The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-11-05
RACING EXTRAORDINARY.

GOME years since ON the second day of
~ the Fair at Cleveland, when the bloods
were trying their blood in the shape of fast
horses, the following ludicrous incident oc-
curred The. horse-ring, which had been
open during the afternoon for the use of
such gentlemen as might wish to practice
their horses, contained some six or seven
fine horses, splendidly caparisoned, and
attached to light sulkies which had grown
so excited by the sport that the whole af-
fair had become merged into spirited
race. The contest was strong, and every
horse was urged to his utmost speed. A
vast crowd had collected for the purpose of
enjoying the sport, and loud shouts attes-
ted their appreciation Of the favorite horses.
Just about the height of the race the
rope that protected the entrance to the
ring was lowered, and one of the ugliest-
looking specimens of the horse kind that
had ever seen entered. He was of dun
color; one sided, loosely built, ring -boned
and spawned. His driver, an old man with
short gray beard, was clothed in rusty
suit of gray, with a seal-skin cap, and was
seated in an old unpainted sulky, with a
bundle of straw beneath the seat, from
which an old rusty umbrella protruded
At his very entrance he was greeted with
shouts from the crowd, of "take him out!"
"move him !" "wo-haw p' and other de-
risive shouts, that showed him as setting
out under the most unfavorable circum-
stances.
Almost at the start he had been overtaken
by the finer horses, who had been the pop
ular favorites, and as they came up to the
old dun, the leaders of the race called out
to the driver to get out of the way After
few awkward efforts, he did try to do so,
but it was after manner little expected :;
for the old horse shook his ears and began
to strike out at an awful pace, and the
blooded horses began to feel the need of
trying their bottoms. Away they went,
and by the time they came around to the
starting place, the old dun was considera-
bly, in advance. The faster he went the
uglier he looked, and his gait was SO awk-
ward that the crowd roared with laughter.
Away he went, and away went the bloods
in pursuit. The farther the old dun went
the uglier he looked, and at every round he
was greeted with cries of " Go it, old Clay
bank p Old Claybank did go it, and the
way he went was sin to Crockett"
BY the fifth or sixth round he had Just
gained the length of the track on his COM
petitors, and came up in their rear like
canebrake on fire. The excitement was
now intense, and the roaring and below
ing of the crowd almost deafening.
The old dun never minded the crowd
whit, but held himself down to his work,
and as he came round again, he had pass
cd two of his rivals, and was abreast of the
third
$50 it, old Claybank ~ shouted the
spectators, and without whip or word from
his driver, he came up to the scratch. BY
the time this round was finished there re-
manned but one horse ahead of him-a fine
blooded gray-considered by all tho best
hOAoOt III oAA poiAiIci Ou TIC BTOuuu. Ab
they reached the entrance, the two horses
were abreast, and the gray, eyed. his OPP
ponent with siding glance he shambled
alongside Of him. The old man now reach
cd down behind him, and drew the um-
brella from the sheaf OF straw beneath the
seat and to which it was fastened, and with
great flourish over his head, brought 1t
down on the hip bones of the old dun. 1t
was hard to tell which ratified most, the
old umbrella or the bones of old Claybank
but from that moment the race was at an
end. The gray was left far behind, and
the old dun came up to the entrance at one
of the most awkward, shambling, and yet
swiftest PAGES have ever seen, beating his
rival a considerable distance, and presen-
ting within himself the ugliest piece Of
horsehesh that has ever been seen in this
section Of country. 1t is needless to say
that old Claybank was the fayorite, the bal
ance Of the day.