Woodcocks Endurance Run: Rode 2,900 Miles in Twenty-Nine Days on Fourteen Horses, Daily Racing Form, 1920-11-20

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WOODCOCKS ENDURANCE RUN Rode 2,900 Miles in Twenty-Nine Days on Fourteen Horses. In these days of endurance test races and the discussion of the rules to govern them in future, it may be well to print the story of an endurance race run in England In which a 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 Holborn Bars, London, in 1764, the following description of the match is given. "The match was made in 1761, between Mr. Shafto and Mr. Meyney for 0,000; Mr. Shafto to get a person to ride 100 miles a day on any one horse for twenty-nine days together; to have any number of horses not exceeding twenty-nine." .Mr. Woodcock started on Mar 4, 1701, at 1 oclock in the morning and finished on the first of June, at about 6 oclock in the eveniug. The horses he rode were as follows: Horse. Days. 1 Mr. Shaftos bay horse 1 2 Lord Chedworths chestnut mare 3 3 Captain Wynnyards chestnut horse 2 4 Mr. Thistlewaites gray horse 3 5 Mr. Wildmans black mare 3 0 Mr. Woodcocks Iniy mare 2 7 Mr. Scotts bay mare 2 8 Lord Montf orts bay horse 2 9 Mr. Surrecolts chestnut horse : . . 1 10 Mr. Shaftos roan horse, 2 11 Mr. Calcraf ts chestnut liorse 1 12 Mr. Rudds chestnut mare 1 13 Mr. Welches bay horse 3 14 Mr. Majors bay mare 3 Total 29 "Mr. Majors mare did not begin one day till 10 oclock. Mr. Woodcock 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 part of the day, which he did, und finished it about 11 oclock at night, which was the latest hour during the whole performance. He rode 160 miles that day. The course he took was from Hare Park to the Ditch, which made three miles; thence went a three mile course, around the flat on that side of the Ditch next to Newmarket. There were posts and lamps fixed around his course, lie choosing to ride early to avoid the heat of the day."


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1920112001/drf1920112001_3_6
Local Identifier: drf1920112001_3_6
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800