182 THE TROTTING-BORSE OF AMERICA. 



myself, however ; and, putting my foot under the iron, i 

 bent it back, so that it did not touch the horse. I got him 

 down to his work, and still continued to trail to the half- 

 mile pole. I was satisfied then, from the way Ripton was 

 going, that the race was safe ; and, pulling out, I challenged 

 .Americus to come along and trot for it. He was not quite 

 willing. As I came up to his head he broke ; and, passing 

 bim, I won the heat with ease, and so got the race. The 

 layers and losers of the great odds were sorely tried by 

 this result, which was a very good ending to the per- 

 formances of the little horse ia that year. Eipton then left 

 my charge, and was taken back to Philadelphia ; prior to 

 which, however, three matches had been made for him to 

 trot in the following spring. They were against Americus, 

 for $1,000 a side each, three mile heats, two-mile heats, and 

 mile -heats, three in five. 



But, before we take leave of Eipton's performances ia 

 1842, it will be interesting and useful to recapitulate them, 

 60 that their quality and amount may be taken in at a 

 glance and appreciated. He trotted then, in that year, as 

 follows : two-mile heats in harness, which he won in two 

 heats, beating Confidence and Lady Suffolk ; two-mile 

 heats in harness, which he won in three heats, beating 

 Lady Suffolk ; two-mile heats in harness, which he won in 

 two heats, beating Lady Suffolk and Washington ; two- 

 mile heats in harness, which he won in two heats, beating 

 Confidence; two-mile heats to -wagons of ISllbs., which 

 Confidence won in three heats ; three-mile heats in harness, 

 which Ripton won in two heats, beating Confidence and 

 Lady Suffolk ; two-mile heats to wagons, which Americus 

 won in two heats ; three-mile heats in harness, which Rip- 

 ton won La three heats, beating Americus. Here were six 

 races of two-mile heats, and two of three-mile heats. Four 

 of those at two-mile heats Ripton won, and both of those at 

 three-mile heats he won. The two he lost were to wagons. 

 H/i trotted fourteen two-mile heats and five three-mile heats 

 in that season, and of these he won thirteen. 



