The Washington times., 1925-09-25
DONALD LOWRIE'S STORY Back in Pr
FOXY
GRANDPA

1.-THE new horses have arrived
Il said my friend whom we We're
visiting out in California.
s.That,s fine said !, Il would
like to see them"
Come out with me to the
stable and look them over, Foxy
Grandpa. There's a pretty gray
and white, and two pintos and q
black horse, which / would Ike
you to try for me. They say
he has a fine gait and perhaps
you viii enjoy riding him while
you are here"
We went out to the stable anu
the groom brought out the new
horses. / looked them over and
as the black horse came by I.
said:
I do believe that fellow looks
like a race horse. Look at his
slender legs and small feet. He
is certainly built like a Kentucky
thoroughbred. &
Il don't know his breeding,
said my friend, but ] hardly
think he has been trained for
the track, because the man who
bought him for me knew that
/ wanted to use him for a saddle
..That may be-" said i, "but
he does look as If he were built
for speed
Would you like to try him for
me?Y asked my friend.
with pleasure" / replied. Ill
go and get into my riding clothes
and be ready in about fifteen
minutes. .
II changed and when I came
down on the veranda there was
the groom waiting with the new
horse. ] thought his neck arched
a little too much and he paved
the ground impatiently and his
nostrils opened and closed like
q bellows. However, had prom
ised my friend and I'd never
baked yet at getting on a horse.
So up to the big fellow went,
put my foot in the stirrup, swung
up into the saddle and off /
started.
1t was all right at first. We
trotfed out of the gate and when
we came to the road checked
/ him in and we broke into a
canter. We Hoped along for a
while and then when / turned on
the highway which led into the
town that horse started to gaIlop
and then before l realized 1t or
could get him under control at
all. he setarted running tearing
with the bit between his teeth
and my coat-tails flying In the
wind ike Paul ReVere's must
have the night of his famous
ride.
This was no fun, want to tell
you. We passed automobiles as
If they were standing still.
didn't know what to do and
couldn't understand it. All /
could do was to hang on and try
to stop the horse by saving on
his mouth. But it didn't help.
On and on we went. The trees
whisked by my eyes as If were
on railroad train. Several times
we almost side swiped motor
cars.
1t was getting pretty bad when
all of a sudden, the horse gave a
IurcI1 and before L know it we
had cleared a fence. Now I
hadn't bargained to do any cross
country riding and I wasn't pre-
pared for it, But that didn't
make any difference.
Over another fence we went
and then before / knew it we
were tearing around a race track.
Around and around we went.
grew dizzler and dizzler. How
long could this horse hold out
and why didn't he stop?
Finally was almost exhausted
and we fortunately began to slow
up at that moment. Little by
I:ttle we slackened our pace and
then all of a sudden my hores
collapsed on the ground and with
a great sigh turned over, scram-
bled to his feet and stood painting
by my side.
I didn't realize 1t at the time,
but quite q crowd of the towns
folk had assembled and were
watching this performance. But
no one had been able to stop our
mad race. When it was all over
Bunny came running up to me
and said:
'"Don't be sore at that horse
and give him a bad name, Foxy
Grandpa. He says he will never
do it again. But, you see. he
won a race once on this track
and when he recognized the road
to it he said he couldn't help him
self-he just had to try that
track again"
"That's all right, Bunny" I
laughed. "It didn't do any harm,
and besides, It's great satisfac-
ton to me to feel that 1 might
have made a great success in
life as a jockey. But think how
much better 1 could have ridden
If had had on a. satin jacket
and q Jockeys cap"