309

Dispatch July 29"

FEATS OF HORSEMANSHIP.
What Dick Turpin and 'Squire Osbaldestone
Did in That
Line.

Foremost among English feats of horsemanship
we have one which for generations
has been represented in the circuiting, says
Chambers' Journal. Dick Turpin's famous
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. The highwayman, riding
for the very best reason in the world-the
safety of his neck-covered the distance
of over 200 miles in a little under twelve
hours. The 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 ten hours, which he accomplished
so successfully on Nov. 5, 1831, is one of the
most remarkable feats of endurance in 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
in 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 his stirrups
like a jockey, while he kept his mount at
full speed from start to finish of its four-
mile heat, having quite a "set-to" with his
pace-maker at the end of each. The
"Squire was a hardy man and in good training,
so suffered no bad effects from his exertions.