A Cavalry Steeplechase

[Andrew German]

Greetings:

Just came across this description of a sporting event between the officers of the 3rd and 6th Penna. Cav. on December 26, 1862, in a letter quoted in Walter S. Newhall: A Memoir (Philadelphia, 1864). Walter Newhall was a captain in the 3rd Penna., and his brother Frederick was a lieutenant in the 6th Penna. Enjoy.

T___, M___, D___, and E. [officers of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry] came over, and we lunched at 1 o'clock, by way of fortifying ourselves. We were busy enough in the forenoon, putting up hurdles and digging ditches, but we didn't feel tired when Officers' Call sounded for the officers to assemble and the track to be cleared. About forty had promised to run, but the timid ones, (all who had any sense, you will say) began to fall out, and at the word 'go,' only eight got away, Mc___, M___, B___, D___, W___, T___, Fred [Newhall, his brother], and myself.

The course was three-quarters of a mile round, and the inside of the track marked by a series of guidons. There were four obstacles to be cleared in the race, viz.: first, a row of four bales of hay, with a bar above them, the interval being filled up with brush &c., the whole being four feet and a half high; secondly, a ditch, five feet wide,with a bank three and a half feet high on the farther side, topped by a horizontal pole; thirdly, four bales of hay, arranged as the first, but making a leap of five feet; the last was a pile of brush, six feet across, and from four to five feet in height.

We started in good style, B___, Mc___, M___, and W___, slightly in advance. At No. 1, Mc___'s horse jumped too soon, struck the hurdle, and away they went, heels over head, Mc___ considerably bruised. T___'s horse refused, and bolted for the camp of the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry. Fred was obliged to haul to one side, to prevent striking Mc___, and he lost quite a bit of ground by it. W___ now made the running, followed closely by M___, B___, and D___. B___'s horse refused at the second leap, causing some little delay to D___, who was right after him. As we neared the third, and by far the stiffest jump, W___ opened the gap between himself and M___, who was next, and cleared it beautifully. D___ followed M___, and my horse took it at a flying leap, which must have measured twenty-one feet. Fred now closed up and passed me at No. 4, going like the wind. W___ gradually gained, up to the third guidon, and was twenty yards ahead of M___, who was next. All this time my horse was hard held, but as we neared the third guidon, I gave the powerful fellow his head, and swept past D___, M___, and then Fred, in less time than it takes to tell it. I was fast gaining on W___, when he skipped one of the guidons, giving himself about a hundred yards. As we swung around the fourth guidon, my horse rushed for the Massachusetts camp, and I worried him considerably in regaining the track. In getting back, I was obliged to take two ditches, which he didn't mind in the least. W___'s horse was now failing, and my black keeping his original pace, soon brought us near enough to each other to make it exceedingly doubtful who would win. You can scarcely imagine the excitement as we came up the home stretch, my horse gaining at every stride. W___ passed the score about two lengths ahead, but handsomely admitted that he had not kept the track, and I was declared the winner. Fred was second, M___ third, D___ nowhere. Mc___ goes home this morning badly hurt.

Andrew German

[Bob 125th NYSVI]

Re: A Cavalry Steeplechase

Andrew:

All modern "english" style horse riding competitions has its roots in Cavalry/Officier Riding discipline.

Jumping, cross-country, steeple chase, dressage and even the show ring hark back to what a military man was expected to be able to do on horseback.

Many of the early modern Olymipic horse competitors were military men (including Patton).

It probably would have been a pretty interesting mess conversation as the 'I can do that' boasts went around the table before this event went down.

[neocelt]

Re: A Cavalry Steeplechase

Very cool anecdote--thanks for sharing it, Andrew!

Bob,

Not all equestrian disciplines have their roots in martial applications (though many certainly do). Actually, steeplechasing was invented in Ireland and was a decidedly civilian pursuit. The modern equestrian discipline of three-day eventing did indeed begin life as "The Military," which was originally the exclusive realm of military men. But even in this case, the events really didn't have any direct correlation to bona fide combat skills; it was (and is) pure sport.

Cheers,

[Bob 125th NYSVI]

Re: A Cavalry Steeplechase

Very cool anecdote--thanks for sharing it, Andrew!

Bob,

Not all equestrian disciplines have their roots in martial applications (though many certainly do). Actually, steeplechasing was invented in Ireland and was a decidedly civilian pursuit. The modern equestrian discipline of three-day eventing did indeed begin life as "The Military," which was originally the exclusive realm of military men. But even in this case, the events really didn't have any direct correlation to bona fide combat skills; it was (and is) pure sport.

Cheers,

Hate to disagree there but as a "sport" steeplechase may have been invented in Ireland but military men were competively jumping their horses over obstacles a long time before the first horse ever trod on the "Green".

It is absolutely certain that the events in today's horse sports are not related to martial skills but to the ability of the rider to control his horse. The only ones still done today that I am familiar with that have a direct martial corrilation are jousting, archery and western shooting from horseback

The mounted warrior class as social and military elites stretches far back into history. And their ability to do amazing things with their mounts was paramount to their success.

The ability to control a horse with minimal movement of the reins goes back to the need to use both hands for weapons on horse back.

The ability to take and negotiate obstacles on the fly was essential to the ability of cavalry to reach maximum effectiveness.

Peaceful equine competition started to evolve as society became more settled or as a method of war became obsolete (example chariot racing) as a way for the mounted elite to show off their skills.

Over the centuries as the horse became less important to warfare the sports became more organized, codified and 'gentile'.

It doesn't mean what we ask a horse to do competion wise today is not something a Samarian warrior elite from several centuries before Christ would not be saying: "Been there done that."

[jpbab]

Re: A Cavalry Steeplechase

It is absolutely certain that the events in today's horse sports are not related to martial skills but to the ability of the rider to control his horse. The only ones still done today that I am familiar with that have a direct martial corrilation are jousting, archery and western shooting from horseback

You'll be pleased to know the United States Cavalry Association hosts a traditional Cavalry competition every year which does involve weapon usage of saber, pistol and carbine. The coarse also includes military dressage and jumping. As I understand it, this was the last coarse the regular army used as designed by George Patton based on his background and traditional cavalry coarses predating him.

I know this because my unit commander won the compeition last year and is this years "Cavalryman of the Year."

Go 7th Cav.

[Hank Trent]

Re: A Cavalry Steeplechase

Hate to disagree there but as a "sport" steeplechase may have been invented in Ireland but military men were competively jumping their horses over obstacles a long time before the first horse ever trod on the "Green".

Well, I suppose one can argue about how far back the horse was used, and for what purpose, until we get back to Greece and Rome or before, but I think there's a strong direct influence on modern "hunt seat" or "English" competition from the layout of England, with small fields enclosed by hedgerows, that encouraged hunting with dogs by riding across fields and jumping the hedges, or racing by seeing a steeple in the distance and "chasing" towards it in a beeline. Steeples weren't traditional military targets, but they were visible by riders in the civilian landscape from a distance.

Before that, yes, I agree that good control of a horse, when horses were used for combat, was paramount. Cavalry officers were still influential in civilian competitions and techniques, writing books, competing and teaching, at the twilight of the mounted cavalry era in the 20th century.

The only ones still done today that I am familiar with that have a direct martial corrilation are jousting, archery and western shooting from horseback

They say that the airs above the ground are supposedly based on training a horse to kick forward or back as an offensive or defensive maneuver in war. Dunno? Maybe that's another?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[agintomboy]

Re: A Cavalry Steeplechase

They say that the airs above the ground are supposedly based on training a horse to kick forward or back as an offensive or defensive maneuver in war. Dunno? Maybe that's another?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

First, thanks Andrew for that period reporting of the cavalry steeplechase. There are other accounts of the Irish Brigade having steeplechases for St. Patrick's Day celebrations too. Hank, the airs above the ground were definitely used initially as training for the horse during warfare during the late renaissance period. The Spanish Riding School in Vienna was the epitomy of this training. The horse not only was viewed as transportation but as a willing combatant or brother'-in-arms when properly trained in the courbette, capriole, levade, passage, etc which required the most sophisticated communication between rider and horse. All of these movements plus others were designed to protect the rider and give the cavalryman both offensive and defensive tactics while mounted. Of course all this takes months and years of training which most cavalries didn't have the luxury of, so only the basics of training (if you can call it that) was done in the 18th and pre CW 19th century with regards to American cavalry. That started to change in the postwar era where more standardized and rigorous training/tests were devised to create a uniformly trained cavalry force. The 3 Day event competition evolved directly out of this training. I should add virtually all the equestrian competitors in the pre WWII era were military cavalry officers for most countries and still started to change with the demise of the widespread use of horse cavalry. Most early US trainers such as Gordon Wright et al got their start in the cavalry and trained folks such as George Morris and his contemporaries who currently hold the spotlight today.

Anita L. Henderson

[Bob 125th NYSVI]

Re: A Cavalry Steeplechase

They say that the airs above the ground are supposedly based on training a horse to kick forward or back as an offensive or defensive maneuver in war. Dunno? Maybe that's another?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

I don't know about that one Hank.

A horse in a raised position (which it has to do to kick forward effectively) is in its most vulnerable state. Horses can take a lot of punishment to the flanks but not as much to the belly.

Having watched them fight each other for years, generally a horse attacks forward with its teeth and turns around to kick.

And having been kicked by horses weighting as much as 1800 pounds, the military effect of a kick against a shielded opponent would be minimal (a knock down but not an incapacitation) and if it turned to kick it too is vulnerable to a stab in the rear.

Maybe just familiarity with them breeds a certain level of comfort but if a horse attacks me and I have a spear, sword or bayonet on the end of the rifle, the horse is coming up on the short end of things.

Now an armed soldier on horse back is a formidable opponent but the horse itself? Just flank steak for dinner.

[Hank Trent]

Re: A Cavalry Steeplechase

Well, I'm not arguing whether it was effective (I mean, how useful is a bayonet, really, against a man with a rifle?), but are you saying the airs above the ground were developed for some other purpose than the battlefield? A basic google shows that what Anita Henderson said is the standard story.

I'd guess that if they were used on the battlefield, it was more for intimidation than actual damage. A horse flying at you, at the height of your head, isn't necessarily the most efficient weapon anymore than a fixed bayonet is, but it shows the rider means business.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[LindaTrent]

Re: A Cavalry Steeplechase

And having been kicked by horses weighting as much as 1800 pounds, the military effect of a kick against a shielded opponent would be minimal (a knock down but not an incapacitation) and if it turned to kick it too is vulnerable to a stab in the rear.

While never having ridden the airs above the ground, I have had the honor of working for a few days with the Royal Lippizzaner Stallions while they were on tour nearly 20 years ago. When we talk about the airs above the ground, we're not talking being kicked from the waist down, we're talking the ability to leap into the air and kick powerfully at the height of a man's head, a maneuver that could literally decapitate a man. I think that would incapacitate a person pretty good. :sarcastic

Admittedly, from my memory the Lipizzaner stallion, these horses and the ability to ride the airs above the ground were limited to nobles and those to whom they gifted the horses, primarily their best generals, etc. So this was not something that was of the common everyday private.

It was an honor to muck the stalls, groom and bathe the horses, check the tack and stand on the side with the performers during the show while holding horses.