East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-06-27
STORY OF A FAMOUS
HORSEBACK RIDE

When we come to talking about
modern endurance races for sport or
for pelf the present riders can scarce
ly hold candle to F. X. Aubrey, who
used to do some great stunts on the
roof of a broncho, says the Denver
Field and Farm.
In 1850 he made a bet that he could
cover the distance from Santa Fe, n.
NJ, to Independence, Mo-. over the
old trail, in eight days. 1t was 1865
miles between the two points as the
freight caravans Travelled 1t, and by
that route, on a wager of $1,000, Au-
brey was to ride.
He succeeded in winning, making
| his destination the Jones house in In
dependence, three hours before the
expiration of his time. During this,
his first ride, he killed a number of
horses, the death of one when within
25 miles of Council Grove. compelled
him to walk to that place. carrying
his saddle on his back, where he OBJ
tained another animal and continued
MS WOndertul rlde.
This feat of Aubrey's was regarded
as the greatest ride ever made by any
cne in ancient or modern times and
he became the hero of the incipient
border town, Independence, where he
was feted and made the lion of the
day. His fame spread throughout the
entire west. including California,
where he was well known.
Although people marveled much at
the wonderful endurance of the man
and the remarkable time in which he
had made the trip, still Aubrey him
self was not satisfied with 1t. He de-
termined to break that record, and
the following season made another
wager Of $4,000 in gold that he would
do it. He accomplished his record
breaking dash across the great plains
in the marvellous time of only five
days and 13 hours.
His objective point was the same
hotel to which he had ridden on his
former trip. On this one, when he
reached that hostilery he was perfect
ly exhausted, and in a fainting condi-
ton his horse quivering from head
to foot and white with foam.
Aubrey was lifted from the back
of the animal by his friends and car
ried into his room in the house, where
he lay in complete stupor for two
days. Six horses, which, previous to
starting from Santa Fe, had been sta
toned at distances varying from 25
to so miles along the route. fell dead
under him, so terribly fast had he
forced them on.
He possessed a beautiful mare, Nell
lie, favorite animal, noted for her
speed and endurance, but she expired
at the end of the first $50 miles. They
had no humane society in those days
to hobble a horse or blanket the en-
thuslasm of a rider.
On his last great trip he rode day
and night, stopping only long enough
to leap from one tired animal to
fresh one. He made more than 200
miles every "a hours, and all the sleep
he took aggregated but three hours
during the entire five days.
This ride eclipsed that famous one
recorded in the old English legends
of the outlaw, Dick Turpin, from Lon
don to York. Aubrey was a Scotch
Canadian by birth and emigrated di-
rect from Quebec to the remote west.
He was a man of education appar-
emily, for he was the author OF two or
three meritorious articles on a jour
ney and sojourn in California, publish
ed in one of the early magazines Of
the country, about the time of the dis
covery of gold on the Pacific coast.