Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-10-19

SLOCkula1ls decided Jlab II ne COl1Q uOs
win the race, at least he could enjoy
a moment Of glory. His steed stood up
all right the first day but 20 miles out
on the second decided that she had
done enough walking. Ranger waited
until D. m. and then rode back to
the city amid cheers of victory. Just
before he checked in at the city hall,
he announced that his horse had been
disqualified hours before.
Teddy entered the race highly tout
ed as an easy winner Two hundred
and sixteen miles would be duck soup
to a horse that had outrun all COM
petition over a 5O0-mile stretch. Tex
Holm. It's owner, had previously ex-
hibited both the horse and its rider
in Billings on a tour to boost Cody
as an entrance to Yellowstone park.
Little serious thought was given 10
Muggins. owned by John Conway, who
picked the horse from his livery stable
as his entry in the race. 1t was a
small 6-year-old animal Weighing only
$50 pounds. and the rider, Mac Gran
dali, then 33 years old, was small, too.
His weight at the start Of the grind
was 127 pounds, and before the race
was over he had lost IT pounds Of
that
Tests Course
A month before the start Of the
breaking in horses for H. M. Ramsey
in Billings, started training himself
and the beast. Late in June he wound
up the road work by testing Muggins
over 108 miles of the course.
When the race started Mac put his
theory into operation. To help his
animal, he diSmounted and ran along
side his charge up and down all the
hills. This was allowed by the rules,
and the popular story is that Mac
ran half Of the 216 miles. He denies
this and estimates that his road work
was not more than SO or 90 miles.
There were three checking stations
in addition to city hail. One was at
the 20-mile mark, another at Broad
view, and the third at Lavina. Here
the horses were watered, and at La
vina they were fed.
Muggins was pretty much Of an
alSo-ran the first day, because Gran
dali was taking 1t easy. He had been
a jockey in his youth, and had won
a 1OO-mile race in Madison county ii
years before by outsInarting IA other
riders. Practically all his life had been
spent around corrals and he knew his
horses.
After covering the first half of the
ZIG miles the first day he was too
sick to eat. He slept with his horse
In a Billings stable and was off early
the next morning with two lemons
for nourishment.
No Riding Clothes
Crandall did not dress like a range |
rider. He wore regular shoes and !
trousers, while most Of the other COM
petitors wore the usual cowboy boots |
and breeches. AS far as Mac was |
put boots and chaps on the horse, |
because he figured on doing his share |
of the trotting too. When the others |
began to follow CrandallS strategy |
they learned that they were dressed |
for riding, not foot racing.
When Lavina was reached the sec |
ond day Of the race the other men
stopped only 10 minutes to feed and |
water their horses and then started |
their desperate dash to the city hall
Crandall was in no hurry. He rested
his horse for an hour and 10 minutes
before starting the return journey.
Not once In the long journey did |
Mac think that he would lose. Before
leaving Lavina he stopped to tele-
phone his boss, Conway, and calmly
announced that he was In last posi-
ton, but If Muggins did not go lame.
he would win the race.
The imperturbable Crandall then
started on the last lap. The other
horses had begun to wilt under the
heat and the enormity Of their task,
but his bay stallion was fresh and
willing. One by one he passed the
other plodders and finally the leaders
who had been an hour and 10 minutes
ahead when he was telephoning.
Three miles from the finish line,
showed his heels to Goldbug
and Daily while Mac yelled his chal-
longing greeting.
The pace at which the others were
can be estimated by Macs
20 minutes ahead of his
nearest rivals. Ten miles outside the
city limits, rs impatient horsemen
greeted the galloping Muggins and
paced him to the steps OF the city
hall.
Here the judges, John Ramsey, Bud
Iittlepage and Gerald Patton, present.
I'd Mac with the purse of $500 as the
iirst-place winner. The other two
prizes which were decided by the IL
nch advantage that Goldbug had over
Daily were $500 and $500. This $1,000
lad been raised by popular subscrip-
ion in Billings.
vt long odds on Muggins, and scores
If others who had taken Teddy against
he field, showered Crandall with gifts
and cash. The prize money had been
split with Conway, but the rider was
he big winner. All that he has left
If the results of his feat are pair
If spurs.
Muggins' peak Of glory was even
more short-lived. He returned to the
livery stable and was soon sold to
laul delivery wagon. Crandall could
lot bear to see such a stout-hearted
horse doing mental work, so he ar
'anged to buy the animal. This was
year after the race and the horse was
hen years old, but Mac felt that
had earned a pension. He
,ut it out to rove the range at Garvtn
basin until the animal died 20 years
alter.
Mac Crandall was born In Virginia
City when it was a hell-roaring min
ng town. He early interested himself