Did you know that the Denver Post once sponsored a horse race?
Back in 1908, a race was planned that would test even the strongest horse-and-rider teams. The Denver newspaper put up a $500 prize for the winner, did a major advertising campaign and even helped transport horses to the starting point in Evanston, Wyo.
The race was to run 523 miles from Evanston to Denver, following the modern routes of Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 85. This route covers challenging terrain and conditions from deserts to mountain passes and the unpredictable weather of the Front Range.
The race started with 25 horses: 13 thoroughbreds and 12 “western broncos.” One of the race's purposes was to determine which breed was the better endurance horse. The riders were required to stop every 50 miles to check in and water their horses.
The two favorites, Sam and Teddy, were the first horses into Cheyenne. By then, however, just five contenders were left -- and only one of those was a thoroughbred.
By the time the race reached Greeley, Sam and Teddy were the only horses remaining in the race. Both were starting to feel the wear of the nearly 500-mile trip. Because of some gamesmanship among the riders, Teddy was especially exhausted.
At the final checkpoint before Denver, both horses were declared unfit to continue and their riders were ordered to walk the horses for the rest of the race. The race was declared a draw despite a last-ditch effort by Sam’s rider, who dodged around the pace car and crossed the finish line first. Sam did win the prize for the horse in the best condition, and got to graze on the state Capitol lawn the next day.
Both Sam and Teddy were “western broncos,” so the question of which breed of horse was better for endurance was answered unequivocally.
While races of this distance are rare today, the spirit of this race lives on in "endurance horses," which race 50 to 100 miles in a competition.
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