THE TROTTING-IIORSE OF AMERICA. 141 



the city, the crowds grew greater ; there was more noise 

 and cheering, and more furious jangling of the sleigh-bells 

 as the gentlemen drove their horses about, up and down the 

 sides of the road. The more the noise and confusion, the 

 greater the speed of Ajax. He got upon his mettle ; and 

 towards the last of it, we went so fast, that the people 

 could recognize neither him nor me, and remained in doubt 

 what it was that had gone by like a flash, through the 

 crowd, and won it. There was not a horse in America 

 capable of beating Ajax from Bradshaw's to the pavement 

 on that day. That was sleighing ! 



In the following year, Ajax, being then eleven years old, 

 was matched against Brown Rattler of Baltimore, three- 

 mile heats, under saddle, on the Beacon Course, New 

 Jersey. I rode Ajax ; James Whelply rode Brown Rattler. 

 The day was rainy, and the course very heavy. Ajax car- 

 ried fifteen pounds over weight ; for, with the saddle, I was 

 a hundred and sixty pounds. We distanced the Baltimore 

 horse the first heat ; the time of the miles being 2.44, 2.42, 

 2.37, total three miles, 8.03. Ajax was a wonderful little 

 horse to carry weight and stay. Indeed, he was only little 

 in height, being a big horse on short legs. Ajax went 

 another race with a horse that was afterwards taken to 

 England, besides the one with the pacer Oneida Chief. It 

 was Sir William, a chestnut gelding, fifteen hands and an 

 inch high, and with one white foot behind. He was a fine- 

 looking horse, and a great strider. Whether they put him 

 to good use in England, I have never learned. The race 

 between him and Ajax was three-mile heats, under saddle, 

 on the Beacon Course. Sir William was handled by George 

 Spicer, and ridden by John Spicer. Ajax got one heat, 

 but lost the other two and the race. 



