Private First Class

The military pentathlon, Captain Guy Troy is fond of saying, "is the true test of a man." Last week, during the tryouts for the U.S. Olympic pentathlon team, Troy found out that it is a pretty good test of a horse, as well.

After two strenuous days of competition--fencing, shooting and swimming--Troy, pentathlon captain-coach, appeared to have matters well in hand. His first place in fencing, second in shooting and sixth in swimming gave him a two-point lead (9-11) over Lieut. Harlan Johnson. In third place, 15 points, was a lowly Pfc. named Thad McArthur, 23. A letterman swimmer at the University of Washington (class of '50), stocky (5 ft. 9 in., 160 Ib.) McArthur, like most able-bodied youngsters, had found himself drafted into the Army soon after graduation. His natural all-around athletic ability won him no fast promotions, but it did earn him a shot at West Point's pentathlon training camp.

McArthur won the fourth event, the hill & dale cross-country run (some 4,000 meters) around the West Point golf course. Captain Troy, older by six years, managed to stagger in eighth (of twelve), and gave up the lead to McArthur, 16-17. The final event, horseback riding over a 4,000-meter course and 25 jumps, was one of Troy's specialties. McArthur, a fledgling rider, finished a surprising fourth. Troy never even finished. His mount, like McArthur's, was an aged, retired Army nag borrowed from Fort Riley, Kans. because the U.S. Military Academy has none of its own. Troy's horse got halfway around the course and fell in a dead faint from the exertion.

Pfc. McArthur's fourth in riding was good enough to earn him the No. 1 Olympic pentathlon berth with 20 points. Despite his prowess, McArthur will still take orders from the three other qualifiers: Lieut. Fred Denman (24 points), Captain Troy (25) and Lieut. Johnson (26).

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