Ballarat, the Grey/Roan Blueskin (Partly Obscured) and His Celebrating 150 Years of Trotting in Ballarat Owner, the American John Peck (Dressed in Black) the Course
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AUSTRALIA’s FirsT TROTTING CLUB Mr Kettle, and Mrs Mcnab by Mr Taylor. The horses trotted four times round First trotting winner in Ballarat, the grey/roan Blueskin (partly obscured) and his Celebrating 150 Years Of Trotting in Ballarat owner, the American John Peck (dressed in black) the course. On passing the grand stand the first time, Blueskin was fourteen lengths ahead, but on coming round the second time. Mrs Macnab had nearly Thomas Hiscock, an English blacksmith, was the man credited with The sheer drudgery of gold prospecting required an outlet – “all work collared Blueskin. On passing the grand stand the third time, Blueskin was finding the first traces of gold in the Ballarat (or Balla-arat) region in a and no play makes Jack a dull boy” – sparking many sporting and music twenty lengths ahead, and it was evident Mrs Mcnab had no chance, and on gully near the Buninyong (or Bonan Yowing) cemetery. alternatives to indulge in with the Queen’s Theatre, Adelphi Theatre and going round the course for the last time, Mrs Mncnab was distanced. The A fortnight later Gold was discovered at Poverty Point (later renamed Theatre Royal all popular venues. match, which was for six miles, occupied 23 minutes 11 seconds.” Golden Point) in 1851 by John Dunlop and James Regan who found a few Horse racing under the auspices of the Ballarat and Creswick Turf Club The performance of Blueskin caught the eye of John Murray Peck, one ounces while panning in the Canadian Creek. (changed to Ballarat Turf Club in 1858) commenced in Dowling Forest on 8th of the Yankee co-founders of Cobb and Co, and Peck purchased and took Those discoveries set in motion of chain of events that transformed a November 1854 and the following year Cobb and Co, the legendary transport Blueskin to Melbourne to compete in, and win at, the 1860 American Trotting tranquil region into an outlandish thriving metropolis in just one decade – in specialists established in Australia by four young American bucks, known Races at Melbourne (Flemington) racecourse, the first ever trotting meeting 1852 there was a sea of humanity searching for gold, so many in fact that as “the boys” (Cobb, Peck, Swanton, Lambert), set up a booking office at held in the metropolitan area in Australia’s history. Ballarat was proclaimed a town that year, a municipality in 1855, a borough Bath’s Hotel. In 1857 Walter Craig bought Bath’s Hotel and although he wanted it to be by 1863 and a city on 9th September 1870. The arrival of Cobb and Co. coupled with the dramatic upgrading of major known as the Ballarat Hotel people kept referring to it as Bath’s Hotel before if In 1853 a Cornishman named Thomas Bath was granted the first publican’s roads from Melbourne and Geelong provided a further population stimulus of eventually became known as Craig’s Royal Hotel, a name that it retains today. licence in Ballarat after he built the first public house in Ballarat, Bath’s Hotel, both humans and horses. Another trotting match over six miles under saddle took place in Ballarat with timber and iron hauled along appalling roads from Geelong. After gaining When the first electric telegraph from Melbourne to Ballarat was established on 21st May 1857 when R.B. Dent’s bg Tommy defeated Mr Herring’s grg the licence he duly added a second storey of stone and timber from nearby in 1856, businesses of all descriptions sprang up all over the newly laid out Daisy in 24 minutes and 23 seconds. became the favourite at once at about 5 to 3; though a few confident parties Mt Buninyong. Ballarat township knowing that they could instantly communicate their trade Further matches, both impromptu and as part of race programs continued invested money, at evens on the stranger, believing in the tried lasting qualities While the prospect of making one’s fortune in the goldfields had put Ballarat with the outside world. to be held in the ensuing years but it was another meeting at Dowling Forest of horse and man. Mr Warren, not professing to be much of an equestrian, on the world’s radar, events of 1854 did so again for far different reasons as In was in this year that the first recorded “trotting match” took place in on 14th April 1859 that the first official trotting race was conducted for 30 and being unused to long hours in the pigskin, went into active training, and the famous Eureka rebellion sent shockwaves through the community and Ballarat as part of the Ballarat and Creswick Race meeting on December 16, a sovereigns plus a sweepstake comprising 2 sovereigns per starter. felt both able and willing on the morning of the race. the government. contest between a trotter called Blueskin (owned by Mr Cohen) and another Just three trotters lined up – Mr English’s brga Tommy (12 stone), Mr Mr. Proctor, on the contrary, who is a thorough bushman, never troubled A census of Ballarat and the surrounding districts in 1854 revealed that trotter known as Mrs McNab (owned by Mr Hayne). Mount’s blkga Jonathan Wild (10 stone) and Mr. F Wilson’s rnga Little Clipper himself to make preparation for his own part of the work, and, if report be a fascinating international community of 16,684 persons – Victoria born The race was reported in the local press and picked up by the national (9 stone 7 lbs) – and the Ballarat Star reported that “As almost everyone correct, his gamesome gelding was equally uncared for.” (1,316), other Australian colonies (723), British colonies (incl. NZ) and publication “Bell’s Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer” thus – “the trotting expected Tommy, though last at the start, soon took up the lead and never Four o’clock in the morning was the time proposed for the start, but some East Indies (347), England (7,157), Wales (329), Scotland (2,790), Ireland match then took place between Mr Cohen’s b g Blueskin, and Mr Hayne’s b lost it, winning with much apparent ease.” delay took place in consequence of an uncertainty as to McDonald’s Inn being (2,310), France (107), Germany (360), other European countries (257), USA m Mrs Mcnab.for six miles. Mr Cohen backed his horse for £120 against Mr Later that year in December another trot, restricted to horses owned by exactly 46 miles from Ballaarat, and it was therefore agreed to go a mile above (342), other parts of America (9), China (340), other (297). Hayne’s mare, who backed Mrs Macnab for £100. Blueskin was ridden by Ballarat residents, found its way on the last day programme of the four day it for the scratch. At length, all preliminaries having been settled, the umpire Ballarat Turf Club carnival. The event was for 20 sovereigns, plus a sweepstake mounted, and the attendant crowd of horsemen and of Jehns having been of 2 sovereigns per starter, and was taken out in easy style by Mr Ettershank’s warned to keep behind (rather unnecessary as the pace soon proved), the Darkie who defeated five rivals. word was given to “go!” at exactly ten minutes to six. Cobb and Co. set up at Bath’s Hotel (now called Craig’s Royal Hotel) in 1855 The American Trotting Races at Flemington in 1860 created an immense Instantly the pair dashed off at a speed such as might have been expected amount of interest in trotting and residents from the Ballarat and Creswick for a ten miles match, but that seemed madness at the commencement of ten area were among the main players with Robert Orr winning the Saddle Trot times that distance. Whisker went ahead, being the freer at getting away, but with Mazeppa and Mr Manley’s Cranky Poll winning a heat of Hack Trot Mr Proctor crammed old Archy, and stuck close to the leader, in spite of all against Blueskin. attempts to outpace him, and to the surprise of those who thought so little of Another trotter that gained fame in Ballarat was Whisker who was owned him as a fast trotter. by trotting enthusiast Mr Warren and was successful at Dowling Forest on Mile after mile, and half-hour after half-hour were passed over, and 21st June 1860 in a one lap dash. still, though the road was a mere crab-holy track, the “steam” was kept up, until, wonderful to record, the 34th mile-stone was reached in a bare GREAT HUNDRED MILES TROTTING MATCH two hours! Whisker led through Fiery Creek, Archy being close, and also Many a challengehas eventuated from discussions in a pub about the respective into Burrumbeet, where a short spell was taken, and oatmeal and water abilities of people’s horses and one example arose out of a discussion between administered. Archy was first to get away, but Whisker was only a few a Mr Warren (owner of Whisker) and a Mr. Proctor (owner of Archy). The seconds after him, and passed him before reaching Blind Creek. On this upshot of their discussions was the famous “Great Hundred Miles Trotting part of the road, which is very bad, Mr Warren had the misfortune to find his Match”, the longest trotting race in Australian history. horse go lame behind, and Mr Proctor thereby obtained, such an advantage Mr Proctor having stated two or three remarkable feats of speed and that he not only left Blind Creek first, but reached Ballaarat seven minutes endurance on the part of Archy, and Whisker’s owner, knowing his pace, and in advance.