142 The American Thoroughbred 



Course, was the immediate incident which 

 brought forth the challenge to Eclipse, and 

 which resulted in the first national affair which 

 the American turf had known. An offer was 

 made at the Jockey Club dinner the evening after 

 the defeat of Sir Charles — The North vs. The 

 South. 



Walter Livingston, Esq., a member of that 

 aristocratic family which had early settled in the 

 vicinity of New York, was the representative of 

 Eclipse on the occasion of the Sir Charles race. 

 But Mr. John C. Stevens, perhaps the most 

 splendid of the turfmen of that early day and a 

 kinsman of Walter Livingston, overflowing with 

 youth, ardor, and gallantry, immediately rose at 

 the table in answer to the suggestion from the 

 Southerners, and challenged the South to name 

 any horse at the post who could beat Eclipse, 

 four-mile heats, on Long Island, the following 

 spring, for $20,000 a side. The offer was literally 

 Eclipse against the world. 



General Wynne, Colonel William R. Johnson, 

 the Napoleon of the Southern turf, General 

 Ridgley, John Randolph of Roanoke, and other 

 celebrities took counsel of each other, accepted 

 the challenge, and in the following May they 



