Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-07-01
Anecdotes of Horses.

SPEED OF HoRsEs.-The teats of cele-
brated horses are duly chroncIed in books
devoted TO sporting subjects, and we shall
merely notice them incidentally. The most
extraordinary instance, perhaps, of the
stoutness, as well as speed of the race-horse,
was afforded by QuibbIer, who, in Deem
Der, 1856, ran twenty-three miles round the
fiat at Newmarket, in ffty-seven minutes
and ten seconds III l772, mile was run
by Firetall in one minute aud four eeconds,
and Flying Chlders ran over the Beacon
Course -four miles, one furlong, one hun.
dred and thirty eight yards) in seven min
utes and thirty seconds On the ooh OF
September, 1888, trial of speed took be-
tween the Oural Cossacks and the Ker-
guise Kaisaks, over a course of eighteen
versts, said to be equal to thirteen and a
half English miles. The race was run by
many horses of great speed, but gained by
twins, who ran neck and neck the whole
distance, arriving at the winning post in
twenty-four minutes and thrty-ive seconds
And it is said that the Sultan's son rode a
Kerguse Kaisak black horse over the same
course in nineteen minutes.
Ia l745, Mr.. Thornton rode from Stlton
to London, back, and again to London,
making two hundred and fifteen miles, in
eleven hours, on The turnpike road and I'm.
even ground, and when the wretched state OF
the roads at that period is considered, the
feat is truly remarkable.
Perhaps the most singular struggle on
record was that between Tarragon, Handel,
and Astbury, at Newcastle Under-Lyne.-
Of the first three heats there was no win
ner, Tarragon and Handel being each time
nose and nose /; and although Aslbury was
stated to have been third in the first heat,
vet he was so nearly on level with the
others that there was difficulty in placing
him as such. After the second heat the
steward requested two other gentleman to
look with him steadily as they came, to try
to decide in favor of one of them, but il
was impossible TO do so. In the third dead
heat, TarrOgon and Handel had struggled
with each other until they reeled about as i
they were drunk, and could scarcely carry
their riders to the scales. stbury, who
had lain by after the first heat, then came
out and won.
One of the most celebrated race-horse'
this country has eve. seen Wal the Godol
phin Arabian, who was bought IN France
when actually engaged in drawing cart
Between this noble animal and Cat most
loving friendship existed. When in the
stable, puss always either sat upon his back
..r unatIaA as nI, en- ,hoo 81
at his death, she refused her food, pinet
away and died. Mr.. Holcrolt gives a sim
liar relation OF racer and a cat, whom
tie horse used to take up in his mouth and
mount on his back without hurting her, shC
perfectly understanding this singular mode
of conveyance.
There was another celebrated horse o
yore, called the Mad Arabian, from hi
great ferocity and ungovernabIc temper
This horse-ChilIaby by name-savageIy
tore i'll pieces the figure of man purposely
placed in his way, and could only be ap
preached by one groom. Yet with all Thu
ferocity, he evinced the most tender affec
tlons for lamb who used to employ him
self for many an hour in butting away flies
that annoyed his friend.
1t is well known how thoroughly racer
enter into the spirit of the course OF Thu
a noble horse called Forester presented
remarkable illustration. Forester had wor
many hardly contested race, bat in al
evil hour was matched against an extraor
binary horse called Elephant 1t was
four-mile course, and at the distant post tn
horses were nose to nose. Between thi
and the winning post Elephant got little
ahead. Forrest made every possible effor
to recover this lost ground, until, fndin!
all his efforts Intellectual, he made one des
perate plunge, seized his antagonist by thu
jaw, and could scarcely be forced to qui
his hold. A similar incident occurred il
1853, when a fine horse belonging to Mr.
Quin was rendered so frantic at finding hi