This performance was called "the race for the bottle." A number of young men, selected by the groom, were asked to take part in this race, which was to be run over as rough and dangerous a track as could be found.

The worse the road, the more ditches, bogs, trees, stumps, brush, in fact, the more obstacles of every kind, the better, as all these afforded opportunity for daring and expert horsemanship.

The English fox race, now famous on three continents, while it involves risk and is sometimes dangerous, cannot, in the sense of hazard to life and limb, be compared to this race for the bottle.
On this day the run was not less exciting than usual.

The horses were placed as nearly abreast as possible and the starter gave an Indian yell.

Then followed the cracking of whips, the furious pounding of heavy hoofs, the commands of the contestants, and the yells of the onlookers.