Lepper

Ten-ton tanks, scout cars and motorcycles rumbled over the tanbark in Manhattan's Madison Square Garden last week. Except for this "Preparedness Spectacle" staged by U. S. Army men, the 1940 National Horse Show was pretty much like its 54 predecessors. The scarlet-coated ringmaster tootled his horn. High-stepping saddle horses went through their prancing paces; harness horses pulled elegant buggies and swelegant owners; hunters and jumpers skimmed over the bars.

In bygone days, when a family tree was a ticket of admission to the National and most spectators knew a martingale from a bridoon, harness and saddle horses held the audiences spellbound. In the past decade, since Broadway discovered the Horse Show, jumpers have stolen the spotlight. With blank eyes last week the plain-clothes crowd watched the Adrian Van Sinderens collect ribbon after ribbon in the harness classes. With boredom they watched the saddle horses step around the ring, exhibiting their three gaits, their five gaits, over & over. But when the jumpers came out, the crowd showed some interest. This was what Prizefight Managers Mushky Jackson and Hymie Caplin had come to sit in a box for.

At the National, the international military jumping events always get top billing. But the jumper who has brought down the house night after night, year after year, is Little Squire, a white gelding only 13.2 hands high (4 ft. 5 in.). Little Squire was born in County Limerick 15 years ago. His dam was a Welsh pony, his sire an unknown thoroughbred. When he was six (and known as First Attempt), he humbled Ireland's best "leppers," jumping 6 ft. 6 in. in the stonewall class at Dublin's famed Horse Show.

An Irish Army officer named Dan Corry bought the little freak for $250, brought him to the U. S. in 1932 to compete in the military jumping events at the National Horse Show. The pony never went back to Ireland. Arthur Tolman. a New England horse fancier, took a fierce fancy to him, persuaded Captain Corry to sell him for $1,200. Since then, First Attempt --renamed Little Squire--has been the darling of U. S. horse shows, the household pet of his four successive owners: Rider Danny Shea (trainer for the stable of the late Publisher Hugh Bancroft), Copperman Robert Guggenheim, Boston Clothier William J. Kennedy. Schoolboy Francis Cravath Gibbs (13-year-old grandson of the late Lawyer Paul Cravath), who paid $2,500 for him.

Three years ago, Little Squire won 20 blues on the Eastern horse-show circuit. Last year he climaxed an undefeated season by taking the coveted jumping championship at Madison Square Garden. If he can defend his championship in this year's National, with wispy Elizabeth Hyland riding for young Gibbs, Little Squire will be the toast of the show ring.

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