The tradition of chivalry was very much alive in the West Virginia hills when future Governor Kump and his brother were young. The knightly code of honorable conduct got its name from the French word cheval meaning horse, and horses were rural transportation and entertainment in the late 1800s when the Kumps participated in tournaments at Capon Springs Resort.

In her book “Capon Notes” Debbie Boyce quoted a newspaper article printed November 2, 1893: “The lads and lassies of the valley, after toiling industriously with the wheat and corn … conducted a little recreation. They gave a tournament and ball. The horsemanship of the young knights was very incredible indeed. The winner of the just prize was Wade Harness who placed the queenly crown upon the fair brow of Nannie Baker, who looked every inch a queen…. Guy Kump crowned Ethel White, fourth maid.”

At 16 years of age Guy Kump was spearing target rings hung under arches like arches that stood in a line along the lower campus lawn at Davis & Elkins College where the Knights of the South Branch Valley competed in tournaments until ten years ago.

Horsemanship was a crucial part of the 1934 Forest Festival Pageant: “Rhapsody of the Seasons.”

Cyrus Scott Kump, the great grandfather of our current Maid Silvia, was playing the part of Pluto, Roman god of the underworld. Pluto was supposed to drive his carriage drawn by a team of horses round the Forest Festival stage to sweep Proserpine off the steps and carry her to the underworld. Pluto caused eternal winter because Proserpine’s mother was Ceres, the goddess of living things, and the death of her daughter made Ceres so angry that she would not warm the earth for plants to grow.

Actor Cyrus Kump was not able to stop the horses to pick up Proserpine on his first trip around the stage. While the band played Pluto’s theme once again, Cyrus guided the horses around the stage a second time and stopped them just long enough to grab Proserpine, and the show went on. Of course, Pluto was not kind or chivalrous, but Ceres was furious and made Pluto return her daughter at least half of each year when earth has warmer weather in the spring and summer.

The Forest Festival Horse Show started in 1935, and the governor’s daughter Elizabeth Kump won a ribbon in that event. We do not have a narrative of her success, but we do have a photo of her on her horse and her complete riding outfit with jodhpurs and boots. Her real-life story was sad like the myth of Proserpine because she died before she turned 24 with a cancer that may have been caused by a fall from a horse.

If you are interested in touring Kump house to see Forest Festival mementos, it will be open to the public Forest Festival Week on Tuesday & Thursday (4:-5:30 p.m.) and on Saturday (10 a.m.-12 noon).