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Krystal (Ngoc) Hoang at Jun 16, 2020 05:23 PM

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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 oi 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 addle, 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 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.

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