The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-06-26
july30-1y

race was trotted from Springfield, Mass,
to Albany, n. Y. The distance is about
ninetY-fve miles. The racs was be-
tween the grey gelding, called the
Granger Horse, and black geldiug
owned by Andrew Dalton, of Spring
field, Mass. The race was for $1,000
side, and was won by the Dalton horse.
AS it was horse against horse no time
was taken. 1t was close race, the
winner being only quarter of mile
ahead at the finish. This race used both
horses up. AS say number of races
OF long distance have been started and
many have failed.
In 1866 White Stockings and Butcher
were matched to trot from Boston,
Mass, to Portland, Me-, from sun to
sun. Both races were trotted in Sep
TENDER and were for $1,000 side.
White Stockings failed to make the
short Of the desired point (Portland).
Blucher reached Portland one hour and
half behind his time, and the horse
died the following day.
In 1867 the writer purchased bay
gelding fifteen hands high, of about 900
pounds weight and OF unknown breed
ing. This horse had ran away with
most every one that had driven him. [
have seen and handled few
just such horses, but that horse
was none SUCH" OF all the
horses l bave ever seen he took
the cake. l named him Ivanhoe and he
was an Ivanhoe sure enough. For
long distance horse Il think his equal
was never seen. l matched Ivanhoe to
trot from Boston to Portland, Me, from
sun to sun in September, 1867. The
race was the same that White Stockings
and Blucher had trotted. The distance
was just ninety nine miles and was over
the old stage road. / contcnded and
think that the horses, White Stockings
and Butcher, lost their races by mis-
management on the road. They were
overfed and no. the right kind of nour-
ishment was given them.
They were both faster horses than
Ivanhoe and, no doubt, could have
beaten him in a 20 or even 5O-mile race.
But in the % mile race he showed him
self much the better horse. AS say l
think the conditioning was what won
| the race for Ivanhoe. Perhaps it may
| be interesting to some OF the readers to
know how Ivanhoe was conditioned for
and in the race. He was driven twenty
five miles every day on the road two
weeks before the race to road wagon.
He was fed IL quarts of oats and 4
| quarts of bran, pounds of carrots and
all the good hay he would eat. He was
a glutton for feed.
When bought him he had been driven
with twisted wire bit, and his mouth
was very sore from the effects of that
severe bit. drove him with plain
bar bit covered with Bacon zinc, and
swabbed his mouth three or four times
a day with bo:ax and honey until his
mouth was we'll. When l first got him
he would pull a ton on the bit, but by
| M L.; I'd To-
Juggling at the bit, although he would
always take q strong hold on the bit.
The day before the race he had twenty
miles slow work and was fed as usual.
AT o'clock in the morning before he
| started in his long race he was fed six
| quarts of steamed oats and six quarts of
oatmeal Cruel.
| We started from Boston at 5:15. The
| first run was 20-mile drive, where he
was given six quarts Of oatmeal Cruel
and two quarts of steamed oats. The
next drive was thirty miles, when he
was fed four quarts Of steamed oats and
six quarts of oatmeal Cruel, with one
pint of sherry wine. He was rested
forty-fve minutes and we'll rubbed out
and bathed with New England rum and
witch hazel.
The next drive was twenty-five miles,
| when he was rested fifteen minutes,
we'll bathed with rum and witch hazel,
| and given six quarts of strong oat meal
| Cruel and six fresh eggs added to the
Cruel, also one-h half pint of Alsop's ale
] The next drive was ten miles, when he
| was given six quarts of Oat meal cruel
and drenched with one-half pint of pure
brandy. of course the brandy was
diluted. Driving the whole day Ivanhoe
had shown no distress and was as
clipper as bird. When we arrived at
the station, seventeen miles from Port
land, found | was about fifteen
minutes ahead of time, remember at
| every mile was a mile post and
had made a kind of tune table to run
by. The telegraph told both ends of
the route where we were and / had the
utmost confidence in the little horse.
delayed him fifteen minutes at the
last stopping place; that is, we left
that place fifteen minutes behind time.
And when we left that place, the bet
ting in Boston was 100 to 90 that Ivan
hoe would lose the race. We had sew
enteen miles to go to reach Portland on
time and fifteed minutes behind time.
gave the little horse his head for that
seventeen miles, and he took me in
safely, and when we struck the terminal
point, we had twelve minutes to spare
| The little horse was as fresh as a daisy
| when we arrived and seemed ready to
| turn around and go the trip over again
| He did not show the least distress and I
must say that looked upon him with
wonder and pleasure.
| During the whole drive did not even
cluck or chirrup to him. bus on the con.
trary was calling him back to me, or in
other words, trying TO keep him quiet
The horse carried my weight, 2lo