hooker signs a copy of his book Fox, Fin and
Feather (2002) for Jacqueline B. Mars, an NSL director
and president of Orange County Hunt (Va.). Hooker is
master of Hillsboro Hounds (Tenn.). The lecture and book
signing were in the NSL's Founders' Room on May 15.
-4 - The NSL Newsletter, Spring 2003
Elections to the NSL Board
T
he National Sporting Library
Board of Directors elected
Edward P. Evans as vice chair, and
Directors of The National
Jacqueline L. Ohrstrom and Patricia
Sporting Library
B. Manigault as members of the
102 The Plains Road board on April 11.
Post Office Box 1335
Evans, an NSL board member
Middleburg, Virginia 20118-1335
since 1999, is the former CEO of
OFFICERS
Macmillan, Inc. He breeds and races
George L. Ohrstrom Jr.
Thoroughbreds from his Spring Hill
Chairman
Farm in Casanova, Va., and is one of
Edward P. Evans
Vice Chairman the most successful Thoroughbred
Kenneth Y. Tomlinson owners and breeders in America. He
President
has campaigned numerous graded-
Edward P. Evans and friends.
Clarke Ohrstrom
stakes winners including Raging
Treasurer
Fever, a full sister to the successful August. Last fall, they won the
Karen Showalter
Assistant Secretary-Treasurer sire Stormin Fever. Raging Fever, a Concours d'Elegance at Piedmont
DIRECTORS five-year-old mare, won the Grade-3 Driving Club's annual show for the
Mimi Abel Smith Bed of Roses Breeders' Cup at best turnout in her George IV
Arthur W. Arundel
Aquaduct in April. Halo phaeton. Ohrstrom is also on the
William M. Backer
Donald Calder Homewrecker, a three-year-old colt, boards of the Brandywine
John Coles has won three for three, the most re- Conservancy and the League of
James Cummins
cent the G-3 Bay Shore Stakes at Conservation Voters.
John H. Daniels
Diana J. Firestone Aquaduct. Evans was the third lead- Manigault, of Charleston, S.C., is
Helen K. Groves ing owner on the New York Racing also a member of the NSL' s
Patricia B. Manigault
Jacqueline B. Mars Association circuit in 2000 and 2001. Chairman's Council. She is a direc-
Christopher Ohrstrom Ohrstrom, of The Plains, is a tor of the Peregrine Fund and has
Jacqueline L. Ohrstrom
member of the NSL Chairman's served on the board of directors of
F. Turner Reuter Jr.
B. Francis Saul II Council and a dynamic supporter of The National Audubon Society, the
Joan Irvine Smith the Library. She hunts with Orange Gibbes Museum of Art and the Low
William C. Steinkraus
John von Stade County Hunt and Bath County Country Open Land Trust. She is an
Peter Winants Hounds. Ohrstrom is a prize-win- avid fly-fisherman, rides hunters
Anna Wells Zakroff
ning carriage driver with a matched and jumpers and shares an interest
pair of Hackney ponies. In 2000, she with her husband, Peter, and
and her team won the championship stepson, Pierre, in several steeple-
THE NATIONAL SPORTING at the Warrenton Horse Show in chasers.
LIBRARY NEWSLETTER
Douglas Less photo.
(ISSN 1068-2007)
Number 68, Spring 2003
Published by the
National Sporting Library
Telephone [phone]
http://www.nsl.org
Lisa Campbell, Editor
Rebecca M. Tomlinson,
Acting Director
Robert Weber, Librarian
Walta Warren,
Assistant Director/Curator
Karen Halver,
Assistant to the Director
Peter Winants, Director Emeritus Patricia B. Manigault Jacqueline L. Ohrstrom at Bath County.
The NSL Newsletter, Spring 2003 -5 -
Two Collections of Sporting Books Donated
T
he National Sporting Library recently received two Gilpin' s father, Kenneth Gilpin, started the collection to
important collections of sporting books. which Tyson added over the years.
Mrs. M. Tyson Gilpin, of Boyce, donated her late Gilpin, a bloodstock agent, was active in the
husband's library consisting of approximately 200 Thoroughbred sales industry. He was a partner in the
books. Thoroughbred breeding and racing books com- renowned sales company, Fasig-Tipton, until he retired
prise the majority of the donation. Most are contempo- in 1952 to devote time to his family and Kentmere Farm
rary with a few real treasures, some signed by the in Boyce, his successful breeding farm.
author. An autographed first edition of William The NSL also received 64 books from the estate of
Faulkner's Notes on a Horse Thief (1950) is among the Marsyl Hammond, a Thoroughbred owner and breeder
rare gems. who lived in Culpeper County. The books date from
A number of foxhunting and steeplechase books are 1809 to 2000 covering mostly Thoroughbred racing.
included along with a scarce set of J. Blan Van Urk's One special item is Lett's Popular County Atlas (1887), an
two-volume The Story of American Foxhunting (1940). atlas of all Britain's counties.
Got Scrapbooks? Got Photos?
T
he NSL is home to a wonderful collection of books, important sporting authors Harry Worcester Smith,
but it is also home for sporting archives and manu- Alexander Mackay-Smith and Peter Winants. The
scripts. This special collection consists of scrapbooks, Daniels Collection has original artwork by Henry
original manuscripts (both published and unpub- Alken, Paul Brown, manuscripts by Theodore
lished), original artwork which illustrate books on our Roosevelt, Edith CE. Somerville and Martin Ross to
shelves, photographs, hunt and fishing diaries, maps, name a few.
films, and other sporting ephemera. To continue the tradition of preserving the culture of
Librarian Robert Weber has underway a number of turf and field sports, enthusiasts should consider the
projects, primarily handled by volunteers, to organize NSL a repository for their heirloom collections of simi-
and preserve this important material. lar material, which will be preserved under ideal con-
The archival collection is an important source of the ditions and made available to researchers for years to
history of sport in America. The NSL has scrapbooks come. For information and to volunteer, please call
from Gerald Webb, the first publisher of The Chronicle of Robert Weber at 540-687-6542, ext. 14, or email at
the Horse, hunt diaries kept by Treweryn huntsman [email protected].
David "Bun" Sharp, boxes of material that belonged to
Douglas Less photo.
Congratulations!
P
eter Winants, of Middleburg, and Mary Weeden, of The
Plains, were married in Rectortown, Va., on May 17, in a
private ceremony.
Mrs. Winants, formerly of Peapack, N.J., is a foxhunter
and was district commissioner of the Amwell Valley Pony
Club (N.J.).
Mr. Winants is NSL director emeritus and on the NSL
board of directors. He is field master for Bath County
Hounds and rides his Touch of Harry in point-to-points.
Mr. and Mrs. Winants will reside in Rectortown, Va.
-6 - The NSL Newsletter, Spring 2003
Gymnastics: Systematic Training for Jumping Horses
Gymnastics: Systematic Training for depth. His explanations are succinct
Jumping Horses. By James C. and he utilizes diagrams for each of
Wofford. 2001 Distributed in the U.S. 23 exercises. Wofford's experience as
by Trafalgar Square, N. Pomfret, VT a coach and rider is evident on each
05053. Illus. 131 pp. Bibliography. page. For instance, in "Beginning
$13.95. Gymnastics" he writes: "Your goals
are for your horse to maintain his
James C. Wofford's Gymnastics: rhythm, balance and regularity of
Systematic Training for Jumping Horses stride over obstacles. I think that we
is a "cut-to-the-chase" book. Riders should teach our horse to balance
seeking a manual to train a horse himself, not to expect us to balance
over jumps for eventing, show him."
jumpers or the hunt field will find in In his opening chapter "The
Gymnastics the means to prepare a Horse" Wofford writes: "My ideal
self-sufficient partner in sport. horse is the horse that I fall in love
Wofford is a popular trainer and with again every morning when I see
coach. For over 25 years, he has in- his face hanging over the stable
structed event riders in gymnastic medals in 1968 and 1972, and the in- door .... If you do not like a horse the
jumping on his farm in Upperville, dividual silver medal at the 1980 first time you see him, do not talk
Va., and at clinics around the coun- Alternate Olympics. yourself into buying him. You will al-
try. He was an anchor member of the In his previous book Training the ways be secretly unhappy with him,
U.S. Equestrian Team on the three- Three-Day Event Horse and Rider and you won't make the necessary
day squad from 1965 to 1985. Over (1995), the final chapter touches on excuses for his inevitable mistakes
two decades he was named to four gymnastic training. This new book during the training process."
Olympic teams, winning team silver focuses on gymnastic jumping in -Lisa Campbell
Special Visitor to NSL
In May, Pierre-Marc Malhet,
Delegue General - Association
Frarn;aise de Ve nerie, and Robert
Carroll, a member of Myopia Hunt
(N.Y.), visited the NSL. Malhet's po-
sition is similar to the executive di-
rector of the Masters of Foxhounds
Association; he serves as a diplomat
of hunting.
At home in France, Malhet hunts
stag through the forests of
Fontainebleau. Carroll, who has
joined him in stag hunting, had in- Pierre-Marc Malhet, the champion
vited Malhet to hunt with Myopia. French hunting horn blower.
Malhet is also a champion French
hunting horn blower and delighted
the NSL staff with a few hunting
melodies. He explained there are
different melodies for each phase of
the hunt. Malhet and Carroll were
in Virginia to foxchase with Blue
Pierre-Marc Malhet.
Ridge Hunt.
The NSL Newsletter, Spring 2003 -7 -
The Chairman s Council
1
These friends of the National Sporting Library have taken a leadership role in their support of the
Library by joining the Chairman's Council:
Mr. and Mrs. William Abel Smith Virginia B. Gunnell Mr. and Mrs. Robin D. Roberts
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur W. Arundel James L. Hatcher Jr. David and Catherine Rochester
Mr. and Mrs. William Backer Sam Huff Ali N. Safyurtlu
Thomas M. Beach Jr. Mr. and Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III B. Francis Saul II
Mr. and Mrs. Zohar Ben-Dov Mr. and Mrs. Manuel H. Johnson Mildred Fletcher Slater
Magalen 0. Bryant Sheila C. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. S. Bruce Smart Jr.
Elizabeth Busch Burke Mr. and Mrs. James E. Lyons Joan Irvine Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Calder Dr. and Mrs. Edward B. MacMahon Robert H. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Rodion Cantacuzene Mr. and Mrs. Peter Manigault T. Garrick Steele
Edgar T. Cato Jacqueline Badger Mars William C. Steinkraus
George M. Chester Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Charles T. Matheson Mead Stone
Citigroup Private Bank Joel McCleary George Strawbridge Jr.
Jane Forbes Clark Mr. and Mrs. John K. Medica Mr. and Mrs. Phillip S. Thomas
Seymour Cohn Mrs. Paul Mellon Dr. Mary Finlay Thompson
Mr. and Mrs. John Kent Cooke Col. and Mrs. Robert W. Newton Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Y. Tomlinson
Mr. and Mrs. W. Carey Crane III Mr. and Mrs. Francis Q. O'Neill Peter S. Tsimortos
Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. Cronin Roberta Odell Laura van Roijen
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Daniels Barnaby A. Ohrstrom John von Stade
Paul L. Davies Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Ohrstrom Virginia S. Warner
Lawrence S. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Clarke Ohrstrom Mr. and Mrs. Gerald L. Warren
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Duke George F. Ohrstrom Margaret R. White
Edward P. Evans Mrs. George L. Ohrstrom Jr. Mr. and Mrs. S. Bonsal White
P. Jay Fetner Lorian Peralta-Ramos Mrs. Charles S. Whitehouse
Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Firestone Nicole H. Perry & Andrew Stifler Margaret H. Whitfield
Dielle and Charles Fleischmann Frederick H. Prince Mrs. James Wiley
Mr. and Mrs. Paul R. Fout Dr. and Mrs. Jerold J. Principato Peter Winants
Helen K. Groves Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rathbun Mr. and Mrs. Michael Zakroff
Mr. and Mrs. Ted Guarriello Dr. and Mrs. F. Turner Reuter John F. Zugschwert
BillH. Gunn Mr. and Mrs. F. Turner Reuter Jr.
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