A REMARKABLE RIDE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XIII, Issue 1016, 20 April 1869, Page 2

A REMARKABLE RIDE

An old Australian resident at San Francisco vouches forthe following report :—He says, “ I can vouch for the truth of it ; the bet was bona fide , and the distance was actually ridden on the race-track, about six miles from the city.” He adds —“ Is there any one capable of performing the same feat in Victoria or Sydney ? If so, I would like to know.” “One of the most remarkable rides ever performed was accomplished at Bay View Park, on Sunday August 2, by N. H. Mowry, a young Californian, who rode 300 miles in 14 hours and 11 minates. About a month before a number of persons were at San Jose, when the conversation turned upon the subject of riding. One of the party said that young Mowry could ride further and faster than any man living, and finally offered to wager that he could ride 300 miles in 15 hours. The offer was declined, because the amount offered was too small. Finally, however, Louis Burns and John Cahill put up S2OOO against $2250 by Edward Whipple, the latter wagering that Mowry could and would accomplish the feat. At first it was proposed that the ride should take place over the race-track at Jan Jose, but afterwards Bay View race-track was selected, and Sunday the 2d August was fixed upon as the day. For several days before the advent of the 2nd inst., Mr Mowry had been trainingon his ride. He had thirty horses taken to the Park stables, and rode each one round the track once or twice, for the purpose of familiarising it with the ground ; and on Sunday morning, at twenty minutes before five o’clock, he began bis ride on his own horse, which he rode four times around the track. The rider weighed about 160 fib.; he carried a canteen filled with water, and a small pouch containing a few sandwiches, which he calculated to eat during his journey. When the signal was given, the hardy rider mo unled his horse, and, raising his hat above his head, gave rein and was off. The horse broke into the gallop so common to Californian horses, and continued it until it went round four times, when the rider changed it for a second. Some of the horses were ridden only once round the track, but nearly all of them were pushed around three times. During the first six hours Mr Mowry would dismount and mount without aid, but during the after part of the day ho was assisted by persons retained for the purpose. At the end of 200 miles a placard was displayed from the judge’s stand stating that that distance had been accomplished in eight hours two minutes 48 seconds —a shorter time than it had ever before been accomplished in. Those who had wagered their money against Mowry felt convinced that he could not hold out, for notwithstanding that he had accomplished 200 miles, and had yet nearly seven hours to spare, they argued that every hour he remained in the saddle was more fatiguing to him now than two hours at the beginning. They imagined that they could discover marks of fatigue, and were jubilant, but not enough so to be demonstrative. The rider was withdrawn to a convenient place and given a bath, which greatly refreshed him ; afterwards he mounted his horse and rode away as gaily as it' he was just begining. This enlivened his friends, who, however, never for a moment doubted his ability to accomplish the task. Finally, at eleven minutes before seven o’clock the ride w r as completed, the 300 miles had been ridden, and that, too, m fourteen hours and eleven minutes —a fraction more than twenty-one miles an hour.”