254 Making the American Thoroughbred 



large and muscular and very promising; and in the sum- 

 mer of 1 86 1 I urged Uncle Berry to send her to the race 

 course (where I had Fannie McAIister, dam of Muggins, 

 and several other animals in training), that she might be 

 gentled and broken to ride. His reply was, " I have been 

 thinking of your kind offer I know she ought to be 

 broke, but, poor thing! she don't know anything; she 

 has never been anywhere, and has never even been 

 mounted. I am afraid she will tear herself all to pieces." 

 But he finally consented for my colored trainer, Jack 

 Richelieu, to take her to the track. On meeting Mrs. Wil- 

 liams a few days afterwards I inquired for Uncle Berry. 

 Her reply was, "He is well enough as to health, but he is 

 mighty lonesome since the filly went away." 



But of all the horses he ever owned Walk-in-the-water 

 was his especial favorite. In the language of Burns he 

 "lo'ed him like a vera brither." He was a large chestnut 

 gelding, foaled in 1813, by Sir Archy, dam by Gondolah, a 

 thoroughbred son of Mark Anthony; and these two were 

 the only pure crosses in his pedigree; yet he was distin- 

 guished on the turf until 15 years old, more especially in 

 races of 3 and 4-mile heats. 



I was present when Walk, at 19 years of age, ran his 

 last race, of 4-mile heats, over the Nashville Course, 

 against Polly Powell. 



Uncle Berry, several years before, had presented him 

 to Thomas Foxhall, with a positive agreement that he 

 would neither train nor run him again; having a two- 

 year-old in training Mr. Foxhall took up the old horse 

 merely to gallop in company with him, a few weeks before 

 the Nashville meeting. 



It became well known that the mare would start for 

 the 4-mile purse, and she was so great a favorite that no 

 one would enter against her. 



