Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-21
Quarter Racing in Marion

From tbs Buend p{att tGd.) CAbper.
Fanny CLAY was a Marion county race
horse. When a colt, she was owned by
Nick Jordan, near Buena Vista. Fanny
was deep sorrel, about Ii hands high,
broke to plow and wagon; il she had any
pedigree, h1-- best friends We're unaware
of the fact ''Old Betsey," her dam, was
a tirst-class scrub; her sire was unknown.
Fanny was lightning on the jump, and al
together quick on the go. Her first race
was a quarter race, run against a horse
owned by drover who was passing
through the county, which she won
without any trouble; the horse was re-
puted to be good racer. Her next was
against the Gantz mare, q much better
animal than she tackled the first time:
this race was run for $500. After this
race Mat Carter bought half interest in
the mare, and together with Deck Cher
~, Nick JcrdOn, Byron Duke and other
friends, came to the conclusion she was
pretty good on quarter stretch, and de-
termined to back her against all takers.
This was about the year 1851.
Babe Stamper thought he owned the
fastest quarter nag that ever set hOof on
Georgia soil. The Stampers, father and
son, were noted racers; the Stamper
pony, thing Of beauty perfect In all the
marks which 90 to make up the racer, had
never been beaten, ana was known far
and wide; appreciated by sporting men
all over the State and the pet Of its own
ers.
Mat Carter was delegated by the
friends of the mare to go to Columbus and
make race against the Stamper pony.
He offered to run against the pony for
$1,000, the owners OF the pony TO give the
mare 10 feet in the quarter; his PROPOSE.
ton was quickly accepted by the Stamp
ers and the money put up, the Stampers
insisting that the $1,000 all go as forfeit in
the event there should be any backing
down. Carter agreed to the terms on the
condition that Fanny, If beaten at all,
must be beaten in Marion county. This
proposition was acceded to by the Stamp
ers and Carter returned home. auu
We pass over the preparations made by
both parties for the expected race. a
stable was built for the pony near the
race track. located near the present resi-
dence Of Mr.. Moses j. Harvey. The day
arrived in, the ehrly fall, crisp and beauti-
full; twas on Saturday. Buena Vista and
all Marion was agog, men who had never
before evinced the least interest in a
horse race, were almost frantic with ex-
element; parties from Columbus, Macon
and Augusta we're present on this occa-
sion TO witness the defeat of the country
tackey."
Even quarter race, without incident
or accident would be shorn of some of its
interest. A large mule hitched to a drag
to give the finishing touch to the race
paths, took a fright and ran away just as
the Rev. James Perryman rode up in a
close carriage, accompanied by the ladies
of his family on his way to an appoint
ment at Pineville. The frightened mule
was making directly for the carriage
when strong men rushed to the doors,
threw them open and assisted the ladies to
! alight thereby saving them from impend-
| ing danger. Uncle Jimmie, in stentorian
voice, spoke to Carter:
"Ah, Madison, Madison, this horse rae
ing is bad business"
"True," replied Carter, ''but, uncle
Jimmy, the first horse race / ever saw in
Warren county, you were the daddy Of
it,"
The crowd laughed; uncle Jimmy
smiled.
Two thousand people were present that
day to witness the race; the riders were
mounted and the horses led TO position.
Fanny CLAY, on previous occasions, eX-
hlbited no excitement or nervousness, but
on this, the day OF all days, she reared
and behaved badly; two strong men on
either side of her bits could scarce con-
troll her.
Her hackers looked upon it as a bad
omen. The word was given, the start
made and the pony running into bank
OF sand, Byron Duke, the rider of Fanny
Clay, takes the lead and holds it to the
end Of the race, beating the pony just 8
| feet.
The Stampers, chagrined at defeat, and
| feeling confident the pOny's bad start was
the cause of the loss Of the race, bantered
| Carter for another race, which was
| promptly accepted and the race was run
again on Monday, following, for $1,000.
| This time Fanny Clay beat the Stamper
pony 30 feet, and won the pennant as the
fastest quarter horse then known TO the
South. AS the judges stand is passed by
the flying mare, 1000 hats DOTTED and
waved, 1000 throats send forth ringing
cheers. Ten thousand dollars have been
lost and won.
The Stampers, after this last race,
bought half interest in the mare, but
! she made only one more race, winning for
| her owners $4,000. After this no one
could be found who would match a horse
against the feet-footed racer from Ma
| rion. The Stampers and Mat Carter made
one other race on the mare in the State Of
Alabama, giving her another name and
painting her as black as a crow; but the
| opposite party discovered the trick and
paid the forfeit money rather than run the
race. aalrn .-sa4
We are not racing people, neither are
we given to the game OF brag. This aTti-
Gle is not intended as Sunday school ar
ticle. merely scrap from the history OF
the past to remind the world that Marion
county does nothing by halves. .la