CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1908-10-15
FRONTIER SKETCHES

A Famous Endurance Race: When
We come to talking about modern en-
durance races for sport or for pelf
the present riders can scarcely hold a
candle to F. X. Aubrey who used to do
some great stunts on the roof of a
broncho. In 1850 he madea bet that
he could cover the distance from
Santa Fe, New Mexico. to Indepen-
dence, Missouri over the old trail in
eight days. 1t is 765 miles between
the two points as the freight caravans
travelled it and that route on a wager
of 81 600 Aubrey was to ride. He sue
ceeded in winning, making his desti-
nation the Jones house in Indepen-
dence, three hours before the expira-
ton OF his time. During this. his first
ride. he killed a number of horses, the
death Of one when within twenty-five
miles OF Council Grove. compelled him
to walk to that place, earring his sad
die ON his back. where he obtained
another animal and continued his
wonderful ride.
This feat of Aubrey's was regarded
as the greatest ride ever made by any
one 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 we'll known. Although
people marveled much at the wonder
ful endurance OF the man and the re-
markable time in which he had made
the trip. still Aubrey himself was not
at all satisfied with the 1t. He deter
mined to break that record and the
following season made another wager
I~R T. ~. Ia
He accomplished his record-breakinG
dash across the great plains in the
marvellous time OF only hve days and
thirteen hours
His objective point was the same
hotel to which he had ridden on his
former trip. On this one when he
reached that hostelry he was perfect
ly exhausted and in 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 carried
into his room in the house where he
lay in a complete stupor for two days.
Six horses, which previous to starting
from Santa Fe had been stationed at
distances varying from twenty-five
to fifty miles along the route. fell
dead under him SO terribly fast had he
forced them on.
He possessed a beautiful mare Nell
ly. a favorite animal, noted for speed
and endurance but she expired at the
end OF the first $50 miles. They had
no humane societies in those days to
hobble horse or blanket the enthus-
iasm of a rider. On his last great trip
| he rode day and night stopping only
long enough to leap from his tired
animal and spring on to fresh one.
He made more than 200 miles every
twenty-four hours. and all the sleep
he took aggregated but three hours
during the entire i've days. This ride
eclipsed that famous one recorded In
the old English legends Of the out
| Law, Dick Turpin. from London to
| York. Aubrey was Scotch-Canadian
by birth and emigrated direct from
Quebec to the remote west He was
| a man OF education apparently. for be
| was the author OF two or three merit
| orious articles on q journey and 50
jorn in California, published In one
| Of the early magazines of the country.
about the time Of the discovery of
| gold on the Pacific coast.