The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-11-07
HORSE RACE IN RUSSIA
EItrdct of q letter, ddted Petersburg

| ne ionH lalkeh VI H'dttn DetWtch
two English horses and two CossaCk
horses, for = versts, or II English
miles and a third, took place on the
18th of August, and was WIN by one
Of the English horses. The match
was originally proposed by the Cos
sack General Count Orlptf Dencce-
soil. Generals AleNcij Orlof. Vas
siItshixoH. Levaschetf, aud Prince
Dolgorouki. the Master OF the Horse,
and was accepted by Count Matus-
zewic. The stakes were $4,000 rou-
bIes, and the s..ad fixed upon was
from the Ligosa Canal thro' Zars-
| kosselo t. Gatchina, distance of 5l
,ersts, aud back To the starting post.
The road il paved to the bottom.
aud the surface dreadlully hard and
stony. The Cossack party had ia
! ken every prccantion 10 procure the
best breed. Count OrloH Dessen-
soil went to the Don, III order 10 pick
them out X there was not tribe
OF the Cossacks but what furnished
their quota. Cossacks Of the Don,
the Black Sea, aud the ural, Cal
mncks, Bashkirs. and kirguees, all
sent their most celebrated racers !;
and in this way above twenty horses
arrived at st. Petersburg, from
which the TWO best were selected at
ter variety Of trials, which render
ed their party quite confident oil sue
cess. In the mean time the English
horses were neither seen nor heard
oft was only known that Count
hlatuszewio had imported some for
the purpose. with grooms To train
and ride them; and the English par
~ went on steadily backing their
horses at to three, u to 4, with
out alarming themselves at the nhls-
pered aoulons trials OF the Cos
sacks. The day arrived, aud the
horses fixed upon were a bay Cos
sack oI the stnd of the late well
known II tmaD Count Platoh. and a
chesnut. Zeonide, Of the stud oil
Count kutcinlkoM The former was
rather coarse vulgar animal, high
IN the hips but good in the IONS, n
showing considerable powers. The
latter, though bred on the Don,was IA
very neat horse. betraying clearly
iIs Arabian desccnt. / he English
horses brought TO the post by Count
Matnzewie were Sharper, by Octa-
yius. dam by Gohanna, bred by the
Eall Of k.remont, and Nina, by
OisiIlc. out # Rarosa, by teimln,
bred by Lord George Casendish.
The turses started at five minutes
past five IN the morning, tile Co.'S
sacks Icadl & on one size oil the road
al moderate pace, and the English
following on the other site about 5
or 4 lengths behind.-betore they
had got IA hall a ,erst, the stirrup l.
ron Of Thomas Arthur, Who rode
Sharper, broke IN the eye, and the
horse ran away with him, passing
Nina, who would not stop behind.
Owing to this unfortunate accIdent,
the two English horses ran tremrn
dous pace up PulcOva hill, anu
through karsko-sselo, bidding dcii-
ance to the utmost exertl0ns OF their
riders to pacily them The Cos
sacks following about zoo yards be
hind. The English horses arrived
at Gatchina IN one hour and four
minutes, the CoBsaCks coming ~
two minutes after them. Here the
Two English horses we're quite fresh
and full OF running, as was the ches-
= nut C0ssack also, but the bay was
already very much distressed. and
fell about 8 yersts after turning, ne
yer appearing again in the race.
Before reaching Zarsk o-sselo, on
thcir return, Nina burst his caro-
net. from the harness Of tho road,
and was Immediately pulled up and
taken TO stable at that place
Soon after this the remaining Cos
sack began to flag and the accom-
panying Cessacks, contrary to all
rule of agreement. began to drag
him on 10y the bride, throwing a
way the saddle and putting "A mere
child on his back. Before reaching
tulkoya-hill, Sharper showed the
effects Of the pace lie had gone, when
running away at the early part OF
the race, and Oh descending the hill
was much distressed but it was e.
,ldent he must win, in spite OF the
extraordinary foul play of the Cos