On April 1, 1894,The Morning
Journal ran an interview with Frida Mgaloblishvili.
According to the interviewer, Frida, “a genuine lady”
had been sent to Paris where she had collected a perfect command
of French, German, Italian and English. The following is a shortened
version of this interview: “Riding may almost be said to be
born with us. Far back as I can remember, the back of a horse was
my chair, almost my cradle. I have never learned riding, never been
taught it as most performers are. All the fancy riding I do I did
as a child for pure fun in emulation and rivalry of others in my
native land. We Cossack women, though we do not vote and practice
law or medicine, are born to a greater degree of freedom than your
American ladies... The women in my country, too, have all the material
habits of men. They smoke about as much, the delicate, light tobacco
grown in our valleys or imported Turkish. They drink with equal
freed the light, bright wines of the Caucasus. Being wine, no spirit
drinkers, unlike the Russians, we are an extremely sober people.
Drunkenness is almost unknown among us... Possibly our climate has
something to do with the harmony that reigns among us. Possibly
our open-air life contributes to this end by making us healthier.
Well, our region doesn’t oppress us. We are of the Greek Church,
and, like the Catholics, we have many holly days, which are holidays.
Suppose you visit the Caucasus, you need no letters of introduction.
You are invited to stay in the best houses as long as you please,
and everything in the house is at your disposal... We live chiefly
by agriculture and hunting. In my girlhood, I have seen wild animals
shot from my bedroom window. Our chief drink, next to wine is tea...
Our people are heartly eaters, but fatness is rare. The men, though
slender, are stronger than any I have yet seen... Our dancing is
peculiar. I cannot describe it to you... One of the things that
very greatly pleases the spectators is our shooting, when standing
on horseback...”
According to the press, Frida used to perform with one or four
horses. Those who witnessed her breathtaking performance at Madison
Square Garden could easily say that she was born a rough rider.
Frida Mgaloblishvili performed for only two years, afterwards never
returning to America and dropping out of view. |