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Washington, 1916. "Horse shows. Ralph Coffin jumping his horse over Sylvanus Stokes's Rolls-Royce on Rabbit." Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size.
Lovely old photo showing the evolution of the modern jumping seat! The rider's position wouldn't win any eq ribbons today, but his hands are soft and the horse's ears show relaxed attention. A highly skilled horseman, I'd say.
Up until the end of the 19th century Americans and Europeans generally rode in what was called the "chair" or “fork" seat, even when jumping. The rider's feet were well ahead of the knees and the rider's upper body came well behind the vertical when jumping.
(Henry Thomas Alken "Fox hunting")
Example of military fork seat over fences.
At the end of the ninetheenth century, An Italian Calvary Captain, Frederico Caprilli, observed horses at liberty and began experimenting with shortening the stirrups and having the rider balance in a more forward position, especially over jumps. The Italian Army invited officers from other countries to ride and study at their cavalry school, including officers from the United States. Between the early 1900s and the mid-1920s, the "forward seat" was universally adopted by cavalries in the US and Europe.
This is reputed to be a photo of Caprilli jumping a car, circa 1906
Here's a current example:
(Tara Ziegler riding Buckingham Place at the Combined Training Event at RedHill, March 20, 2008)
The 19th century saddles had to be redesigned to support the "forward seat".
It is a Napier car, made in England 1900 - 24
The horse that is, that is a lovely jump. However, my old jumping instructor would have a lot to say about the jumper's feet and posture. You are supposed to look where you want the horse to go so you don't shift your balance, not at the beautiful car underneath!
Acetylene headlamps were easy to remove, especially by those who didn't own them, so owners often left them home in the daytime.
Horse King at Show
Splendid Card of Sixteen Events Holds Opening-Day Throng
With the paddocks at the horse show grounds filled to capacity with the East's elite of thoroughbred horses, with a band playing popular melodies to an endless stream of local and visiting horse lovers, the fifth annual National Capitol horse show yesterday afternoon opened its five-day card of showings under a streaming sun. The show will resume tomorrow and continue daily through Wednesday.
...
The "special" yesterday was the automobile jump, which Ralph Coffin, of this city, performed on his hunter, Rabbitt, in jumping over an automobile in which three persons sat. The mount refused three times but took the jump on the fourth approach. In the car sat Sylvanus Stokes, jr., the owner of the car; Mrs King Stone and Miss Margaret Fahnestock, all of this city.Washington Post, May 7, 1916
Since there are no headlights on this car I assume this is Mr Stokes's daytime Rolls-Royce.
Dig that two-part windshield! Looks like a pair of aviator glasses.
I wonder who was more nervous -- the jumper or the people in the car?
This great photo of an exhibition jump is matched by the fun of the Society caption. In addition to the competition events, horse shows and rodeos were often enlivened by the unique stunts performed as special attractions. This image instantly reminded me of another spectacular stunt jump photo, taken at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1929, depicting a "Roman Rider" named L. Tyndall jumping an Auburn touring car while standing on the backs of a famous pair of horses trained by the Nebraska bronc rider Buck Lucas.
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