NSLM Newsletter - Spring 2007

2007·0.88 MB·English

The National Sporting Library
N E W S L E T T E R
ARESEARCHCENTERFORHORSEANDFIELDSPORTS MIDDLEBURG,VIRGINIA
NUMBER83 1 9 5 4 • FIFTY-THREE YEARS • 2007 SPRING2007
Reflections on a Life with Horses:
Paintings by Sir Alfred Munnings from the Paul Mellon
Collection of the Yale Center for British Art
oAanppneTrniihvl ee2a r0N s. aahOrtiyingo hntohlayfel Sopapchncoitarliastciininoptgnha trLoeofidbp t rhisaeetrx y1hP 0wi0abtuiihltll bmMeqraaeusltiletnoe enrn.y’ os T t ohloofev n elteyh x eohS fi bimrai treiAtod nlifa urnecmddlo ’,ss ae blsalu bMtts hoaialnurlcsgthoes PublicInformation
of
Mellon’s birth, the Library celebrates 29, 2008. ment
tphlaisy eosft e1e6m weodr kbse nbeyf aocnteo ro fw Eitnhg laa nddis’s- SilvIenr hSisp oaounto,bPiaouglr aMpheyll,o Rne fwlecrtoioten st ihna at Depart
foremost equine artists: Sir Alfred “the enjoyment of British sporting Yale
James Munnings, R.A. (1878-1959). art…has always been inseparable Carter,
From the Paul Mellon Collection at from the enjoyment of racing, ‘chasing B.
m
the Yale Center for British Art, in New and hunting,” and he dearly loved Willia
Haven, Conn., these paintings cele- both. Photo:
Ltd.
Son,
and
w
Wido
Rosentiel’s poPrhtrilaaint tbhursotp bisyt JPoasuepl hM Welillotnon r,e cgaa.r d1s7 7a0 ,
Felix entitled Thomas, 1st Baron Dartrey—
bycourtesyof just wonoYreak elsex MaCmeenplltloeen ro fbfo etrqh uBe ertaihttoihsuehsd aA tnord tts.h oef art
Trust,
CastleHouse uemalMe. rJei.t lulCosan or tfwe trha esB rNao awrteinom,n atahrlk eG albaalltleee ridyni doreifv cAtidorr-t
©
Photo: i“nd edWicaasthioinng ttoo nq,u aDlit.Cy, .,h isa dumndireerdst atheids
generosity, his love of the humanities,
and his passion for the beautiful.”
Jules Prown, the founding director of
the Yale Center for British Art, called
Mr. Mellon “an ideal donor, generous
and non-interfering. His philosophy
was that those who had to live with the
results of his benefactions should
make the decisions.”
During his lifetime, and especially
after it, Mellon donated and
bequeathed literally thousands of
paintings and sculptures to museums
throughout the world, including the
Yale Center for British Art, the
Sir Alfred J. Munnings, The Corporal of Horse,c. 1927, oil on canvas.
This and 15 other Munnings’paintings will be on view until March 29, 2008. continued on page 2
Sir Alfred Munnings Ltd.
Son,
continued from page 1 and
w
Wido
NMNaauttsiiooennuaamll SGpoaoflrl etirnFygi n oLefi bArAartrr,ty s.t —hAela l nVodifr tghitenhsiaee Rosentiel’s
institutions, as well as others such as Felix
of
tAhcea dUenmivye rsaintyd oNf aVtiirogninaila ,G tahlele Rryo yianl courtesy
London, the Fitzwilliam Museum in by
Cambridge, England, and the Trust,
Museum of Fine Arts Ghent are cele- House
bouratt 2in0g0 7M. ellon’s centenary through- Castle
©
of Tthhies Lemibirnaeryn ti sf rpalteearsneitdy ,t od ebdei caa ptianrgt Photo:
to Mellon a display of paintings
whose subject matter was so close to
his heart, and whose creator was one
ofhis favorite painters of his own cen-
tury.
Angus Trumble, Curator of Alfred J. Munnings, Southern Heroand Black Speck,the property of J. V. Rank, c.1940.
Painting and Sculpture at the Yale
Center for British Art, will offer a swiped at the picture, missing its sur- was probably a little overawed by my
short presentation at the exhibition’s face altogether. Nevertheless, he began bohemian traveling companion…”
opening reception, and next year the exhibiting his pictures at the Royal Munnings could indeed be the life
Library will host a one-day sympo- Academy in 1899, and, after serving in of the party and had an uncanny knack
sium exploring the art and life of France during World War I, sold many for composing amusing ballads and
Alfred Munnings. fashionable equine portraits in both dashing off charming little sketches—
Mellon and Munnings met in 1932, England and America. His reputation though it must be noted that the art
when Mellon was still a young man flourished between the wars, so when world was not universally enamored
but Munnings’ reputation was young Mellon wanted a portrait of his of him. As President of the Royal
already well established. The artist favorite hunter painted while he Academy, Munnings earned many
had shown a talent for drawing from enjoyed a few weeks’ hunting in the enemies among sophisticated critics
early childhood and worked hard to Shires, Munnings was the obvious with his frank and vocal censure of
develop his gifts despite the loss of choice. Mellon recalled that “I, who modern art.
sight in one eye at age 20. This blind- was still pretty reserved, said little on Munnings incorporated numerous
ness destroyed his depth perception, the journey [with the artist to see my techniques of 19th- and 20th-century
and Munnings later complained of his horse], whereas Munnings, apart from art movements into his work—impres-
inability to see how far his canvas was being older, was a great extrovert and sionistic uses of light and color,and an
from his brush: sometimes he stabbed far from bashful. He was very amusing audaciously loose handling of paint, for
its surface roughly, other times he company. Looking back, I recall that I example—but deplored what he con-
sidered the overly cerebral approach to
Ltd. art that emphasized abstract ideas over
Son, the ability to simply lay down on can-
and vas what one saw. In his opinion, the
w modern-art aesthetic was a sham, and
Wido he wasn’t afraid to say so. It was far
Rosentiel’s pmraeifnetraaibnleed t,o a n“dle atrryn tfor opmai nNt awtuhraet” o hnee
Felix observed—no easy task!
of As Munnings struggled mightily to
courtesy dhuepe,i ctth eth een esrugbyt leotfi easn oafn ismhaadl’os wm oavned-
by
Trust, mhuemnta,n aanndd ethqeu inpee rssuobnjeaclittsi,e hs e onf otheids
House that “no writing can give any idea of
Castle the intricacies, the colour, tones,
© knowledge of horse anatomy, con-
Photo: glomerated together in the mind of
one who is trying to paint a horse.” He
Munnings, The Saddling Paddock, Cheltenham March Meeting,circa 1947. continued on page 6
-2-The NSLNewsletter,Spring 2007
Daniels Fellow Evokes Palio Pageantry
John H. Daniels Fellow, Elizabeth just the silk paliobanner awarded as
Tobey, Ph.D., received a heartfelt aprize.
ovation after she presented The “For the citizens of Siena, the
Palio in Italian Renaissance Art, palio is a living tradition,” said
Thought, and Culture to Chairman’s Tobey. “It is their way of commemo-
Council members on Thursday, rating their history and keeping
March 22. alive the memory of the city’s hey-
Tobey covered the origins of this day in the 13th and 14th centuries.”
horse race, run on religious feast The show opened with a clip
days, from the Middle Ages up to from The Last Victory(2003), a docu-
the present day. In the past, as mentary by John Appel about the
today, the races are run bareback in palio. Tobey then narrated a
the city streets (as opposed to on a Powerpoint presentation, covering
permanent racetrack), and there is the palio’s history and how the race
no official betting or purse money – is run today. Shown with the scarf of the Torre(Tower)
“The city government organized contradaor neighborhood, Tobey talked
the race and commissioned and about her own visits to the Sienese palio.
paid for the silk palio banner,” she
explained, adding that this costly Tobey dedicated the lecture to John
object was often lined with expen- H. and Martha Daniels, who origi-
sive fur. The expense for making a nated the idea of a fellowship pro-
palio banner often far surpassed gram at the National Sporting
that of an altarpiece or fresco. And Library. Tobey, who earned her
the tradition continues today; mod- Ph.D. from the University of
ern palio banners, though less elab- Maryland, has donated her disserta-
orate than their Renaissance prede- tion on Renaissance-era palii to the
cessors, are unique works of art, Library as well as her Masters thesis
The paliohorse, or barbero,is ridden each one painted by a different on 16th-century horse portraits in
bareback. Aprova,or trial race, is held artist. Palazzo Te, Mantua, Italy. For those
the morning of the Sienese palioin the The talk was presented as part of who missed her lecture, it is avail-
Piazza del Campo, the town squarein the Treasures from the F.Ambrose Clark able on audio cassette available at
Siena where the paliois run. Rare Book Room series of lectures. the Library.
White House Horses
To Open May 11
The exhibition White House Horsesopens to
the public in the Forrest E. Mars Sr. Exhibit
Hall on Friday, May 11. Nine informative
panels present a fascinating look at the rela-
tionship between United States presidents
and their horses. The panels’ text, photo-
graphs, and illustrations remind the viewer
that horses played a pivotal role for our
presidents in the 18th through early 20th
centuries. Before automobiles, all presidents
and their families and staff depended on
horses for transportation and many, even in
our current era, turned to them for recreation
as well.
The White House Historical Association
produced the panels for their Visitors’ Center
in Washington, D.C.; unique to the National
Sporting Library venue is an additional dis-
play of books, manuscripts, and artifacts
The exhibit White House Horsesexplores the pivotal role
relating to American presidents and their
horses played in the American presidency.
families.
The NSLNewsletter,Spring 2007- 3 -
Jennings
Robert
mages/
Directors of The National PhotoI
Sporting Library RH
102 The Plains Road Photo:
Post Office Box 1335
Middleburg, Virginia 20118-1335
OFFICERS
Manuel H. Johnson
Chairman
Nancy H. Parsons
President & CEO
Jacqueline B. Mars
Vice Chairman
Clarke Ohrstrom The National Sporting Library’s 2004 Coaching Drive was an unparalleled success, with 30
Treasurer
four-in-hand coaches participating. The event raised more than $80,000 for the Library.
Karen Showalter
Assistant Secretary-Treasurer
Karen Halver The Coaches Are Coming!
Secretary
DIRECTORS
Mimi Abel Smith The National Sporting Library is looking forward to welcoming an incred-
Charles T. Akre ible array of wonderfully restored antique four-in-hand coaches to
Thomas H. Anderson Jr.
Middleburg for ahistoric drive that promises to be spectacular. The public is
Arthur W. Arundel
welcome to view each and every coach at the Upperville Horse Show
Donald G. Calder
John Coles Grounds on Saturday, September 29.
Edward P. Evans In addition to coaching, the weekend features a fabulous black tie dinner
Timothy J. Greenan dance on Saturday evening. Peter Duchin and his orchestra, one of the best in
Helen K. Groves the business, will provide a magical night at Llangollen with terrific swing
Manuel H. Johnson
music. “There is no one like Peter Duchin,” said Nancy Parsons. “He is the
Jacqueline B. Mars
quintessential entertainer, and his music will keep the dance floor full
Clarke Ohrstrom
Jacqueline L. Ohrstrom throughout the evening. It is a rareopportunity to have him perform herein
Wright R. S. Ohrstrom the heart of hunt country!”
F. Turner Reuter Jr. For information on individual and corporate sponsorship packages, please
Joan Irvine Smith contact Nancy Parsons at [email protected] or 540-687-6542, ext. 30 for
Peter Winants (honorary)
details. All proceeds will benefit the National Sporting Library.
THE NATIONALSPORTING
LIBRARY NEWSLETTER
(ISSN 1068-2007)
Number 83, Spring 2007
Published by the
National Sporting Library
Tel. [phone] · www.nsl.org
Louisa Woodville,
Editor, Director of Communications
Peter Duchin is renowned
Nancy H. Parsons,
for his orchestra, which will
President and CEO
provide music at the Sept. 29
Lisa Campbell,
Llangollen dinner dance.
Librarian
Elizabeth Manierre,
Art Curator
Karen Halver,
Assistant to the President
Judy Sheehan,
Receptionist
Elizabeth Tobey,
Daniels Fellow
-4-The NSLNewsletter,Spring 2007
Hallman Family Hosts NSL at Wellington, Florida
Penny, Samantha and Bridget Hallman entertained
guests at their elegant show barn, Merrylegs South, in
Wellington, Fla., this past February. The festive reception
wasoffered to promote the National Sporting Library to
horse show and polo enthusiasts at Wellington. Library
President & CEO Nancy Parsons, Art Curator Betsy
Manierre, and Board Chairman Manley Johnson gave an
informal presentation to the guests, explaining the mis-
sion of the Library, its collections, and coming events. A
bonus of the evening was meeting Gray Slipper, The
Chronicle of the HorseShow Hunter Horse of the Year, who
belongs to Bridget Hallman. The NSL is grateful to the
Hallman family for this terrific opportunity to “take the
Merrylegs South in Wellington, Fla., houses
Library on the road.”
the Hallman’s show hunters.
NSLCEO & President Nancy Parsons, left, Samantha, Penny,and Bridget Hallman welcomed guests
and owner-rider Bridget Hallman flank Grey Slipper, to Merrylegs at a reception to honor the Library.
Show Hunter Horse of the Year.
NSLArt Curator Betsy Manierre, Penny Hallman, Bridget Donald and Patricia Brennan of Upperville, Va.,
Hallman, Nancy Parsons, Samantha Hallman, and wereamong the guests.
NSLChairman Manley Johnson enjoyed Wellington.
The NSLNewsletter,Spring 2007- 5 -
Sir Alfred Munnings Ltd.
Son,
continued from page 2 and
w
Wido
sptrriockveed toea rp, othrter a“yc etrhtaei n bdriegphtth eayned, Rosentiel’s
tHraen rsepvaerleendc iyn otfh ae hwieglhl- gsproiroimts,e bdr ciloliaatn.”t ofFelix
gthaer mtuernf tosr, ainn dth peo hwuenrt hfiee lwdi tanneds,s medu ocnh courtesy
ltiok teh Pea rualc eMs ealslo onn, ec oouf nhties dli fhei’ss fdiresfti nviinsigt Trust,by
moments. House
coun“tTryhsei dsei,g ahst sw aenlld a ss othuen dcso loorf atnhde Castle
©
acoctuirosne , aanred wehxacti tteumrne nmt eo of nt,”h eM reallcoen- Photo:
wrote. He remembered “those long,
soft, eminently green gallops stretch-
ing to the horizon in the slanting after-
noon sun, and the late October sun-
light on the warm yellow stone of the Munnings, Newmarket Again,circa 1952.
old, high stands at Newmarket—the
bright colours of the silks flashing by,
the sheen of the horses coats….” Rare Japanese Manuscript Identified
Confessing “to skimping on lectures
and study [at Cambridge University]
for the pleasures of hunting and rac- Dr.Sandy Kita, an expert in ukiyo-e(woodblock) prints, visited the National
ing…” Mellon became a legendary Sporting Library on March 14th wherehe examined the Library’s rareJapanese
supporter of the turf in both Great book, Shokuba ko (Treatise on Horse Equipage). Written by Katsumi Matoba,
Britain and America even as he com- this illustrated, two-volume book from the John H. and Martha Daniels
mitted generous resources to collect- Collection compares saddles and bridles from Edo Period Japan with those of
ing art, like his father. T’ang Dynasty China. Dr. Kita discovered that the book was printed in 1857
Many visitors to the National and is the oldest of only three rareeditions in North American libraries.
Sporting Library can instantly under-
stand how deeply Mellon loved his
horses. Riding them and writing about
them, foxhunting and competing on
them, breeding them and racing them
all over the world were pleasures that
served him well his entire life. With
this exhibition, we are the fortunate
beneficiaries of Mellon’s enthusiasm
for combining these avocations with
those of a serious art collector. He
agreed with Munnings: “Art is long,
life is short—like the races,” and in the
artist’s work he recognized the deep
satisfaction of a life well-spent, sur-
rounded by horses.
—Elizabeth Manierre
A 40-page full-color catalogue and exhibition
poster are available at the Library by calling
540-687-6542 and requesting one by mail, or by
e-mailing [email protected]. Visit www.nsl.org
for more information on the exhibition and its
accompanying catalogue and exhibition poster.
Sources for quotes by and about Paul Mellon
aretaken from his memoirs, Reflections in a
Silver Spoon(1992), Munnings, An Artist’s Life
(1950), Munnings, The Second Burst (1951),
and Munnings, The Finish(1952). Dr. Sandy Kita is a Senior Scholar in Art History at Chatham College of Pittsburgh, Pa.
-6-The NSLNewsletter,Spring 2007
Recent Acquisitions
While the Library receives most books new to the col-
lection from donors, authors and publishers, the librarian
continually seeks other additions to meet the dynamic
needs of its researchers.
The selection of acquisitions follows a collection devel-
opment policy established by the NSL’s early leaders, and
also endeavors to identify areas of the collection frequent-
ed by researchers using the Library’s resources and
Interlibrary Loan requests. The bibliographies of sporting
books, published dissertations, books on books, and book-
seller catalogs provide a wealth of suitable titles. Book pur-
chases are made possible through the Book Acquisition
Fund, which is supported by proceeds from the annual
duplicate book sale and by the generosity of a few donors.
Recent acquisitions concerning earlier periods of horses
and horsemanship by scholars include:
The Warhorse, 1250-1600by Ann Hyland (1998).
Medieval Muslim Horsemanship: A Fourteenth-Century
Arabic Cavalry Manualby G. Rex Smith (1979).
Special Report on the Market of American Horses in
Foreign Countries published by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture(1898).
So They Rode and Foughtby S. Shahid Hamid (1983).
Frozen Tombs of Siberia: the Pazyryk Burials of Iron Age
Horsemen by Sergei I. Rudenko (1970).
Knights and Warhorses: Military Service and the English
Aristocracy Under Edward IIIby Andrew Ayton (1994).
The Horsemen of the Steppes: the Story of the Cossacksby
Albert Seaton (1985).
Horses, Oxen and Technological Innovation: the Use of Hyland has written extensively on horses in the Roman and
Draught Animals in English Farming From 1066 to 1500by Renaissance periods.
John Langdon (1986).
Recent acquisitions for the sporting art section include Grab the Brass Ring: the American Carouselby Anne Dion
books delving into American carousel horses which had Hinds (1990).
origins as a means to train knights in Medieval England Phillips New York Presents American Carousel Art: From
(thus the fierce looking horses!). the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art(1986).
Introduction to the Carouselby Maurice Fraley (n.d.). —Lisa Campbell
Emerald Isle
Visitors Come
to Middleburg
Visitors from Ireland enjoyed a tour of
the Library and its rarebooks in late
February.From left to right:
NSLLibrarian Lisa Campbell;
Liza O’Connor from University of
Limerick; Frank McGourty from
University of Limerick; and
Mrs. Magalen Bryant of Middleburg.
The NSLNewsletter,Spring 2007- 7 -
Book Reviews
galloping his favorite horse, El recover from a devastating injury in
Alamein; another shows Franklin the Preakness Stakes. In Sean Clancy’s
Roosevelt on his favorite competi- tribute to Barbaro, the horse’s trainer,
tion horse, Bobby, at a New York Michael Matz, poignantly expresses
State Fair. what many have realized: “By not
Taylor also covers presidents’ being a racehorse but being a survivor,
wives; we learn that Herbert is that something bigger than if he
Hoover’s wife Lou loved not only won the Triple Crown? I don’t know,
horses, but fishing and the great but it’s pretty special to have a horse
outdoors as well (her father had like that.”
wanted her to be a boy). Warren Clancy, who grew up in
Harding’s wife, Florence, was Unionville and now lives in Land-
equally enamored with horses. enberg, Pa., writes for such sports
While her husband was coping with publications as the Daily Racing
a scandal-ridden administration, Form and The Blood-Horse. Clancy
Florence made conscientious efforts and his brother, Joe Jr., publish and
to drum up support for animals. She edit Steeplechase and Eventing Times.
even recognized horses and mules The former jockey does a masterful
that died in World War I by planting job at telling Barbaro’s story. He
amagnolia tree in their memory on opens it with Roy and Gretchen
the White House lawn. Jackson’s purchase of La Ville
Taylor, a West Virginian who Rouge, a promising race filly who
grew up in Washington D.C., was a went on as a broodmareto produce
tour guide in the District for almost Barbaro. Barbaro’s early develop-
Horses of the Presidents: How the 20 years. She started the book with ment is traced from his birth in
horse helped to shape America, her mother years ago, and when her Kentucky, to his breaking in Ocala,
Leah C. Taylor, Merikani Ltd, mother died in 2004, Taylor was to his arrival at trainer Michael
Charles Town, WV 25414. 2006, 222 determined to see it to print—even Matz’s barn at Fair Hill Training
pp.,illus. $17.00. if she had to publish it herself. Center in Maryland.
Taylor covers a tremendous amount Clancy rounds out Barbaro’s
Leah Taylor’s book is a wonder- of territory in a conversational, story with profiles of his human
ful collection of stories about each engaging way. Take a look through connections, including his owner
American president and his rela- it on your next visit to the Library. and trainer, his exercise rider Peter
tionship with horses—a perfect —Louisa Woodville Brette, his jockey Edgar Prado, and
complement to the current exhibi- Dr.Dean Richardson, the surgeon at
tion “White House Horses” that New Bolton Center who cared for
opens on May 11. the horse. Particularly interesting is
As the author confesses in the the chapter on Michael Matz and
preface, it’s hard to separate legend how he transitioned from a success-
from fact, and she happily includes ful career in show jumping to
both in her engaging narratives. We become one of the top trainers in
learn that Ulysses Grant spent two Thoroughbred racing. (Matz has an
hours a day in the White House sta- indirect connection to the National
bles; that Calvin Coolidge rode an Sporting Library, as his wife, D.D.
“electric” horse in his White House Alexander, is the daughter of
bedroom; that James Polk sold wild Library Board member Helen
Mustangs to the British fighting in Groves.)
South Africa; and that the riderless Barbaro, The Horse Who Captured The last quarter of the book
horse in a presidential funeral sym- America’s Heart, Sean Clancy. Clancy devotes to the effort to save
bolizes the lost rider, saddle on its Eclipse Press, Blood-Horse Pub- Barbaro’s life. The author explains
back, sword attached, and the lications, Box 919003, Lexington, KY the challenges presented by
deceased’s riding boots placed 40591-9003. 191 pp., illus. $25.95. Barbaro’s injury in layman’s terms,
backward in the stirrups. and also portrays the horse’s digni-
Illustrations, in fact, fill the pages, I have been a fan of Barbaro since ty and intelligence in participating
from reproductions of engravings watching his victory in the Laurel in his own recovery.
and paintings to contemporary pho- Futurity in November of 2005. Since The book not only benefits from
tographs. (If this book has any small then, Barbaro went on to do great Clancy’s writing talent, but from the
drawback, it is that the photograph- things, not the least of which was win- work of 37 photographers from
ic reproduction could be of higher ning the 2006 Kentucky Derby. But per- Barbara Livingston to Skip
quality.) One shows Ronald Reagan haps his greatest feat was his fight to Dickstein. Particularly moving is
-8-The NSLNewsletter,Spring 2007
the image by George Widman at the Turkey. We see Azarax’s story
very end, showing Barbaro standing unfold through the eyes of his seyis, Haseltine Letter
next to Dr. Richardson. Despite all or groom, who raises and trains his
that he has been through, Barbaro charge and accompanies him to Donated to NSL
faces the camera with ears pricked Istanbul where he serves in the sta-
and eyes bright. bles of Sultan Mehmed IV. When
Barbaro, The Horse Who Captured Mehmed IV declares war on the David and Andrea Brown, of
America’s Heart is a biography Hapsburg Empire, the seyis and his Charlotte, N.C., have donated
worthy of its subject. One only two stallions embark on an arduous an original letter written and
wishes that this moving book had a journey with the Sultan’s army, signed by the sculptor Herbert
happier ending. which lays siege to the city of Haseltine (American, 1877-1962)
Vienna in 1683.
—Elizabeth Tobey Among the most remarkable fea-
tures of James’ novel are his detailed
descriptions of the Ottoman mili-
tary and the horrors of battle. The
reader learns about life in an
Ottoman encampment and the
logistics of moving an army of thou-
sands across difficult terrain. The
descriptions of battle slaughters, in
which countless men and horses
perished, are graphic and eerily
evocative of the carnage in the
Middle East that we read about in
the news every day. Herbert Haseltine’s The Thoroughbred
But James’ book also is an expres- was donated by Edward H. Tuck.
sion of tenderness and love, an ode to
the bond between man and horse. in honor of the 100th anniver-
The seyis’ unspoken connection that sary of the birth of Paul Mellon.
he develops with Azarax is very mov- Horses fascinated Haseltine,
ing without being overly sentimental. and the Roman-born artist
During the siege of Buda Castle sculpted them for more than
(in modern day Budapest, forty years. He wrote the donat-
Hungary) in 1686, Azarax falls into ed letter in 1941 from Los
the hands of British forces fighting Angeles, Ca., to his landlord in
on behalf of the Hapsburg army. New York City, and enclosed it
The Byerley Turk, Jeremy James. Azarax and the seyisare transported with his studio rent check.
Stackpole Books. 5067 Ritter Rd. to England, and Captain Robert
Mechanicsburg, PA17055. 2005. 320 Byerley purchases the horse.
pp. $34.95. Ihave two criticisms of the novel, Apollo Magazine
the first having to do with the struc-
Honors Mellon
The Turkish horses of the ture of the narrative. Not long after
Ottoman Empire played an enor- Byerley’s acquisition of Azarax, the
mous role in the equestrian culture seyis mysteriously disappears from
of Europe during the Renaissance Byerley’s estate. Although James Like the National Sporting
and Early Modern periods. Not only based this disappearance on a pop- Library,the British publication Apollo
did horses of Turkish bloodlines ular legend, the sudden absence of magazine is celebrating the cente-
excel in battle, they also were fleet the main protagonist of the novel is nary of Paul Mellon’s birth. Its April
and durable racehorses. All modern disconcerting to the narrative. issue is devoted to
Thoroughbreds can trace their line- My second criticism is that the the Virginia philan-
age back to three foundation sires: minute detail by which James colors thropist, with an
the Godolphin Barb, the Darley his prose often halts the story’s article on British
Arabian, and the Byerley Turk. momentum and fails to maintain sporting art by
The Byerley Turk’s story is told in the reader’s attention. Angus Trumble,
this sweeping historical novel by Although The Byerley Turkhas its curator at the Yale
Jeremy James. James researched in flaws, it is a book that is both com- Center for British
libraries and archives and also rode on pelling and highly informative, and Art in New Haven,
horseback across Turkey over much of Ithoroughly recommend it to those Conn. Other contributors include
the territory described in the novel. interested in early modern history Amy Meyers, Director of the Yale
The book traces the life of Azarax and the history of the Thoroughbred Center; Brian Allen, director of the
(Son of Fire), a purebred Karaman breed. Paul Mellon Centre, London; and
stallion, one of the most prized Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, a land-
breeds of the Ottoman Empire in —Elizabeth Tobey scape designer and garden historian.
The NSLNewsletter,Spring 2007- 9 -
Recent Book Donations
French hunting – Timothy J. Greenan, Washington, D.C., fascinating article from ESPN magazine, June 5, 2006, on an
donated Animaux de Venerie Et Chasse aux Chiens Courantsby annual polo match in remote Pakistan.
J. Oberthur (1947), which describes mounted hunting of
various game with hounds in France. Retriever History–Carolyn McCreesh and Fred Campo, of
Neenah, Wis., donated a signed copy of the book they co-
Dressage – John H. Fritz, of Rockford, Ill., donated two authored, The History of Retriever Field Trials in America.The
dressage books. The first is Dressage Masters: Techniques and chapters cover trials for various retriever breeds dating from
Philosophies of Four Legendary Trainersby David Collins, pub- 1931 to 1941.
lished 2006. This important work covers renowned trainers
Klaus Balkenhol, Ernst Hoyos, Dr. Uwe Schulten-Baumer, Equine books and videos–Elizabeth Tobey, of Middleburg,
and George Theodorescu. The second is In One Arena: Top Va., donated two juvenile literature books, Misty’s Twilight
Dressage Experts Share Their Knowledge through the Levelsby by Marguerite Henry and Fritz and the Beautiful Horsesby Jan
Sharon Biggs (2001). The author includes various topics dis- Brett. She also gave her copy of Asian Games: The Art of
cussed by various trainers and competitors, for example Contestedited by Colin MacKenzie and Irving Finkel, with a
Christopher Bartle on choosing the right horse, Dr. Hilary fascinating chapter, “Polo: The Emperor of Games,” about
Clayton on conditioning, judges’ forums with Axel Steiner polo in China and Japan. And she donated her collection of
and Janet Brown, and much more. horse racing VHS recordings including Breeders’ Cup
Races, the Triple Crown races, and other classic races.
Barbaro – Eclipse Press, a division of The Blood-Horse,
Lexington, Ky., donated the newly published Barbaro: The
Horse Who Captured America’s Heart by Sean Clancy. See
book review on page 8. Buckley
Thoroughbred racing history–Stephen E. Patrick, Director Karen
ofrfo mth teh eB Beleagiirn nSitnagb,leb yM Suhsierluemy ,V Blaoswakie B, aMltzd,. ,p duobnliastheedd B2e0l0a5ir. Photo:
It tells not only the history of the famed racing and breed-
ing stable, but also of racing in colonial Maryland and
through to the sale of Belair out of private hands in 1957.
The NSL owns a manuscript on Belair Stable by Neil
Newman.
Thoroughbred periodicals and reference books–William
and Mimi Abel Smith, of Middleburg, Va., donated a run of
The Blood-Horse from the 1970s and 1980s, and volumes of
the American Stud Book, American Produce Records,
Thoroughbred Sires and Dams, and Thoroughbred Broodmare
Records.
Presidential horses–Leah Taylor, of Charles Town, W.Va.,
donated a copy of the book she authored, Horses of the
Presidents: How the Horse Help to Shape America, published
2006. See book review page 8.
Book on Newton
Steeplechase – Sean Clancy and Joe Clancy Jr., of Elkton,
Md., donated a new book they co-authored, The Best of the
Proves Popular
Saratoga Special: Saratoga’s Daily Newspaper on Thoroughbred
Racing. The authors assembled the best articles from 2001-
2005 covering the sport and players at Saratoga’s annual
Author John Head brought an enthusiastic crowd
summer meet.
to the Library when he signed his recently-published
Polo biography–Ronnie Tongg, of Honolulu, donated and book, With Brush and Bridle: Richard Newton, Junior—
signed a copy of The Golden Mallet: The Story of Hawaii’sPolo Artist and Equestrian. The former director of the
Great, Ronnie Tongg, by Elizabeth Y. Layton. Tongg played Museum of Hounds & Hunting spoke about how a
polo beginning in 1957 and competed internationally. canvas by Richard Newton, Jr. (1874-1951) piqued
his interest eight years ago, prompting him to hold
Cavalry magazines–Dielle Fleischman, of The Plains, Va., an exhibition of the MFH’s work in 2002. From that
donated recent editions of The Cavalry Journal and Crossed point he was hooked, and the present volume is the
Sabers. culmination of Head’s interest in the well-heeled
personality whom he brought to life so vividly the
Polo periodicals – Hal Chaffee, of Chicago, donated first Thursday evening in March.
Saratoga Polo covering the association’s 2006 season, and a
-10 -The NSLNewsletter,Spring 2007