232 Making the American Thoroughbred 



again removed to Georgia, where he died, leaving Green 

 Berry a boy. 



The eldest son, Noah, was afterward sheriff of Burk 

 County, Georgia. 



The father, elder brothers and cousins of G. B. Williams 

 were devoted to horses and owned and raced some of the 

 swiftest quarter nags of that day, when quarter racing 

 was the fashionable sport among the first gentlemen of 

 the South. 



It was at this time, when a small boy, that Berry Wil- 

 liams commenced his career as a quarter-race rider, and 

 soon became celebrated as one of the best riders in the 

 country. He rode many distinguished quarter horses: 

 amongst others, Ready Money, a son of the famous Twigg 

 (Goode's), a son of imp Janus. Ready Money never lost 

 a race. On one occasion he made a dead heat, or drawn 

 race, with the celebrated Georgia Bellair. He also rode 

 the distinguished quarter-horse, Hunter's String. Quarter- 

 racing at this period was patronized by the first gentlemen 

 of Virginia and throughout the South. We find well 

 authenticated accounts of the pedigree and performances 

 of the above mentioned horse, Goode's Twigg, attested 

 by many of the most distinguished turfmen of the Old 

 Dominion, who state that Twigg was a beautiful bright 

 bay horse, heavily made, with a large blaze in his face, 

 and two white hind feet; 14 hands i inch high, very com- 

 pact, highly formed, and possessed of great muscular 

 power, symmetry, action and strength. He was a quarter- 

 of-a-mile race horse of the very first class. 



His speed was unknown to all his competitors and 

 when equally weighted he was universally successful. He 

 won immense sums of money and vast quantities of 

 tobacco. The only horses that attempted to contend 

 with him in his prime of life were Polly Williams and 



