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AN OLD ENDURANCE TEST RIDE How John Woodcock Rodo 2900 Miles in Twenty nine Days in England Reliability tests for motor cars and motor bi ¬ cycles had their counterpart in our forefathers time in endurance rides for men and horses One of the most remarkable was that in which a Mr John Woodcock rode 100 miles a day for twenty nine consecutive days In a rare old volume of Horse Racing compiled by Richard Heber and published by Samuel Chandler at Holhorn Bars London in 17C4 the following description of the match is given givenThe The match was made in 17 1 between Mr Shafto and Mr Meynel for 10000 Mr Shafto to get a person to ride 100 miles a day on any one horse for twentynine days together to have any number of horses not exceeding twentynine twentynineMr Mr Woodcock started on May 4 17B1 at 1 oclock in the morning and finished on the first of June at about 0 oclock in the evening The horses he rode were as follows followsHorses Horses Days 1 Mr Shaf tos bay horse 1 2 Lord Chedworths chestnut mare f 7 3 3 Captain AAynnyards chestnut horse 2 2I I 4 Mr Thistlewaites gray horse 3 I 5 Mr Wildmans black mare 3 3G G Mr Woodcocks bay mare 2 7 Mr Scotts bay mare 2 2S S Lord Montforts bay horse 2 Mr Surrecolts chestnut horse 1 10 Mr Shaf tos roan horse 2 11 Mr Calcraf ts chestnut horse I 12 Mr Rudds chestnut mare 1 13 Mr Welches bay horse 3 14 Mr Majors bay mare 3 3Totiil Totiil 29 29Mr Mr Majors mare did not begin one day till 1 oclock Mr AAoodcock beginning in the morning with a horse called Quidnunck which soon tired afterward he took Mr Majors mare to perform the 100 miles in the remaining port of the day which he did and finished it at about 11 oclock at night which was the latest hour during the whole performance He rode 100 miles that dny The course he took was from Hare Park to the Ditch which made three miles thence went a threemile course around the flat on that side of the Ditch next to Newmarket There were posts and lamps fixed around his course he choosing to ride very early to avoid the heat of the days
