Oct 14, 2017 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)

One of the most popular forms of entertainment to be found in early Greenwood was horseracing. A good horse was considered a great asset to the working man, but there were also owners who kept horses just for sport. In fact, Greenwood racing events attracted horses from all over the Boundary and Kootenays.

Horseracing was a regular event at Dominion Day and Labor Day festivals, and usually shared the schedule with sports, mining and logging contests. The earliest mention we find of horseracing is in the May 1, 1897 edition of the Boundary Creek Times._[1] A public meeting was held to make arrangements for a celebration in Greenwood, in honour of the Queen's Birthday:

"It was for this meeting to decide how best to celebrate the occasion. Personally he [Mr. Galloway, the chairman] had to confess a predilection for horse racing. On Sunday Mr. Shaw, C.E., had kindly taken the levels and looked over a plot of ground north of town, to see if it would be suitable for a race-track. He had reported adversely, and it was therefore necessary to look elsewhere for a course if horse-racing was to be a feature of the celebration.

Mr. Nelson thought horse-racing should certainly be an essential part of the programme. Mr. Gomstock suggested that a fair half-mile track could be made at a small expense along Silver street to the saw-mill.

Mr. Leamy moved that Messrs. Nelson, Comstock, Smith, Curry and Galloway form a committee to arrange a programme of sports which would include, besides horse-racing, Caledonian [Scottish] games. …

[Mr. Hallett] was opposed to the idea of horses-racing in Greenwood. Nature never intended Greenwood for a race-course and people would not run good horses on the course proposed; athletic sports and rock drilling contests would be much more to the point. Upon a vote being taken the amendment was lost."

Horseracing did indeed go forward that year, and not only the men took horses to the track. One celebration wrap-up in the Times_[2] described the ladies saddle racing event:

HORSE RACES

"At 10 a. m. the horse racing began. The first race was a half-mile dash, open to all comers. There were three entries: L. Stone's Midget, L. Brewster's Briney, and J. K. H 11's Pat. Midget, an Okanagon horse, won easily, Pat being second.

There were four entries in the saddle race: McClung's Star, Stack's Mack, Brewster's Briney, and King's Lady King. Briney won easily, Mack being second, and Star third.

Mrs. Winters and Mrs. McClung were the only contestants in the ladies' saddle race. Mrs. Winters rode Briney, while Mrs. McClung had charge of the snugly built bay which carried her to victory at Greenwood. Briney appeared to be the faster horse, but the winning post was reached before he got down to work, and consequently the race went to Mrs. McClung."

Boundary Creek Times — Jun 18, 1898

The following year's Dominion Day celebration also featured horseracing, but the programme met with some difficulty, as humorously described in the July 2nd, 1898 Times:_[3]

THE CELEBRATION

"Canada's national holiday was fittingly celebrated in Greenwood. Not only did the residents of the city turn out to enjoy the programme of sports provided but Midway, Grand Forks, Carson, Nelson and the surrounding district sent strong delegations to represent them.

All the events excepting the drilling contest were pulled off at the baseball grounds at the upper end of the city. At ten o'clock the horse racing began. It was anything but a satisfactory exhibition. It was aptly described by Mr. Ferguson, one of the judges. When questioned as to whether this was the Derby or the Oakes he promptly replied 'it's the hoax'.

The track was heavy and the entries were few. In; the pony race, Floyd Vaughn's Sherman won two heats out of three, Bobby Robinson's Buckskin being a close second. In the free for all there were only three entries. Dexter run by F. G. Lane of Grand Forks; Peacock, Fred McMann, and Rowdy, Thos. White. Peacock decided to jump the track and he was, caught in the woods, about a mile from the race course. Rowdy fought hard for first place but a soft place in the track was found and he retired to second place with a badly sprained fetlock. Dexter appeared to be an old hand at the business and carried away $50 of Greenwood's money - without providing the spectators with an equivalent in the shape of amusement.

The novelty race for a prize given by George Seymour of the Windsor hotel had more competitors than any other race of the day. Dirty Jim ridden by McClung won for his rider a case of whiskey against a field of seven. A. H. Harrison of the B. C. Mine and Gerald T. Hodgson then gave a $10 purse for a race among the horses who had entered in the novelty race. This made the best horse race of the day. The seven were fairly well matched but McClung on Dirty Jim again carried off the prize.

There were only two entries in the slow race. The prize a case of whisky was given by J. W. Nelson of the Pioneer hotel. E. J. Edwards entered on a long eared animal that the people generally call a mule. Floyd Vaughn entered a ringbone, spavined, bucking cayuse. Vaughn was placed on the mule and Edwards on the cayuse and then the fun began.

In 2 hours, 40 minutes, 37½ seconds, Edwards succeeded in bringing his mount to the winning post. Vaughn worked the mule for about 20 yards and neither spur nor lash would move him any farther. At last a man with a long whip came to Vaughn's assistance and succeeded in driving him across the line, 4 hours, 35 minutes, 26 seconds after the time of starting. Edwards got the whiskey.

A special race for a purse of $10 between F. McMann's Peacock and R. Robinson's Buckskin was won by Peacock.

In the ladies race Mrs. McClung won first place, Mrs. Winters second and Mrs. Shonquist third. The race was hotly contested."

Over the next decade, nearly every year, horseracing was found on the roster of at least one Greenwood community event. In July 1899, plans were announced for a two-day Carnival of Sports. Featured events included a wood chopping contest on the corner of Copper and Deadwood streets, lacrosse, baseball, tug-o-war, and horse racing on the Athletic grounds.

In 1900, the Boundary celebration committee went to work planning a big event:_[4]

"The horse racing committee were instructed to prepare a programme. They were allowed $400, and the entrance money. … The spots, drilling and horse racing committees meet this evening to arrange when and where the sports are to be held."

Horses were also involved in Hose Team races, that were a feature of many community events. Local fire brigades would put racing teams together and invite one another to compete at events from Rossland to Trail, Nelson, Grand Forks and Greenwood.

The Greenwood Weekly Times — Aug 16, 1901

In the Fall of 1901, Greenwood put on a grand Labor Day Celebration. Racing was to be held at the track, and the Times announced that "Several of the Grand Forks fliers are coming over for the horse races. The race track is being repaired and will be in good condition on Labor Day."

The event got full coverage in the Greenwood Weekly Times, September 6th edition_[5], which gives us a sense of the classes of racing run that day:

"The competitors in the drilling were all practical miners; there were no professionals. They drilled for all that was in them, won their prizes and the same may be said regarding the horse racing. There was no jockeying or vexatious delays that are usually found when professional turf men get on the track. Local men rode their own horses and rode them honestly, furnishing plenty of entertainment for spectators. [ ]

Owing to the drilling taking place at the same time, the crowd at the race track to witness the horse races was not so large as it otherwise would have been but those who were there had a good time. The horses were all local and there was no jockeying.

The races were close and sometimes exciting. There were some surprises. D. C. McRae's saddle horse exhibited great speed and easily won the race for owners up. The free for all was won by H. Stoecke, while Mrs. Stoecke won the race for lady riders. J. J. Flood won first place in the pony race, Fungus being second. McRae's horse also won first place in the 600 yard dash. The second place in the free for all was won by C. Bubaranti. C. Cawston won second place in the saddle horse race. Judges: Thos. McAuley, D. Bannerman and A. Ferguson. Starter: J. Sutherland."

In 1902, it was at the Victoria Day celebration that Greenwood's itch for horseracing got scratched. The Times gave a preview:_[6]

The Gala Day — Victoria Day celebrations, 2,000 people expected

"The horse racing will take place at nine o'clock in the morning on the race track. Some outside horses are coming and several local horses will be entered."

"A race that will test wind and muscle is the one to the top of Jubilee mountain. The grade is about 45 per cent and the distance about a mile. It is needless to say that this is not intended for a fat man's race." [This race was perhaps for runners, not horses…]

"The Council also decided on the advice of the City solicitor that since there is a by-law prohibiting fast riding on the streets of the City, that it could not grant permission for the celebration committee to have horse racing on Copper street without becoming liable for any accidents which might occur. It was pointed out that the committee to keep within the law would have to give an undertaking that none of the horses would run faster than eight miles an hour, the limit stated in the by-law."

Ensuring that horses stayed under the City's equine speed limit would have meant keeping them all at a slow trot.

Regular mention was found in local papers of horseracing not only in Greenwood, but at Phoenix and Grand Forks, and there were often teasers about upcoming racing events: "There will be some good horse racing during the holidays, judging from some preliminary canters we have observed."

By 1908, horse racing and other competing events in the Boundary had to attract attendees by broadcasting ever more glowing festival announcements: "Greenwood's Monster Celebration on Dominion Day will be bigger, brighter, better than ever."

A June 19th event announcement for the Dominion Day celebration:_[7]

"The horse racing committee have put the track into good shape, and the program of the sports given below, will show what is being offered in the way of sports. That it is better than ever before, is only the truth."

That afternoon's Horse Racing programme offered purses of $50 and $25 for 1st and 2nd winners of the Half-mile trot, going off in 3 to 5 heats. Winners of the Cowboy race netted $20 and $10 purses for 1st and 2nd place.

Horse racing was also featured at the Empire Day Celebration in Grand Forks that year, with a number of local horses entering in the Cowboy Races, Harness and Saddle, and Bronco Busting events.

We close with a commentary from the May 6th, 1910 Times,_[8] which reminds Greenwood residents to put worry aside, and gear up for another pleasant day of horseracing and other happy events:

"What is there to prevent our having a gala day on the 24th of May? A program of sports, football, lacrosse, baseball, cricket, horse racing and lots of other interesting events would make a pleasantly spent afternoon for our citizens, and a change-off from worrying over our present disagreeable outlook. Make it, as far as we possibly can, free of expense to our citizens. Make a break in the monotony of our life here. Let our live men take the matter up and push it to a successful issue."

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Boundary Creek Times — May 01, 1897, p. 4
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170493

[2] Boundary Creek Times — Jul 03, 1897, p. 6
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170398

[3] Boundary Creek Times — Jul 02, 1898, p. 10
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170395

[4] Greenwood Weekly Times — Jun 16, 1900, p. 2
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172774

[5] Greenwood Weekly Times — Sep 06, 1901, pp. 1 & 2
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172939

[6] Boundary Creek Times — May 16, 1902, pp. 1 & 4
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0171113

[7] Boundary Creek Times — Jun 19, 1908, p. 1
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0171203

[8] Boundary Creek Times — May 06, 1910, p. 2
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0171199

Other references from the Times: Jul 01, 1899; Aug 30, 1901; Jul 03, 1903; Sep 08, 1905; Jun 12, 1908; May 21, 1909