The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1869-11-20
ALBANY, OREGON. SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 90 1869.
Female ckeyism-An Exciting Race
Between Young Girls at a Western
Nafs

Female Jockey yism-An Exciting Race
Between Young Girls at Western
Fair.
The most exciting horse race that ever
took place in America, and probably in
the world, came off very unexpectedly on
the grounds of the Illinois State Fair
Association at Decatur, on the 1st of
October.
Four premiums of $50, $40, $50 and
$50 each had been offered for the best
lady 1questrianism, and at four o'clock
twelve ladies put in an appearance, all
mounted on gaily eaparisoned and highly
mettled steeds. The exhibition COM
menced by the ladies riding to and fro
in front of the Grand Stand, displaying
their skill and management of the horses
before a delighted audience, numbering
nearly thirty thousand people. As each
displayed some peculiar skill, she re-
ceived rounds of applause; and this
nerved the others to greater exertion.
One young lady, Miss Sallie Wilkinson,
Nyantic, Macon county, Illinois, not con-
tent with having already received more
applause than any other, dismounted and
had her saddle removed, and mounted the
bare hack Of her black horse from the
ground with the ease of circus rider.
The cheers of the multitude had already
produced its effect upon the riders,
causing an abandon and recklessness Pc
culiar to the sex under such circum-
stances While the confusion and ex-
citement was at its apex one of the track
marshals, with more lungs than discre-
ton, shouted out at the top of his voice :
" go clear around the track go! all of
you. go! 60" In an instant every
horse was in full run; the ladies were
plying their whips, and the air was filled
with hats, ribbons, laces and fixins."
On they dashed, four leading the crowd,
and running as near " neck and neck as
could be. At the start the black steed
with the Maid of Nyantic on his back
was about one hundred yards in the rear,
as no such thing as race was contem-
plated, but she leaned forward like a
regular jockey, gave him the whip, and
soon passed the rear horses, aud then the
middle group, and was in the act of tax
ing the lead, when her horse stumbled
and fell upon the grass at the edge Of the
track. She was up before him, however,
| and had hold of his bride, when four or
five men sprang over the guard and held
him while she again mounted from the
ground. She then applied the whip Wig
orously, and was soon nearing the racers
in front. Coming in on the last quarter,
gray horse had the lead by length,
and now every whip was in play every
horse, with heightened neck, straining
every nerve for the lead. As the horses
were nearing the Grand Stand the his
tory of the track fails to furnish a paral-
/. lei to the intense feeling aud excitement,
heightened by the frailness and reckless
ness Of these daring lady riders. They
cut the air with such swiftness that their
long skirts floated over the backs of their
horses. For some distance now nc
change had taken place, each doing her
level best, except with the Nyantic maid
on the bareback steed, who quickly took
advantage of the clear space on the pole
side, and rapidly passing one after al.
other, came under the string neck and
neck with the third horse, and only a
neck of the lead. IF Pandemonium had
| broken loose, it could not have excelled
the wild huzzas and the cheers given the
Nyantic. girl by that excited multitude
The voting men cheered and yelled the
young ladies applauded with their fans
and handerchiefs, while tears ran down
their pretty checks; the old people, in
many cases, embraced each other in theil
joy, while the thick tongues in theil
choking throats murmured in broken syl
lables :: Nyantic As she rode back or
her foaming steed, all covered with dirt
by his fall, and her clothes almost tori
to shreds, the grand stand resounded witt
the cheers of thirty thousand voices, ane
the surrounding groves prolonged thu
echo.
The committee were over an hour IL
coming to decision, and finally gave he
the third premium. The committee tiee
two red ribbons on her arm, amid thu
Kisses and eensure of the multitude, bu
they were scarcely there before some ont
leaped into the arena, cut the ribbons OF
and trampied them into the dust. AM
thus ended the most exciting race of thi
or any other age Correspondence q
Neac York Worlde