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Stone Wall Championship for Mr. J. Warwick

PAGEANTRY DEPARTED?

Much of the brilliant pageantry that used to be associated with Ladies’ Day seems to have departed. Perhaps the weather was to blame—for a cloudy morning gave way to a showery afternoon.—at any rate, the pageant of beautiful frocks which once made the walks and the enclosure at Ball's Bridge a wonderful spectacle on the third day of the show is no longer, though, of course, there were many lovely dresses both of the ankle-length that was threatened with extinction at Ascot and of the just-below-the-knee length. One heard sighs at its passing, but it is possibly only an apparent not a real passing, for, with the ladies attending the show in such numbers on the preceding clays, it might be that the glory that once was seen on only one day has now become, may one say, a commonplace of the four days.

ATTENDANCE RECORD

First Two Days Aggregate Better Than Ever

'The attendance again seemed to fall short of the usual numbers in the earlier part of the day, but it improved considerably during the afternoon, though it was observed that there were very many vacant places in the grand stands. For the first two days it may be mentioned the total attendance was 31.473, which eclipses the previous record, set up in 1928, by 105.

The chief attractions of the afternoon, were the stone wall jumping championship the championship jumping competition for the Maharajah of Alwar's magnificent cup, and the military jumping competition.

The North was very well represented in the stone wall championship, 17 of the 46 entries coming from over the border, and of these three made their way into the prize-list—John Warwick, Felt Street, Belfast, claiming the first two places, and Mr. J. Ewing Johnston, M.R.C.V.S., May Street, Belfast, taking fourth prize.

The performance of Mr. Warwick's horses, Roxanna and Sunshine, was outstanding, and was a great personal triumph for "Johnny " M'Connell, a well-known rider North and South who rode both. Jumping perfectly over the five-foot wall Roxanna and Sunshine tied for first place.

The jump over to decide resulted in another tie, so the judges ordered the wall to be heightened, again there was a tie, and the wall went up a few more inches.

Two perfect jumps kept both horses level to the delight of the crowd who showed their approval of M'Connell's riding and the horses' jumping in a great burst of applause-

This time the judges' changed the approach and the jump had to be made from the back of the wall. To the ordinary spectator who knows not a great deal about jumping both horses appeared to have performed equally well, but the judges found something in Roxanna's favour, and the mare was placed first. Thunderous applause was accorded to M'Connell as he went forward to receive the prizes, of which the first was Messrs. Gallaher's Challenge Cup. By special request he rode Roxanna up to the Governor's box, and he received very hearty congratulations from the Governor-General (Mr. James M'Neill).

His ride round the enclosure afterwards was nothing short of a triumphal procession.

It is of interest to note that Mr. Connell will accompany Mr. Warwick and his team of horses to America in the, autumn to compete at the principal shows there.