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POPULAR SPORTSMAN R. J. WARWICK HONOURED

American Tour with Famous Jumping Horses, 1930

ENTHUSIASTIC SEND-OFF

Mr. John Warwick, the well-known Belfast horse owner, will leave to-night with five of his champion jumpers for a two months' tour of United States and Canada.

Activity, Roxanna, Sunshine, Snowden, and Margot, familiar competitors at shows both in Ulster and the Free State, have been chosen for the trip and will compete against the " pick " of American jumpers.

Few owners can claim to have won 60 cups, 155 first prizes, 108 seconds, and 78 thirds in four years—but this is Mr. Warwick’s record, and one which he hopes to improve in the next two months.

It is my intention to let the American people see what our Irish horses can do, Mr. Warwick told a Belfast News-Letter representative yesterday, and, with this idea, in mind, my champions have been entered for all the open events at the shows in Boston, New York and Toronto."

“I am hoping that we shall be successful but of course, the jumps over there are very different. In Ireland we provide obstacles such are to be met with in the hunting field, but American jumps are over hurdles, and it possibly will be some time before my horses become accustomed to the change."

If I am beaten, well I'm beaten," he added sportingly, "and I am not going to make excuses. At the same time, I think the tour may encourage American owners to come to Ireland for stock more than they do."

HORSESHOE AND HURDLE

Cabinet Ministers, city councillors, heads of Belfast business houses, and huntsmen, sitting around the outer edge of a table shaped like a horseshoe, in the centre of which was a model jump, gave Mr. Warwick a real Irish send-off at a complimentary dinner in the Grand Central Hotel, Belfast last night.

Between the Union Jack and Stars and Stripes at one end of the room was the picture of a horse clearing a stone wall, bearing the words “Good Luck," whilst the courses on the menu card were named after Mr. "Warwick's five champions.
The Governor of Northern Ireland (His Grace the Duke of Abercorn), Viscount Craigavon, and Mr. Justice Wylie (Dublin) sent letters of apology, and the good wishes of the Linfield Football Club, of which Mr. Warwick is president, were contained in a telegram.
The Right Hon. J. Milne Barbour, D.L., Minister of Commerce, president of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society, proposing the toast of “Our Guest," spoke of Great Britain's undaunted spirit in sport despite recent disappointments. Mr. Warwick was imbued with that spirit, and was ready to try his luck across the Atlantic in a sport with which Ireland was-prominently identified — horsemanship.
Mr. Warwick, continued Mr. Barbour, was a sportsman in a wide sense of the term, but he personally had known him chiefly as an ardent worker in the interests of the Royal Ulster Society in the development of which he had played no small part. A noteworthy example of his liberality—a, trait characteristic of sportsmen—was his generosity in placing his land at, the disposal of the authorities at Carrowreagh to further the interests of the “T.T.” car race.

REMARKABLE RECORD

For many years Mr. Warwick has been prominent at the leading shows throughout Ireland as a highly successful exhibitor of harness horses. Four years ago, however, he turned his attention to jumping horses, and the record he has set up during that period is nothing short of marvellous. With his famous horses Activity and Chips he won no fewer than 121 1st prizes, 76 2nds, 49 3rds, in addition to 42 cups, during 1927, 1928, and 1929. This is a record which it is, believed has never been equalled by any two horses from one stable. I think I would be quite safe in saying that the successes gained by Activity entitle him to be described as one of the most wonderful jumpers in the world. Mr. Warwick did not always win, and there they could truly say of him that he was a good loser. There could, therefore, be no better man to demonstrate to horse lovers in America the merits of Irish-bred horses
Cheers greeted Mr. Warwick when he rose to reply.

It is quite certain," he said, "that never before has any Irishman been so rash as to venture to cross the Atlantic and throw down the challenge to America to bring out her best horses to jump against horses bred, owned, and ridden by Irishmen."
" So far as Great Britain's record in sporting contests with America in recent years is concerned it is doubtful whether or not Christopher Columbus did us a good turn when he discovered the continent of America. But one thing is certain, and that is, though Columbus discovered America he had to leave it there, just as we have had to leave a good many of our sporting trophies. So long as they are fairly and squarely won, and fairly and squarely held against us as a race of sportsmen we do not complain."

"Frankly, I confess," he added, "I should like very much to bring back some trophies to this country, if only to encourage that prince of sportsmen, Sir Thomas Lipton, to have one more shot for the America's Cup, and to show that the task of winning prizes back from America, despite the difficulties which it presents, is not wholly impossible."

GOOD WISHES FROM DUBLIN

The best wishes of the vice-presidents of the Royal Dublin Society were conveyed by Mr. Edward Bohane, C.B.E., director of the society, who expressed the hope that the result of Mr. Warwick's tour would be that Irish horses would take their proper place on the Continent and in the States.

" I am sorry," he said, " that our magnificent Irish horse has been under a cloud, particularly on the Continent. Criticism has been levelled against them, but Mr, Warwick is going forth as a missioner to show what they really are.

Proposing the toast of the "Chairman," Mr. Bohane paid a tribute to Mr. Barbour's services, and said he would like to see the Royal Ulster Show as big as that at Ballsbridge.

Responding, Mr. Barbour paid a tribute to Mr. S. Clarke, secretary of the Royal Ulster Society, who, with a committee, organised the dinner, which was given by friends of the society and the Ulster branch "of the R.A.C. The lay-out of the tables was Mr Clarke's idea.

The following contributed to an enjoyable programme:—Mr. and Mrs. Hugo Thompson, Messrs. J. Ervine, O. Dobbler," H. Griffiths, and (by permission of the Hippodrome) Mr. Gordon James and Stone and Haven.