878 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



CHAPTER Vll. 



A MATCH BETWEEN THE TARTAR AND CALMUCK HORSES, AND THE 

 ENGLISH RACER— OBSERVATIONS ON THE TURF, ETC., 



THE TARTAR AND CALMUCK HORSES. 



These Horses, or those of a similar breed 

 and habits, were beaten by the English 

 blood-horses (not first-rate), in a race which 

 fairly put to the test their speed as well as 

 their stoutness. 



On the 4th of August, 1825, a race of the 

 cruel distance of more than forty-seven miles 

 was run between two Cossacks and two 

 thorougii-bred English Horses — Sharper and 

 Mina. 



The most celebrated Cossack Horses from 

 the Don, the Black Sea, and the Ural, were 

 sent ; and, after numerous trials, the best 

 were selected. 



On starting, the Cossacks took the lead at 

 a moderate pace, the English Horses follow- 

 ing at the distance of three or four lengths, but 

 before they had gone half a mile, the stirrup- 

 leather of Sharper broke, and he ran away 

 with his rider, followed by Mina, and they 

 went more than a mile, and up a steep hill, 

 before they could be held in. 



Half the distance was run in an hour and 

 four minutes. Both the English Horses were 

 then fresh, and one of the Cossacks. On their 

 return, Mina fell lame, and was taken away. 



The Cossack Horse, likewise, began to flag, 

 when the accompanying Russians began to 

 drag him on by the bridle, throwing away the 

 saddle, and putting a mere child on his back. 

 Sharper, likewise, evidently shewed the effects 

 of the pace at which he had gone when 

 running away, and was much distressed. The 

 Cossacks then had recourse to foul play, and 

 actually carried on their Horse ; some dragging 

 him on by a rope, and the bridle at his head ; 

 and others pulling him on by the tail, and 

 riding alongside of his quarters to support him, 

 and relieving each other at this fatiguiag 

 work. Sharper did the whole distance in two 

 hours and forty-eight minutes, and the Cossack 

 Horse was warped in eight minutes after him. 

 At starting^, the Eno^lish Horses carried full 

 three stone more than the Cossacks ; and 

 during the latter half of the race, a mere child 

 had ridden the Cossack. 



THE WELLESLEY ARABIAN. 



This Horse, in figure, bearing considerable 

 resemblance to the larger war-Horse of 

 Europe, although possessing the delicate skin 

 and various other attributes of the south- 

 eastern courser, it may be conjectured, was 

 the produce of some country bordering upon 



