THE PHOENIX ZOO

THE PHOENIX

In that remarkably short span the Phoenix Zoo has won universal recognition as one of the country's outstanding medium-sized zoos. It has far more species, individual specimens and exhibits than the national average for its class, attracts more visitors, offers more for the money and is exceptionally well-laid out and administered. Even more remarkable is the fact that the Phoenix Zoo is a completely self-supporting enterprise. It receives no subsidy of any kind from the city, county, state or other governmental agency. The people of Phoenix and Arizona have built it; they support it; they are enlarging it; and, most important, they are using it in constantly increasing numbers.

A zoo is art classes for kids. zoo is saving rare animal species from extinction. It is birthday parties and business administration and research. It is nature study, showmanship, construction, family outings. And the Phoenix Zoo is one man's dream brought to fruition by intensive community enterprise.

Only six years ago that man, Dr. Robert Maytag, graduate in ichthyology from Miami University, Florida, member of a nationally known industrial family, and a relatively recent arrival in Arizona, was still recruiting interest in his dream from among community leaders throughout the state.

Statistics, of course, can't possibly substitute for a personal visit to the zoo; but they do indicate how rapidly and effectively this major attraction has grown. As of the latest official head count, the Phoenix Zoo had 820 specimens of 270 species on exhibit. This compares with an average of 536 specimens of 128 species in the average medium-sized zoo. It also takes pride in the fact that it has pairs of the five most prized animals, white rhinoceros, gorillas, giraffes, orangutans and gibbons. Officials look forward hopefully to the day when these pairs produce offspring either to augment the local collection or for sale to other less fortunate zoos, thus adding to the Phoenix Zoo's income.

That income, incidentally, is a matter of well-justified pride for the people of Phoenix. Annual family memberships in the Arizona Zoological Society, the non-profit parent organization, provide some 25 percent of the zoo's revenue, as compared with the national average of only 1.4 percent. And the total income, which last year reached some $375,000, is just about twice the national average for zoos its size. The attendance, which has increased ased steadily every year since the zoo first opened its gates in November, 1962, in 1967 reached a total of approximately 380,000, including school children admitted free on class tours and youngsters under 15 who are admitted without charge at all times. It is difficult even for Jack Tinker, managing director, to say which are the most popular attractions. The zoo is arranged so that the visitor gets as close to each animal as safety and the animal's welfare will allow. Every exhibit has its own fascination, from the glass case holding deadly snakes to the wire cages holding colorful tropical birds; from the lowwalled, open-air enclosures holding emus and wallabys to the open-moat exhibits which simulate the natural environments of Bengal tigers, African lions, giraffes and zebras.

But high on the list of leading attractions must come the Children's Zoo. There the kids can feed Sassafras, the baby Indian elephant, soft-nosed llamas, Hefallump, the African elephant who has been a community favorite ever since her arrival, early in 1963, and many others. Then there is also in the children's area the contact zoo, where the kids can enter an enclosure and pet and feed lambs and goats, a variety of fowl, baby deer and so on. For the children there is no thrill quite like it, and for the parent with a camera there is no better subject than his child enraptured with a nuzzling animal.

The animal nursery is also a compelling place. There, highly trained personnel care for the baby animals until they are old enough to join their seniors in the permanent exhibits. On one visit you'll see baby chimps being fed. Next time it might be a tiny spider monkey or a skunk or a raccoon or almost anything else. It's a constant parade of the new-born which holds never-ending fascination. The walls are almost all glass, so that the spectator can look into the kitchen where exotic menus are prepared and served, into the nursery where there are incubators for those that need them, and into the many separate enclosures where the babies sleep and play. Close by is a small barn in which the whole life cycle of the chicken is on display. On one side are cages containing roosters and laying hens. Then there is an incubator in which the eggs are hatched, and it is not at all unusual for a child to stand there and see a baby chick actually peck its way out of the shell. Next to that is another incubator, where the baby chicks are kept until they are ready to be placed in the battery of growing cages which hold chicks of all sizes, from the tiny balls of fluff up to near maturity.

Another attraction high on the list is the Arizona Exhibit. This consists of a walk-in, screened enclosure in which Arizona birds fly around freely. The walks are bordered by low walls, behind which roam desert tortoises, ground squirrels, roadrunners and virtually every species of Arizona animal life that is harmless to man. On two sides of the enclosure are glasswalled cages in which are exhibited such species as mountain lion, wolf, fox, coyote, skunk, raccoon, and so forth, while in other glass cages there is a comprehensive collection of Arizona reptiles and arachnids.

When the idea of a Phoenix zoo was first broached, there were many skeptics who contended that the collection would have to be limited to Arizona animals and a few other exotic species which came from hot countries and thus could adapt to the Phoenix climate. Dr. Maytag and his advisors claimed otherwise, and experience has proved them right.

According to Director Tinker, the only animals which the Phoenix Zoo cannot accommodate until its gets air-conditioning for its animal quarters are the Antarctic penguin and the polar bear. One other, the sloth, presents problems also in that it does not maintain a mean body temperature but follows the temperature of its atmospheric environment. And some animals, like the reindeer and the caribou, which are natives of extremely cold climates, might have a little difficulty adapting to the summers in Phoenix.

By and large, however, Tinker says animals are like human beings: they adapt readily to different climates. The zoo's experience is that so long as animals have plenty of water available at all times for drinking and for cooling themselves, and reasonable shelter from the elements, they do well. So far, the zoo has encountered no difficulties accruing from climate when these two requirements are met. Reemphasizing the adaptability of animals to climate is the fact that the zoo's principal problem in maintenance has been to make trees, shrubs and grass prosper in its beautifully landscaped grounds. Plants just don't adapt as readily as animals, nor are they as hardy. This problem is on its way to solution now, however, as a system of bubblers for trees and sprayers for grass nears completion to assure adequate water for plants.

So far as daily housekeeping is concerned, the Phoenix Zoo grounds consistently are remarkably neat and free of litter. Director Tinker believes a number of factors account for this fact. First, trash receptacles are placed at frequent and convenient intervals. Second, the maintenance crew which is no larger than the average for comparable installations keeps constantly on top of the job so that a single piece of litter is obvious and embarrassing to the person dropping it. Third, the concession stand does not sell candy and gum, thus effectively limiting the source of a major part of the litter which plagues most similar installations. (Incidentally, there is no record of complaints on this score; the public seems unaware of this subtle but effective anti-litter policy.) Fourth, and by far the most important, is the fact that from its inception the Phoenix Zoo has been built and presented as belonging to the individual patron. The people feel they own shares in the enterprise, especially those who have family memberships. They know there is no tax support, no inexhaustible source of funds to keep the zoo going. It may sound like Pollyanna, but perhaps this public awareness is the good that came from difficulties that at times seemed insurmountable shortly after the zoo got started. The untimely death of Dr. Maytag, shortly before the formal opening of the zoo, suddenly left the enterprise without its foremost leader and benefactor. It had enough support to allow it to go deeply in debt but not enough to get it out again. As recently as September 8, 1964, the Arizona Republic carried a column headlined, "Financially Troubled Zoo Needs Life-Saving Effort." That and similar stories in the newspapers laid the question squarely before the people of Phoenix. Did they or did they not want a zoo? The four primary purposes of a zoo education, exhibition, scientific study and preservation of species were elaborated. The papers carried pictures and stories of activities at the zoo the birth of baby animals, school tours, children's parties, arrivals of new specimens.

And, thanks to the concerted efforts of the newspapers, the best public relations brains in town, business leadership and the organization of auxiliaries for aiding the zoo, finally the message got through and the public responded. It took Jack Tinker, a banker by training and experience who for sook that career to accept appointment to the managing direc torship, a lot of hard work and sleepless nights to pay off the debts and put the zoo on a sound financial basis; but for three years now it has been solidly in the black and improving.

One of the stories that captured the public imagination early was that of the selection of Phoenix by a combination of international organizations as the site for the preservation of the Arabian oryx, believed to be the fabled unicorn of my thology. This rare and beautiful member of the antelope family is a native of the desert regions of the Middle East.

Over the course of centuries the legend grew that the man who killed an oryx was imbued with great virility and the ability to survive long periods without water. Before the advent of modern firearms and automobiles, there was at least a reason for the legend, for any man who could track down and bag an oryx had to be virile and able to survive great hardships in the desert. The oryx is so swift and hardy as to present a real challenge to any hunter pursuing it with bow and arrow, spear or other crude weapon.

But as it became possible for the hunter to gain grossly unequal advantage through the use of high-powered rifles and fast motor vehicles, the oryx population of the world diminished alarmingly. When frightened, the animal runs in a straight line; then, as it approaches exhaustion, it stops and stands at bay, facing its enemy. When that enemy, man, is pursuing it in a fast automobile with a long-range rifle, the animal has no chance.

In the early 1960's the Shikar-Safari Club International, along with a number of other international organizations dedicated to the conservation of wildlife, recognized that the Arabian oryx was in desperate straits, rapidly approaching extinction. In "The Flight of the Unicorns," which is on sale at the Phoenix Zoo and which is highly recommended to anyone with an interest in such reading) Anthony Shepherd reports just how desperate the situation was.

He describes an oryx hunting expedition which "set out in December, 1960, from Qatar in the Persian Gulf. It was led by the ruling house of that country a Qatari tribe.

"The expedition crossed five hundred miles of desert in a concourse of motor vehicles. This was no amateur effort. The oryx were to be massacred to provide sport for sheikhs with too much money to spend on their new craze of hunting from cars, too much spare time and too little respect for their own heritage. The expedition was a complete success from the viewpoint of the Qataris. They shot down at least twenty eight oryx, as well as an unknown amount of anything else that moved."

After another similar raid the next year that killed a score or more oryx, Shepherd reports, it was estimated there were only thirty-five Arabian oryx left alive in the world, and "these had to withstand the normal attention of the Bedouin as well as the natural annual loss caused by the vagaries of the climate."

The book is substantially the suspenseful story of the international expedition which then was mounted at considerable expense and with the cooperation of such enlightened leaders as H. R. H. King Feisal, of Arabia, and H. E. Sheikh Jabir Abdullah al Sabah, of Kuwait, to capture and attempt to preserve the species in captivity.

The expedition was a success in that it managed to round up a herd of five males and four females, an almost incredible fear in view of the extreme rarity of the animals and the great hardships of the undertaking. But, as Maurice A. Machris, of Los Angeles, who is former president of the Shikar-Safari Club, wrote in the preface to Shepherd's book: today a world pool of the Arabian Oryx is a reality. The Phoenix Zoo in Arizona is becoming famous in its own right because visitors know when they stop by the spacious pens that enclose the animals that they are looking at some of the rarest antelopes in the world. Zoologists are equally impressed by the record of this relatively new zoo in being able to breed the animals in captivity so successfully; so impressed, indeed, that the Phoenix Zoo was awarded the 1965 Rare Animal Propa gation Trust's Award. The results are rewarding. continuedBut that's not all! Along with all that goes the services of a gracious young hostess who oversees the serving and escorts the children on a guided tour of the Children's Zoo. An average of about forty such parties a month is increasing steadily as more and more parents learn about the bargain and the wonderful time the kids have.

"Air View — Phoenix Zoo" DEBS METZONG

Another source of both income and community interest is the Aid to Zoo National Horse Show staged annually by the Phoenix Zoo Auxiliary. This five-day event attracts championship horses from many parts of the country. The ladies of the Auxiliary scarcely finish one show before they are busily engaged in arranging for the next. There is a myriad of details planning the show itself and the gala social events which accompany it.

But the major effort is exerted in soliciting the benefactors, patrons, sponsors and subscribers, who are the principal supporters of the event, and the advertisers who enrich the program. That the effort is justified is evidenced by the fact that last year the show netted some $35,000 for the zoo.

Three other programs also are extremely effective in developing community support for the zoo. One is the annual school tours, on which teachers are invited to bring their classes free of charge. Guides are provided without cost to the schools. Lunches are available at 45 cents each with milk, 35 cents each without milk. Schools make extensive use of the program and helped swell the 1967 attendance over the 1966 gate by some 50,000 people.

During the spring and fall the zoo holds Saturday art classes. There are children's classes and classes for parent and child, and those who have shared a class with their children say it is a most rewarding experience, far more than simply a lesson in drawing, painting or sculpturing. It is sharing together the thrill of growth, growing in knowledge and understanding of the animals; learning to make a line interpret what you see and know; feeling wood or stone come alive under your hand and become the model of the creature you're attempting to capture; watching the paint on your canvass turn into the light and shadow, the flesh and fur and personality of the creature from some far-off land the zoo has brought to model for you.

Many parents have started the classes reluctantly, to assuage a feeling of guilt that they haven't been spending enough time with the kids; this will be a sort of sacrificial offering to the gods. But then they have come back time after time because the experience of learning and sharing and growing together has been one of the most satisfying and stimulating of their lives.

And finally there is the Summer Institute for Children. One day a week for six weeks, from 8 a.m. until noon, children of ages eight to fifteen are taught a combination of arts and crafts and nature study in a setting where Nature's Wonderland is brought alive in its many aspects all around them. Expert instructors give them a keen insight into the creatures in the zoo and help them to interpret that insight in the media of wood sculpture, découpage and papier-mâché, soap sculpture, ink relief and copper enameling.

Two hours each day are spent in nature study, two hours in arts and crafts, with a break between for refreshments of fruit punch and cookies. The entire six-week program, complete with all supplies and instruction, costs only $12 per child. It has been called, with ample justification, the best education bargain in the country, and the enrollment of 1,053 last summer testifies that many parents agree. Continued on page 27 The fact is, however, that the choice of Phoenix as the home of the world pool for the survival of the Arabian Oryx in captivity was no chance decision. It was the result of careful consideration by responsible conservationists in just one phase of what can now be termed the most important example in history of international cooperation to save a single species of animal from extinction."

High praise for a fledgling undertaking from some of the world's foremost authorities in the field! Anyone who knows the story of the Arabian oryx and the part Phoenix is playing in preserving one of the most graceful animals alive cannot fail to respond as he views the oryx herd at the Phoenix Zoo. There were, at the time this article was written, sixteen animals in the herd, ten males and six females, with one more birth expected almost any time and three more anticipated early this year. Zoo officials and others across the world interested in the preservation of the oryx are praying devoutly all four may prove to be females, thus to increase significantly the breeding potential of the herd. Of the nine births recorded in Phoenix since 1963, when the herd was established here, seven have been males. The second female was born January 11, 1967.

While international attention has been attracted by the oryx program, the problem of sustaining local attention and support has been solved in a number of ways. One of the most successful has been the amazing bargain in birthday parties the zoo offers. The price for a party of eleven is $15, which might scare a parent or two until it is explained.

It includes the reservation of one of the colorful and comfortable ramadas, where there are shaded tables and chairs. Each guest receives a plastic toy replica of one of the animals in the zoo, while the birthday child is given a large plastic elephant which can be taken into the swimming pool or bathtub. Everybody is served ice cream and cake. The latter is a large affair decorated with a fence around the circumference, while behind the fence is inscribed the birthday child's name with happy birthday greetings, and in the center is a group of little zoo animals.

THE PHOENIX ZOO — from page 14

It is this sort of planning and execution that has carved for the Phoenix Zoo a place on the Phoenix and Arizona scene that can do nothing but gain in importance and permanence. The zoo is our zoo; it is for us and our children. It's not a cold and impersonal animal research laboratory, although research has its place there. Rather, it is a place for people as well as animals, a place where the resident of this fast-growing metropolis can, in a very few minutes, leave the world of hustle and bustle and enter a Kipling-esque world of the Elephant's Child with its satiable curiosity, the BiColoured-Python-Rock-Snake and the Hippopotamus and the Crocodile by the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, where the elephant got his trunk.

It is a place where you can visit six continents in half an hour or spend a day on any one of them. Here you might meet any day such people as Prince Faudi, first cousin of King Feisal and emir (mayor) of Riad, the capital of Saudi Arabia; Commander Peter Scott, son of the famous British polar explorer; Dr. Yeah Bak-choon, surgeon of the State of Jahore, Maylasia; Richard Fitter, the honorable secretary of the London Zoological Gardens; or any one of scores of other foreign adventurers and dignitaries who are frequent visitors to the zoo.

And it is a place where the visitor comes first. The zoo management and its many supporters in the state always keep this firmly in mind. For instance, next month the Children's Zoo will have night lighting installed, a gift from the Salt River Project, so that visitors may stay later and thus avoid the heat of the summer days.

The occasional, weekend and summer help is drawn from among college students and outstanding high school seniors of the area to be certain there is a rapport between them and the youngsters they must meet. Parking, unlike that at most zoos, is free. So is admission of children under 15. The charge for a complete guided tour via Safari train is kept at a minimum, only 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. Drinking fountains are plentiful, as are shaded benches and picnic tables.

But along with this emphasis on visitor comfort and convenience is a strong emphasis on professional competence. In fact, so strong has been the zoo's professional advancement program that its personnel has moved up the ladder fast. The original general curator, Jack Thorp, left to become managing director of the Zoological Gardens of Honolulu. He was succeeded by the present general curator, Wayne Homan, a graduate in zoology from Miami University, Florida, who was originally curator of reptiles at Phoenix.

Phoenix' former curator of animals is now assistant director of the famous Cheyenne Mountain Zoo at the Broadmoor at Colorado Springs. But, according to Tinker, Phoenix does not suffer too much from such rapid advancement of its personnel. Rather it indicates the high regard in which the Phoenix Zoo already is held in professional circles, and makes this one of the most sought-after zoos in the country.

One of its great advantages is its liaison and working association with Arizona State University. Although this rapport certainly would have existed under any circumstances, it was made much closer by Dr. Maytag who, before his death, granted ASU stocks valued at some $125,000 to establish a chair of Zoology. The gift was made in the name of the Arizona Zoological Society, thus making a lasting bond between the two institutions.

As a result of this, the Phoenix Zoo has had the active and invaluable help of ASU's departments of zoology, architecture, engineering and others. This has been a tremendous benefit in many fields, especially in the planning of the zoo's future. On the drawing boards now for early completion is a gorilla moat exhibit which includes night quarters, a keeper's workroom, a service yard, animal exhibit areas, enclosures and sun control areas for the animals, a spectator gallery, a windbreak, and a wheelchair gallery. Most of the design and planning was done by ASU faculty and students at great savings to the zoo. Few people realize just how much is involved in one of these exhibits.

Soon after the gorilla exhibit is finished will come a similar one for elephants, including a pond where the elephants will bathe and give themselves showers, to the delight of the children. This will be followed by a similar exhibit for bears. After that? Tinker and the Board of Directors say the end is nowhere in sight.

Judging by the enthusiastic patronage and support of the zoo by Arizonans and vacationers alike, there really is no limit on where the Phoenix Zoo can go. It is, of course, a great credit to the community leaders on the board and the professional staff who are responsible for the active direction.

But it is equally to the credit of the thousands of families that have bought memberships for unlimited use of the zoo at $10 a year and of the scores of thousands of others who make frequent use of the facility. Without their participation the zoo would be almost meaningless. It is they who have recognized the truth of what Anthony Shepherd wrote in his introduction to his book, "The Flight of the Unicorns."

Speaking of the expedition to save the oryx as an effort to rescue something of great beauty, he wrote, "We need such beauty in our world. An earth where everything that moves will be driven by an engine will be a sad, mad place. We must not have a world where the open spaces, the wide skies are just empty, where there are no black rhinoceros, no Mongolian wild horses, no Kashmir stags, where the cheetah will have vanished with the Giant Panda. For all these may not survive much longer."

Mr. Shepherd must find great comfort in the fact that the people of Arizona and of Phoenix share his sentiments and are doing such an effective job of preserving the beauty of Nature's Wonderland.

AID TO ZOO from page 9

"Dilated the imagination of the Indian as it has dilated the imagination of millions viewing him horsed. It elevated him in pride and put motion into his spirits commensurate with that of his mount . . ."

From primitive to industrial West, the range-riding stock of the cowboy, pleasure mounts of dude ranches and resorts, race horses, Arabians paced the panorama. The A to Z fulfills the futurity of the horse in a developed West an accessory of splendor and affluence, star of the ring.

And like the Zoo Auxiliary, Phoenix, horsey and nonhorsey, falls in for the A to Z. Merchants go all out with window displays and advertisements. Posters are everywhere. Restaurants offer A to Z specialties. Hotels distribute brochures to tourists. Radio and television beam special programs, interviews and announcements.

Press popularity is a factor in the Show's success. Eugene Pulliam, publisher of the two mass-circulating Phoenix dailies, is personally a zoo-booster, and his editors are liberal with attention. Few other activities enjoy the full-page features and daily coverage accorded the Horse Show. Articles are not merely promotional, many educate the reader on how to judge classes and other fine points of spectator participation.

Getting the message of horse show enjoyment potential across to general admission ticket buyers is the big hurdle of the producers. Results, however, have not measured up to the efforts involved. The horse lovers and party people flock to events and the uninitiated are being won gradually to the persuasion of the entertainment. One means is the exposure through block tickets big sponsors buy for their employees; and another is the sharing of box holders of their unused seats.

The Horse Show demonstrates what dedicated women can do. And more than one civic leader has tried to distract this effective force to other allegiance. "If we could only get that power behind the big human problems . . ." sighed one.

But the nominal purpose of the Horse Show is to demonstrate what the finest horseflesh in America can do.

On the subject of what horse shows are all about, local columnist Dorothy Gilbert writes, "They are contests to determine which horses are most adept at their specialty Those attending have an opportunity to observe this skill achieved through training of these highly bred, spirited animals. Except in equitation classes, it will be the horse, not the rider, which is judged. If a horse wins a ribbon or a trophy it is the owner, not the rider, who takes it home."

For connoisseurs of horseflesh, the jumping contests are the epitome of the pageant. And even the rankest tyro, watching a rider like Poncho Frankel lift herself free of saddle and stirrups helping a champion like Sutter's Show Boy to sail over the six-foot bars, knows the thrill of the A to Z.

What's all the excitement?

Finally, it's the emergence of the champion the horse that enters the ring, senses the moment and rises to his ultimate, responding like the inspired trouper he is to the applause of the audience and attention of the judges. Horse Show excitement is the walker, jumper, or gaited performer who triumphs over his rivals and dilates the emotions of all who watch.

The color, fast action and thrills of a horse show make it an ideal spectator sport which anyone can enjoy. No technical knowledge is needed to appreciate the sleek, spirited beauty of the saddle horses or the exciting performance of the hunters and jumpers. However, a knowledge of the general rules governing the various divisions, and an understanding of how the horses are judged, will add even more to the enjoyment of the show. The following is no attempt to go into the finer points of horse show rules. It is rather a broad, simple explanation of the events you will see in the show and just enough explanation to help you understand how each event is judged' and the winners determined.

Horses are still measured in hands. A hand is four inches, and the measure dates back to the time when a dealer would measure a horse by placing one hand above the other until he reached the animal's withers. All horses are measured by the height of the withers, the high point of his back between the shoulder blades. In the program you will see, for instance, that a horse is 15.3. This means he is 15 hands 3 inches, or in everyday language, 63 inches high. Anything up to 14.2 is classified as a pony. Above 14.2 is a horse.

The animals are shown both ways of the ring because some of them perform better in one direction than in the other. Conformation refers to the proportions, shape and general balance of the animal. In the Stake Classes a judge will order them to be stripped of their saddles and lined up to be judged for conformation to the ideal.

AMERICAN SADDLE HORSE

The American saddlebred has been hailed as one of the world's most beautiful and versatile horses. It was developed by early pioneers who desired a utility horse with easy gaits, good disposition, substance, stamina and fine proportions. The average height is from 15 to 16 hands. The head should be finely chiseled with large, bright eyes and small, alert ears. The neck should be long and fine with a small throat latch; it should taper into a sloping shoulder. The withers should be prominent and the back short and level. The legs should be clean and flat boned with long, sloping pasterns and wellformed feet. American saddlebred horses are shown in three major divisions: five-gaited, three-gaited and fine harness. They are also shown as pleasure horses, and many of them have made excellent hunters and jumpers.

THE FINE HARNESS HORSE

Shown to an appropriate four-wheeled vehicle, the fine harness horse carries full mane and tail. The required gaits are an animated walk and an airy park trot showing lots of motion both in front and behind.

THE THREE-GAITED HORSE

The three-gaited horse, shown with clipped mane and tail, is required to perform the three natural gaits. Execution should be in a slow, collected manner with high action and an overall air of brilliance. Excessive speed is not desired. The horse should appear alert and cheerful.

THE FIVE-GAITED HORSE

The five-gaited horse, with full mane and tail, is generally regarded as the aristocrat of the ring. Quarter boots are worn to protect the front feet. The horse performs the three natural gaits the walk, the trot and the canter and two man-made gaits the slow gait and the rack.

The walk should be done with a prompt elastic step in an alert manner. The trot, a two-beat gait, should be square and bold with high action. Speed is desirable but not at the sacrifice of form. The canter, done with rocking-chair smoothness, should be slow and rhythmic. It should be executed on the left lead when going to the left and on the right lead when going to the right. The slow gait should show high action, particularly in front, and should be executed in a slow, methodical manner. The rack is a four-beat gait free from lateral motion or pacing. The knee and hock should be snappy, and speed is desirable if done in form.

THE ROADSTERS

The roadster is the speed horse of the show ring. He is usually of the Standardbred breed that are noted for their speed at the trot and pace. However, in the show ring they are shown only at the trot.

There are two types of roadsters for show those suitable for bike and those suitable for buggy. Occasionally there are horses suitable for both classes, but usually the buggy horse will have more scale and weight than the bike horse. The roadster should have an attractive appearance, balanced conformation, speed and action in the trot, and safe manners.

The chief gait of the roadster is the trot, but he may be asked to walk in the show ring. They are asked to trot at three different speeds; the jog, road gait, and trot at speed. At all speeds they should work in form, with straight and true action. Animation and show-ring presence should characterize the road horse, especially at the jog and road gait.

THE HACKNEY PONY

The Hackney is a breed of carriage horse or pony that originated in England, and is one of the oldest breeds in the horse kingdom. The Hackney pony cannot be over 14.2 hands in height.

They are the high-steppers of the show ring, with extreme action both front and behind. He should show much brilliance and show-ring presence, but still give a picture of sheer daintiness and perfection. The Hackney is shown only at the trot, but in most classes is judged at two speeds, the park pace and then asked to trot on, but never sacrificing form for speed. They are shown to a vehicle called a viceroy.

Extravagant action and clipped tail distinguish the compact bodied Hackney Pony

OPEN JUMPERS

The name “open” in this division means that the events are open to any horse that can clear the jump. There are no restrictions as to age, size, or breed. A pony and a hack horse and a number of thoroughbreds have been champion jumpers. In open jumper events there is a definite mathematical scoring system.

THE HARNESS PONY

The harness pony is called the miniature fine harness horse, as he resembles the fine harness horse in conformation and way of going. The harness pony was originated by crossing three pony breeds, the Hackney, Welsh and the Shetland. The harness pony has high action and gracefulness of the Hackney; the desired conformation, spirit, and style of the Welsh; and the Shetland gave manners and size, as the harness pony cannot exceed 50 inches in height.

The harness pony is shown to a viceroy or a miniature fine harness buggy, carries full mane and tail, and is shown both ways of the ring at the park trot and at a more animated or faster gait designated as “drive on or at will.” The harness pony should show much brilliance and show-ring presence and much the same trot as a fine harness horse, only with more snap to his knees and hocks.

Since in open jumping events the object is to get over the jumps without touching them, the winner is the horse who either goes “clean” or has the least number of faults. Often a number of horses manage to go clean on the first round. Then the bars are raised and a jump-off is needed to decide the winner. Sometimes two or more jump-offs are needed to break a tie, with the bars going higher on each round.

Since it is more dangerous for a horse going over a jump to hit the bar with his front legs than with his hind legs, front knockdowns carry a higher penalty. This also applies in the case of touches, which are also referred to as ticks.

The above rules apply to most regular open jumping events, but there are exceptions. In knockdown and out classes a horse is eliminated as soon as he knocks down an obstacle, but touches are not penalized.

This is the name of the horse that seems to fly over the jump in this remarkable series of photographs by George Axt.

The top of the barrier measures six feet and ten inches (6'-10") from the ground level.

Clearing easily, horse and rider Jimmy Williams are scant inches from recognized U. S. Show records.

Mr. Williams, from Pasadena, California, has earned many honors in a distinguished career highlighted by a former “Horseman of the Year” award.

WORKING AND CONFORMATION HUNTERS

Hunters are the type of horses used in following hounds when riding cross country in a fox hunt. Although these horses also jump fences, they are judged on many more things than just their jumping ability.

Hunters are separated into two divisions, working hunters and those which are judged completely on performance. A working hunter must be sound of wind and limb, but other than this his appearance does not count.

Besides being a good, safe jumper, a hunter must also have the necessary stamina to stand up in a long, hard run; therefore he is judged on soundness. He is also judged on smoothness and evenness of pace and, since when out hunting, a quick stop is often necessary, hunters must have good manners and be willing to stop quickly in midstride.

Conformation hunters, on the other hand, are judged 60 percent on performance, and 40 percent on appearance, or “conformation” to the ideal standard. The conformation hunter is the horse with looks as well as ability.

“Green” hunters are the horses with less than two years of showing experience. They are in separate classes.

THE PARADE HORSE

For color in trapping and costume, reminiscent of old Spain, the Parade Horse and his rider are in a class by themselves. This is the class for splash, color and strut, where modesty has no place, and the horse is strictly a show-off. Only two gaits are required in performance, the flat walk and the parade gait. The latter is a high, slow prancing trot which would clock at about four miles per hour. The appointments rate 25 percent in the judging, while 75 percent is scored for animation, style, manners and performance.

AID TO 200 NATIONAL HORSE SHOW WESTERN STOCK HORSES

The stock horse may be of any breed or combination of breeds 14.1 hands and over but must be of suitable type and training to be efficient in working livestock on the range. Rules on judging, which for many years were controversial, have now been established with the concurrence of the American Horse Show Association.

Only one hand may be used on the reins and hands may not be changed. Fingers between the reins are not permitted. Spurs or romal may not be used forward of the cinch. While the horse is in motion the rider's hands must be clear of the horse and saddle.

The characteristics of a good working horse are:

Horses in the Western division are shown in four classes: Trail Horses

In addition to being shown on the rail, at the walk, jog trot, and lope, these horses are worked over and through what is known as obstacles, such as a gate, bridge, logs, water holes, backing through obstacles, jumping low obstacles, and possibly ground tying. This is to prove that they are of a good type to ride out on the trail.

Western Pleasure Horse

The Western Pleasure Horse is a horse normally used for just what the name implies pleasure riding. They are shown much the same as the Trail Horses, with the exception that no obstacles are worked. The Western Pleasure section is one of the show's most highly competitive divisions.

Stock Horses

In the Stock Horse division there are two sections. First, the Hackamore Horse which is the younger horse. The Hackamore Horse is not more than five years old and must never have been shown in a bridle, other than a snaffle bit. Stock Horses are most often started in the hackamore, which is usually a rawhide loop placed around the nose. The horse is then "bitted," and goes on to what is the Bridle Horse.

The Hackamore Horse and the Bridle Horse (Stock Horse) are shown at a walk, jog trot and lope, without restraint, lope a figure eight, run at speed and stop.

ARABIANS

This breed is the oldest and most beautiful in the world; has had more influence on other breeds than any. The Arabian can do anything any light horse or pony can do, and are known for their beauty, courage, intelligence, bearing, and sweet temper, stamina, soundness of wind and limb. They must be shown with natural tail and feet. Most of the males are stallions, often ridden by children.

TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE

The Tennessee Walker is a descendant of a line of easy-gaited stock which has been crossed with several other breeds, including the Thoroughbred. This type of horse was used in the early days of the southern plantations when the ability to cover a great deal of ground without fatigue to himself or the rider was an enormous asset. They vary somewhat in style of movement. Some have an accentuated head and knee action, while others glide over the ground with only a suggestion of bobbing head and knees. They are shown at three gaits, the flat foot walk, the running walk and the canter. The flat foot walk, which covers the ground at four to five miles an hour, is a graceful yet bold movement which is easy on horse and rider. As speed increases, the horse oversteps the front track with the back feet by from six to twenty-four inches and the gait becomes the running walk with a speed of from eight to eleven miles an hour. The more "stride" the horse has, the better "walker" he is considered.

SHETLAND PONY

The Shetland Pony, originating in the Shetland Isles, off the coast of Scotland, is one of the oldest equine breeds, now refined by selective breeding to a pony of great beauty. Shetland Harness Ponies are shown to a four-wheel buggy, at a park pace and smart trot. Shetland Roadster Ponies are shown to a miniature two-wheel bike, with the driver wearing stable colors, and are exhibited at a jog trot, road gait and then at speed. They are not to exceed 11.2 hands (46 inches) in height.

EQUITATION

Equitation or horsemanship is a division open to riders that have not reached their eighteenth birthday and are amateurs. All classes are judged solely on the rider's style and ability to control his horse. The horse is not judged or rated in this division. Certain fundamentals of equitation are rigidly observed in judging. The rider is required to post with the action of the horse's front leg which is next to the ring fence. They are also required to canter their horse on the correct lead. Riders are sometimes asked to work individually, and there are several tests a judge may choose. Some of those most frequently used are: pick up reins, dismount and mount, figure eight at a trot and/or a canter, using correct diagonal and canter lead, ride without stirrups, and change horses and ride. Some judges ask the riders to answer questions on anatomy, tack and equitation. There are three types of equitation, saddle horse seat, hunter seat, and stock saddle seat. These classifications can be broken down into designated classes by age, medal class, and stakes or championships.

WOMAN IN LEVI'S from page 5

SISTER FELT THAT teaching a ranch school and working a cow ranch went together like ham and eggs. The satisfaction of doing both overshadowed the dubious financial return. When she went into ranching in the 1930's she kept teaching, and in order to have little cowpuncher pupils, her teaching would take her far from the homestead. She would spend Monday through Friday at school. Friday afternoon she would make a mad dash to the ranch and try to catch up on the innumerable chores and problems that had developed in her absence. Monday morning, she would make the return dash, tired, disheveled, and wearing Levi's. There she would meet her pupils, twentyfive or more of assorted sizes and eight grades, all fresh and ready for action.

She writes, "Together we rallied under our country's flag and made war, in our fashion, on ignorance, the greatest of all enemies."

LEVI'S WERE ADOPTED as her standard dress after several hit and miss episodes that made women's apparel impractical. Once, on returning from a town trip, gussied up in a blue dress and a blue hat that matched her sharp blue eyes, she stopped at the corral where her cowboy was trying to dehorn a steer. He was having trouble. He yelled at Sister to get on the steer's neck. She did. Blood spattered the pretty blue dress and the hat fell into a fresh batch of steer manure. She started wearing Levi's not only for ranch work but also for teaching school at a time when pants on a teacher was a shocking innovation. She had such great success as a teacher that the County School Superintendent and the parents of her pupils overlooked jeans on the schoolmarm.

THROUGH THE YEARS, there have been many helpers on the ranch, both hired and voluntary. There have been countless "daughters," "nephews," "uncles," her own sisters, real cousins, real cowboys, fake cowboys, miners, pupils, and the unfortunates who fight the battle of the bottle. Of them all, far and away the best was an "uncle," Jim Martin. Already a pensioner, he came to the ranch to "he'p" awhile. He stayed until his death, eighteen years later. According to Sister, he was more partner than helper. When she came home with the cattle check, he would anxiously ask, "Did we git enough to pay up?" His wants were few and he always had a little money in his pockets, willing to give his last dime for the ranch he loved. He never intruded into her personal life. He was not interested in her life away from the ranch. When he died, Sister buried him in the Oracle cemetery. Now, when she passes through Oracle, she never fails to wave.

ONE CHARACTERISTIC of this woman is she will not tolerate brutality to animals. It is not allowed on her ranch. All animals are safe there, including the wild ones. It can be confining on the help during branding time. The branding. irons must be hot, the pocket knives sharp, and ropes must not stop blood circulation. She keeps enough medicine in the tack room near the work corral to start a small dispensary. Once a neighbor volunteered to help with the branding. As Sister squatted in the door of the tack room, sharpening her knife and checking her vaccinating syringe and bottles of medicine, he explained in Spanish to his Mexican cowboys, "This woman is crazy about medicine." SHE IS AGAINST hunting and rodeos as being unnecessarily cruel to animals. Her private land is liberally posted with “No Hunting” signs and she will not attend a rodeo. She will exert all the pressures at her command to keep friends from hunting or participating in a rodeo, either as a spectator or as a contestant. She is not always successful, but she keeps trying. Nearly every year at the Phoenix Rodeo, a young woman pickets the gate, bearing a sign protesting cruelty to animals one little woman opposing thousands. Each year, when I attend that rodeo, I expect to see old Sister marching beside her.

One of her chief worries is what to do with her horses when they are too old to work any longer. She once asked an elderly Mexican rancher how he solved this particular problem. He became one of her favorite people when he replied, “I feed them hay and grain.” INJURIES RECEIVED in the line of duty are several and varied. Both arms broken, the right one twice, a broken hip, a roving kidney, and as an afterthought, four cracked ribs on two separate occasions.

The left arm and left hip were broken as the result of training a filly on the instalment plan. Through the summer months, when there was no school, Sister had time to gentle her. Come fall, the filly was allowed complete freedom until summer came again. She would forget all the training. One day, when Sister mounted her, she exploded. She bucked a circle around one corral and into another before there came a parting of the ways.

The right arm was broken in a hassle with a pretty little mule. A cousin was in the corral, helping. Sister tossed the rope over the mule's head. The mule started to run. The cousin snubbed the rope around a center pole. The rope, taut as a bow string, flipped Sister up. Gravity brought her down. The cousin said later, “You were caught between a mule and a fool.” THE ROVING KIDNEY and the second break of the right arm came as the result of two battles with her arch enemy, the gasoline engine that powers the pump for her water system. According to Sister, the gasoline engine is the biggest flop of the Industrial Age. The kidney was torn loose when, in an awkward, bent over position, she yanked on the pulley belt to the pumpjack. That day, with her middle bound tightly with adhesive tape, on horseback, she drove cattle thirteen miles in a drizzling rain. It had to be done. Four years later, a skilled physician cut into her side and sewed the kidney to the twelfth rib.

The right arm was broken again after a mechanic came from town and worked the engine over to make it easier to start. He retarded the spark. Sister gave the crank a healthy whirl. It backed up and shattered the bones in her arm.

THE MAGMA COPPER COMPANY bought her original ranch holdings on Pepper Sauce Canyon when they found a large deposit of copper in the area. The town of San Manuel is built on the north end of that ranch. She moved her cattle, three old men, and some fruit trees across the Valley to the foothills of the Galiuro Mountains. At night, from one point on the road to the present G F Bar Ranch, one can see the lights of four towns-Mammoth, San Manuel, Oracle, Hayden.

From the San Manuel Miner, Thursday, April 20, 1967.

Marshall Townsend, director of the University of Arizona Press, which published the book WOMAN IN LEVI'S, presents author Eulalia "Sister" Bourne with a complete wardrobe of western shirts, Levi's, "high fashion" Levi's and denim skirt in behalf of Levi Strauss and Company, the clothing manufacturer. The Levi's company stated it was using this means to express its congratulations to the author for the book which has been labeled by famed California librarian Lawrence Clark Powell as "destined to become one of the classics of western literature." Minnie Burney of Bab's Department Store in Mammoth, who has fitted "Sister" Bourne with her Levi's for more than 16 years, shared the honors of presentation.

THE HOUSE on the new holdings was a huge, fortress-like affair. It was built of adobe. Two years ago, it burned, leaving only an adobe shell. All Sister was able to save were two dogs, her typewriter, and a manuscript. She lost all her books, pictures, most of her diary, five manuscripts, all clothes and personal things. A group of volunteers from the area, led by Harry Hendrickson of Oracle (his father, a one-time owner of the ranch, had built the original structure) built a small concrete block house on a part of the old foundation.

WHILE THE NEW dwelling was going up, Joyce Mercer, owner of the neighboring Campstool Ranch, and Pete Carey, caretaker of the Old Reliable Mine up the canyon, built a temporary shelter on the foundation of the old back porch and bathroom. The porch became the ranch kitchen and the bathroom became a combination bedroom-bath. Sister has not yet found the time or means to move into the new house. She may be the only woman in the nation who sleeps in a bathroom.

Patrickson is my sister) and me. As one of the "nephews," I was spending a few weeks of free time on the ranch. A fire was built, the beans were warming, and the steaks were ready to go on the grill when it started drizzling. The drizzle became a sudden downpour. As natives of the Southwest, we should have headed immediately for the safe side of the creek. (That is, the side toward the house.) We lingered, hoping the rain would go away long enough to finish the meal. It didn't stop raining.HARRY MOVED THE PICK-UP to the safe side and Edna and I took the children over. We came back to help our parents and Sister across. We were too late. In seconds the creek was a roaring torrent. We were marooned for three hours. We sat out the storm in the leaky shelter of the pumphouse shed. During each lull, some of us would go and check the flood level. We were anxious about my parents who, though still active (he still helps on the Tonto Basin roundups) are no longer young. They had just taken their annual flu shots, which sometimes leave them a little rocky.

ON ONE OF THE TRIPS to check the flood level, Sister eyed the pipeline speculatively. It is a two inch line, held in place by a cable, about ten feet above the creek bed. Crossing this forty foot length of pipe in any event would be uncomfortable. Crossing it with a raging flood below would be quite unsafe.

Sister turned from studying the pipeline and commented quietly to Edna, "You know, I think you and Don and I could get across on the pipe, but I don't know about the old folks."

Both my parents are younger than Sister!

DESPITE HER WAY OF LIFE and mode of dress, Sister is a very feminine woman. She usually keeps her long hair tucked up under a kerchief and cowboy hat (to keep her head warm; she suffers from sinusitis) and always wears lipstick. I have seen her pull a lipstick from her shirt pocket and apply it (without benefit of mirror) while riding horseback. In the midst of her world of cows, horses, dogs, and men, it is a rather defiant gesture, seeming to say, "There, by damn, I'm a woman, make no mistake about that!"

THOUGH SISTER sees nothing really wrong with "hell" or "damn" or even "s.o.b." in the course of a conversation, she emphatically does not like the use of obscenities, so commonly used these days. When such words pop out in her presence, the user is impaled with that piercing school teacher stare that squelches decisively. She especially deplores the use of obscene words in the mass communication media of writing and motion pictures. "It sounds like hell," she says.

SOMEONE SAID that her special brand of humor came out after the autograph party when it was noted, with amazement, that nearly four hundred books had been sold and autographed in one afternoon. "Well," she said, "it goes to show that it pays to publish when you're old. By that time you know half the people in the country and they're curious about you!"

NOW PAST THE AGE when most people long for retirement and the close companionship of their fellow man, Sister continues to live on the ranch, usually alone. She actively manages the ranch, personally taking care of the countless chores that are involved; riding out on horseback to check the cattle and range conditions, hauling hay, battling her enemy the pump, mending the pipeline, maintaining the house, and doctoring the animals, to name just a few. Her small, young woman's figure (she is five and a half feet tall and weighs one hundred and ten pounds; she can honestly boast that she has worn the same size Levi's for over thirty years) can often be seen in Mammoth moving briskly from Barbara's Drive-In (she does the bookkeeping for the owner, Barbara Watkins) to Barney's Store to the Post Office to the Copper Kettle Restaurant (also bookkeeping for the owner, Mercy Figueroa) and then to her pick-up which may be loaded with hay or cow feed or cattle. She climbs in on the driver's side and is off on her busy schedule. IS IT WORTH IT? In Woman in Levi's she writes, "Where the cows are, there is peace and quiet and room to ride in. Never mind wishing for physical comfort; not in this arid Southwest where cow people repeatedly bear terrific hardships for the sake of keeping their cattle alive and functioning. Or for the arrogant peace that means relief from financial worry. A special peace, a kind of happy restfulness, abides in the land of the cow."

As this is being written, her busy typewriter can be heard in the adjoining room. She is finishing Chapter Sixteen of her next book, Nine Months is a Year. In her words, "it features the kids instead of the cows." It's about her work with her "Little Cowpunchers" on a remote Arizona ranch a hundred miles from her homestead. The dog just barked at a mysterious something across the canyon. And a cow bawled.

DESERT PLUNDER

The copper coins of poppies And the silver daisy dimes Are spilled along the desert Like a pathway of good times. And cactus spikes are dollar bills Rolled in a lengthwise way There were holes in all his pockets When the sun came by today!

"SHARDS"

Thin shards of nature torn from mountain sides; Be they of fossil, gem, or common stone, Are evidence of crises at flood tides That keep a splendid beauty of their own. Small shards of clay dropped from the potter's hand, Although half buried in oblivion, Debased and shattered on the lowly sand, May still give back the spectrum of the Sun. Thin shards of life, slashed from the heart of man Beneath a breaking load and heavy rod, Have, since the shadow of the cross began Reflected glory from the face of God.

NIGHT SKY-GLOW

There's no wind in my world; There's no moon in my sky; There's no light in my tower But the stars skitter by. There are lights in the towns Miles away, but so bright That they seem jewelled gowns From my hill, from this height.

And I never believed One could sense and feel light Till my candle burned down. Only stars lit my night.

ANTICIPATION

The clouds hang heavy and low, While the sun casts variegated colors Across the horizon. The earth, still In its peaceful awaiting Of cool rain. A promised bath To the parched children of the soil; Where dust will be erased from the path, Leading upward from the valley To its new awakening.

RAINSTORM AT NIGHT

It was a night of soundless solitude. Breathless with wonder, We watched cloud blackness blotting out the stars, Till sudden thunder Spoke blunt reminder that grandfather sky Is still earth's master. We stayed awhile upon our hill as rain Fell fast and faster, The union of two hearts made strangely warm By sharing the immensity of storm.

DESERT GARB

The desert sleeps through winter days Wrapped in somber brown But when she wakes in springtime She dons a floral gown.

Yours Sincerely ESTHER'S "MY SOUTHWEST:"

The beautifully written and illustrated article "My Southwest" by Esther Henderson was so delightful that I feel that I shall never be completely fulfilled until I have experienced at first hand the joy and wonderment of seeing the beauty of your glorious state. Some time in 1968 I shall travel not in a "Tin Lizzie" but in a house trailer, packed with all my painting supplies, with my destination Arizona. There I hope to capture on paper and on canvas some of the beauty Esther Henderson has done with her camera. Thank you for giving me a real challenge for 1968.

Esther Henderson's story, pictures, and comments in your January issue are a truly great emotional and spiritual experience. There is deep warmth and sincerity in her words and a vibrant longing for and appreciative awareness of life in her own character. Her article gives form to my feeling for the Southwest, and I feel I know her personally. In a world of wars, smog and rising taxes, and above all, uncertainty, it is good to know there are people such as Esther Henderson and a place such as the Southwest.

There are many phrases in her article that are pure poetry: "the silent, sunless cosmos of falling snow," "the viewpoint within me," "small man, mighty land; but the one that catches my imagination and sums up my emotional relationship with raw-boned nature is: "When I became less the do-er and more the recipient, I began to hear the Voice of the Land." Indeed, the Land has much to say if man would only stop to listen.

In my twelve years of ARIZONA HIGHWAYS, I feel that this is the best issue.

What a delightful way with words and lens Esther Henderson has! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed her beautiful pictures and equally beautiful words on "her" Southwest. We love Colorado in much the same way, especially southwestern Colorado around Ouray and Telluride. I feel Miss Henderson and I have a common bond because I am also a lady photographer, and a greenhorn lady photographer! I hope some day to learn to be an artist with the lens as Esther Henderson most certainly is. Congratulations on the way you began 1968 with your January issue. Your magazine has taught many lovers of the great outdoors not to look, but to SEE.

For years we have received ARIZONA HIGHWAYS through the courtesy of one of our business associates, and we have always sent them a note of thanks. We felt that it was time that we sent a thank you to the editors also for their choice of pictures and stories. We have always enjoyed Esther Henderson's photographs. I believe we read in some magazine that her family had a replica built of a lighthouse somewhere in California in memory of a son who was lost in an ocean accident. We do not know if it is the same family.

BACK COVER "IN GIRAFFE-ZEBRA EXHIBIT - PHOENIX ZOO" BY DEBS METZONG.

The giraffe, one of the world's most distinctive animals, feels right at home at the Phoenix Zoo. A native of Africa, the giraffe is the tallest living quadruped animal, reaching heights of 18 feet. The giraffe-zebra exhibit at the Zoo was built in 1966 from funds realized by the Phoenix Zoo Auxiliary from the A to Z Horse Show staged that year. The background is made of gunite sprayed over heavy frames. Funds from the '67 and '68 Horse Shows will be spent by the Zoo Auxiliary for a gorilla exhibit.

OPPOSITE PAGE "ARABIAN IN FANCY DRESS" BY DICK KRULL.

The Arabian Mounted Native Costume Class is one of the colorful events in the A to Z Horse Show. In this event horses are judged 75 percent on performance (flat-footed walk, canter and gallop) and 25 percent on appointments. Photo shows "Gallaher" ridden by owner Penny Treadaway.