7 6 



The Driving Clubs of Greater Boston 



Arnold. H. Parker Hobart. J. W. Ford; 

 house committee, John J. Hanley and F. A. 

 Oliver. All were leading business men and 

 residents of the several towns before men- 

 tioned on the South Shore. 



After the election of officers and the ap- 

 pointing of committees for the ensuing year, 

 it was voted that the weekly meetings of the 



Phot I by Chickerin? 



COL. A. C. DRINKWATER 

 President 1908 



club, which had been duly christened the Old 

 Colony Driving Club, be held during the Win- 

 ter in different halls, on account of the mem- 

 bers being so widely scattered, some living as 

 much as twelve to fifteen miles away. In 

 holding these meetings at the hall in each 

 town in the club's territory, there was sure 

 to be a representative gathering from the 

 place where the meeting was held, and, at the 

 same time, all the members would eventually 

 have a meeting of the horsemen in their own 

 vicinity. 



In the Summer months it was decided that 

 there would not be so many members to at- 

 tend the meetings. Therefore, the essential 

 matter before the club would be in having 

 the race committee assemble weekly to match 

 the horses in the races to be decided on Sat- 

 urdays. Mr. Thayer kindly offered the use of 

 his stable office for this purpose, and, it being 

 central for the race committee, they accepted 

 the use of it. 



It was also voted to lease from the Y\ ey- 

 mouth Agricultural and Industrial Society the 



half-mile track and entire plant at South 

 Weymouth, for the use of the Old Colony 

 Driving Club. 



Just as soon as the weather softened, at the 

 end of Winter, work was begun on the plant 

 in improving the stable, grandstand and the 

 race track, so that at the opening, held on 

 April 20, the 19th falling on Sunday, the 

 plant had been so thoroughly renovated that 

 an agreeable surprise awaited those present. 



While a number of the members of the new 

 club were also affiliated with the Dorchester 

 Gentlemen's Driving Club, yet it was, in 

 their opinion, a wise move to prohibit the use 

 of hopples in the matinees at the South Wey- 

 mouth track. 



The result of this action was immediately 

 demonstrated in the number of trotters that 

 started in the races in proportion to the pa- 

 cers, the former outnumbering the side-wheel- 

 ers at least three to two. When a lot of the 

 men owning horses along the South Shore 

 found that the racing was to be with horses 

 not wearing the straps, they immediately 

 joined the organization, bought a fast trotter 

 or a free-legged pacer, and started in to have 

 si >me fun. So it was that the Old Colony 

 Club rapidly grew into distinction, even more 

 so than its promoters dared to dream. 



There were eight events scheduled for the 

 first day's racing of the new club, and while 

 the afternoon was cold and rainy, yet all that 

 had entered put in an appearance, while the 

 grandstand was well filled with horse-loving 

 residents of that vicinity. 



In the first event of the afternoon, one of 

 the starters was the trotting gelding, Altro L., 

 owned and driven by Harry C. Thayer. While 

 he lost the race, yet he took the first heat in 

 1 :io 1-2. which placed a record for other trot- 

 ters over the track to shoot at. It is a pe- 

 culiar instance that of all the horses that raced 

 that season for the club, Altro L. was, in the 

 Fall of 1914, the only one left in the matinee 

 events of the club. The summary of the first 

 matinee follows : 



So. Weymouth, April 20. 1008 — Class A, trot. 



Willie John (Ford) 2 1 1 



Altro L. (Thayer) I 2 2 



Hulman (Littletield) 3 3 dr 



Time— 1 no 1-2, 1 :ii, 1 :II. 



Class B, trot. 



India Panis (French) 2 1 1 



Willie J. (Cushman) « 2 2 



Time— 1 :i3, 1 :I0 1-2, 1 :I3- 



Class C, trot. 



Lassie (Hannaford) 3 1 1 



King Bruce (Wilder) I 2 2 



Eagle Bell (Ford) 2 3 3 



Time— 1 :i/, 1 :>3 1-2, 1 :i3- 



