Running Horses
The most outstanding and spectacular performer among the running horses was Jewel, a sorrel mare owned by Moses Thatcher, Sr. She possessed a fine pair of legs but otherwise looked rather stocky and weighed about 1,300 pounds. She had an exceptionally fast get-away and was never beaten in a race. Her owners claim that had she been crowded she could have run the track one-half mile in forty-nine seconds. This is an exceptionally fast mark and there are few thoroughbred running horses today which can equal it. Pearl, the daughter of Jewel was also fast, but she never had the speed of her dam. She was also owned by Moses Thatcher, Sr. Jewel was imported from Oregon and sold to Moses Thatcher, Sr. for $500.00. Barney, a dark chestnut sorrel was also owned by Moses Thatcher, Sr. and was the first mile horse in the Valley.
Other good running horses at that time were Pig, owned by Fred Turner of Logan; Sleepy Tom, owned by the Kent boys; Welch Girl, owned by David Reese, of Benson; Old Joe, owned by David Reese and Aaron Farr; May Queen, owned by W. F. Fisher of Oxford; Brown Legs, owned by Ren Benson, Logan; Danish Girl, owned by J. J. Clark and Coley, owned by the Garr boys, of Millville. Coley was really the first fast running horse in the Valley and was well known for a number of years. The first official running race was conducted on a straight course in the east part of Millville, between Coley, owned by the Garr boys and a bay horse owned by Joe Bailey of Ogden. The Coley won the race.