"historical figures"

[Lucy C Trumbull <elsie@foothill.net>]

Speaking of historical figures in horse history, I think James
Marshall, discoverer (noticer?) of gold at Coloma - and thereby
setting off the CA gold rush, was an endurance rider.

I was reading a history of the area (we live ~5 miles from the
"gold discovery site"). James Marshall was a bit of a character
and many people remember him well.

There was one story in the book:

"A neighbour from Garden Valley was on his way to Placerville,
via Chilli Bar [v. steep grade]. Part way down the grade, he
found Marshall sitting beside a spring near the road....
Marshall said... "Young man, never ride your horse down hill ---
he will soon be stove' if you do. Walk down hill and ride uphill."

In the afternoon when... returning, he came across Marshall 
at the same place....[he] said to Marshall, "You are an older 
man than I am, you ride the horse up the hill and I will walk". 
The horse was young and headstrong and [he] couldn't keep up. 
He was getting rather hot and red in the face when he called 
to Marshall to hold the horse in. Marshall characteristically
had a solution for the problem "Grab the horse's tail and hang 
on. That will help you keep up...." "

Well, maybe not exactly an endurance rider, but it illustrates 
that the techniques we use today were well known of old. Interesting.

-- 
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Lucy Chaplin Trumbull - elsie@foothill.net
Repotted english person in Garden Valley (Sierra Foothills), CA 
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