Cleanings.

Kaikoura Star, Volume XIV, Issue 752, 3 July 1894, Page 2

Cleanings.

Some Remarkable Rides.

Foremost among English feats of horsemanship we have one which for generations has been represented in the circus ring. Dick Turpin's ride from London to York has taken its place among nursery legends ; nevertheless, it was actually performed, and stands as a record of its kind. I’lie highwayman, riding with the very best reason io the world the safety of his neck covered the distance of over 200 miles in a little under twelve hours. This performance stands alone as the longest and fastest journey ever made on the same horse. Most of the long rides of which record exists have been made for wagers ; such records are therefore reliable. Squire Osbaldestone’s undertaking to ride 200 miles in 10 hours, which he accomplished so successfully on the sth of November, 1831, is one of the most remarkable feats of endurance tn the saddle, and has the merit of freedom from cruelty. The Squire rode his race on the Newmarket racecourse, changing his horse every fourth mile. Four miles is a safe limit for such a purpose, as that splendid horseman knew. Three mile laps could have been covered iu time relatively a little better; but a sound horse in fair training could do his four miles without distress in such time as to make that distance, with the consequent reduction in the number of changes, the most suitable for the purpose. Mr Osbaldestone used sixteen horses for his task, and rode standing in bis stirrups like a jockey, while he kept his mount at best speed from start to finish of its four-mile heat, having quite a ‘set-to’ with his pacemaker at the end of each. The Squire was a hard man, and in good training, so suffered no bad effects from his exertions.

A most creditable performance by Australian Mounted Infantry, in April, 1889, also deserves mention, as having been conceived and carried out in a truly sportsmanlike spirit. The members of the Gympie Mounted Infantry having been out in camp for manceuvres at a place called Lytton, near Brisbane, arrangod to race homo, a distance of 116 miles. With a discretion the German and Austrian executive had done well to copy, overriding was provided against by the stipulation that no horse should win a prize if he arrived at the winning post distressed, or in such condition that be could not do a further distance of ten miles. Eleven men, fully equipped in marching order, started from Brisbane at 2.40 p.m. on Wednesday the 23rd April. The winner, Private Edwards, riding 12st 101 b, arrived at Gympie at 2 p.m. next day, thus travelling the 116 miles in 23hrs and 20miu. The route lay over roads heavy from continuous rain, and included the crossing of a range of hills which threw out several of the competitors. The second man, Sergeant O’Neill, actually rode a better race than the winner* as his horse carried 14st 3)b, and came in only a few yards behind Edwards’. Ibe third and fourth men also arrived home within 50 yards of the winner. The horses ridden in this remarkable race were all thoroughbreds, and were! tn perfect training. It is hardly I necessary to observe that a long course of preparation is essential to fit anv horse fer such a journey.

This Australian- race has value as furnishing trustworthy data on which to estimate the travelling power of men and horses, for which the AustroGermon competition is absolutely iseless. Every man who got home in he latter—and of the 109 Germans >nly 72 appear to have reached Vienna brought in his horse in such a coalition that if it did not succumb [together, its career of utility- was at n end : each unfortunate animal bore estirnony that it had been taxed ruelly beyond its powers, and proved a its state not how far it could travel, ut that it could not travel the distance sked of it and survive.— Chambers 'ournal.