Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-04-23
Richmond Daily Register
III. sAUFLEY, Editor and Proprietor
CHARACTERIZATION Rate,
Many Kentuckians are horse

Out IIo ChIllS AIotOIy NilN 10 .
made it famous throughout the
world. The throngs that will
gather at Lexington during the
next ten days will attest well to
the popularity of the sport of
racing. Men prominent in the
history of the country have been
devotees Of the sport at ali times.
As a writer in the Enquirer said
the other day, chief among the
charms of racing has always
been its democracy. The horse
is the thing of today, just as he
was in the time of George Wash
ington and Andrew Jackson.
Both of these Presidents of the
United States were loyal support
erS of the turf. They bred and
raced their own horses, and his
tory records the fact that the for
mer acted as Judge at the New
market course, near Charleston,
). e., on one occasion. Wash
ington was a fearless horseman,
and hunted regularly until late in
life, his stable noted for the num-
Der and quality Of the horses it
contained.
Andrew Jackson was a patron
Of the turf long before he became
President, and raced formidable
stable, which included Truxton
a horse OF which he was exceed
ingiy proud and with which he
had won a match for $4,000 side
agai:1st &irc! hound. Ter t,:.
son was ina"& :rated Presilcn~
ne hr"uGE: his forses ~ the ca.
ital and =. i-,ii ;ainc them re.
Sunally. !; rec ed ,r-.1
Vice Pre- nr,t and Mrs. IA:
Buren, were present at some Of
the morning trials, which were
supervised with characteristic
impetuosity by Jackson, who was
noted for the high quality Of his
temper.
The Washington course was
Lt,;it il 1902 and was about twt
miles from he capitol. 1t was
operated by jockey club, and
among its members were the
most distinguished men .of the
period. The races over it were
regularly attended by the Presi-
dents from Jefferson to Van Blu
rem. John Quincy Adams on
one occasion walked to and from
the course surrounded by the
equippages of the wealthy.
In commenting on the fascina-
ton which racing had for the
great men Of the day and of the
earlier period Of the Union, Edi-
tor Skinner, Of the Turf Register
had the following to say in 1883:
General Washington and Gen
eral Jackson are examples of the
fondness that great military men
have generally entertained for
the horse and the sports of the
turf, Though equally bold and
graceful riders on the field, Gen.
Jackson was most successful on
the course. The racing annals
of the West record his numerous
victories, and according to the
anecdotes which are told. of him
he sometimes ii1titsidated his adj.
versaries. by the boldness Of his
de6nance, where he. might not
have won by the speed or bottom
of his horse"
One of Jackson's closest friends
was the Rev. H. Fl. Cryer, a min
lister Of the Methodist Episcopal
church, who was a breeder of
thoroughbred horses and raced
one of them in the name of his
partner, Col. George Elliott. The
reverend gentleman was charged
with horseracing and was sum
moned before the tribunal and
asked if he had anything to say
in his defense. Nothing" was
his reply. except that l would
like to have you let me know
how I can arrange it for my half
of the horse to stand in the stable
while Col. Elliott's half is rae
ing. The horse belongs to us
jointly. He has the same right
to control him as l have, and he
will race him and / cannot keep
him from it, 1t is needless to
record the fact that Mr.. CryerI
was acquitted.
That there was an absence Of
against the turf in its
earliest days, it is mentioned in
the Catholic Churchman, publish
ed at Annapolis in 1744, that
the legitimate pastimes of
the population which met with
the approval of the church itself
was the new one of racing hors-
es, which had grown to be highly