Arab Mares in the Act of Jumping
I’m always a little disappointed when people tell me that Arabians cannot jump, despite evidence to the contrary. As Kate likes to put it, they’re unique, and “they trust to the hand of God.”
These mares are at the Arab Stud Farm in Needham Market, which is, of course, the farm of the Rev. F. F. Vidal. I’m not surprised that they’re jumping at his farm. Naomi herself was said to be quite a successful hunter in England before being imported overseas to Huntington’s farm – I know I’ve read it in a periodical source somewhere, but the easy example is the Allbreed info citing her as “An exceptional and widely-acclaimed field hunter known for clearing 7-foot fences carrying 196 lbs.”
I wonder who these mares are. Michael Bowling suggests that they might be Shiboleth and the Anglo-Arab Trigonia.
Baily’s Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, Vol. 53, February 1890, p. 118: “Naomi has the credit of having, with thirteen stone on her back, over and over again cut down her field in Suffolk. Miss Dillon’s mare, Raschida, has carried off eight jumping prizes in public contests, and that lady’s three stallions, El Emir, Eldorado, and Maidan, all possess the ‘lepping’ power. The last named won an important point-to-point steeplechase in India.”
Miss Dillon was partial to the Kars daughters for their jumping ability, as Borden notes that she also owned Mejlis, who won jumping contests at Hurlingham, Bath and Cirencester in 1894, clearing 5’6″ (Harper’s Weekly, Vol. 40, p. 328). Borden also mentions that Miss Dillon’s Boanerges (El Emir x Ishtar) was said to have a magnificent jump by Lord Arthur Cecil.
I will say that my experience has been that an Arabian horse, when jumping, clears fences through enthusiasm and extravagant athleticism, rather than efficient and beautiful form – but clear them they do, and go off with a satisfied tail swish at the end.
Odd (and inefficient) use of language; it’s not “Arab Mares Jumping,” but “Arab Mares in the Act of Jumping.”
Probably that’s Shiboleth; Rev. Vidal owned her after Miss Dillon. Is he known to have had any other grey Arab mares?