Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 June 1883 — A Bull Vs. Racehorses. [ARTICLE]

A Bull Vs. Racehorses.

Some forty years ago the managers of -a race course near Brownsville, on the Monongahela, published a notice of a race, one-mile heats, on a particular day, for a purse of SIOO, “free for anything with four legs and hair on.” A man in the neighborhood, named Hays, had a bull that he was in the habit of riding to mill with his bag of corn, and he determined to enter him for the race. He said nothing about it to any one, but he rode him around the track a number of times on several moonlight nights, until the bull had the hang of the ground pretty well, and would keep the right course. He rode with, spurs, which the bull considered disagreeable, so much so that he always bellowed when they were applied to his sides. The morning of the race Hays came upon the ground upon horseback—on his bull. Instead of a saddle he had dried an ox-hide, the head part of which with the horns still on, he had placed on the bull’s rump. He carried a short tin horn in his hand. He rode to the judges’ stand and offered to enter the bull for the race; but the owners of the horses that were entered objected. Hays appealed to the terms of the notice, insisting that his bull had “four legs and hair on,” and that therefore he had a right to enter him. After a good deal of swearing, the judges declared themselves to be compelled to decide that the bull had the right to run, and was enteted accordingly. *- When the time for starting arrived the bull and the horses took their place*. The horse-racer§ were out of humor at being bothered with the bull, and at the burlesque which they supposed was intended, but thought that it would be over as soon as the horses started. When the signal was given they did start. Hays gave a blast with his horn, and sunk his spurs into the sides of the bull, who bounded on with a terrible bawl, at no trifling speed, the dried ox-liide flapping up and down and rattling at every jump, making a combination of noises that had never been heard on a race-course. The horses aU flew from the track, every one seeming to be seized with a sudden determination to take the shortest cut to get out of the Redstone country, and not one of them could be brought back in time to save their distance. The purse was given to Hays. A general row ensued; but the fun of the thing put the crowd all on the side of the bull. The horsemen contended that they were swindled out of their pur.-:e, and that if it had not been for Hays’ horn and ox-liide, which he ought not to have been permitted to bring upon the ground, the thing would not have turned out as it did. Upon this Hays told them that his bull could beat any of their horses anyhow, and if they would put up SIOO against the purse he would take off the ax-hide and leave his tin horn and run a fair race with tnem. His offer was accepted and the money staked. They again took their places at the starting-post, and the signal was given. Hays gave the bull another touch with his spur, and the bull gave a tremendous bellow. The horses remembered the dreadful sound, and thought all the rest, was coming as before. Away they went again, inwpite of all the exertions of their riders, while Hays galloped his bull around the track and won the money.