90 STORIES ABOUT HORSES.

which some of them have been very remarkable,
especially in trotting, which is the peculiar pace
of the roadster. Perhaps the most celebrated
trotter was a mare named Phenomena, which was
bred in Norfolk, by Sir Edward Astley. When
twelve years old, she was matched by her owner
to trot seventeen miles within one hour, which
she performed on the road between Cambridge
and Huntingdon, in fifty-three minutes, a feat un-
heard of in the annals of trotting. So surprising
did this seem that the fairness of the match
was doubted by many; and very large bets were
offered that she would not again do the same
distance in the same time. The challenge was
accepted, and, within a month after her former
amazing performance, she again trotted the seven-
teen miles, to the astonishment of the assembled
spectators, a few seconds under fifty-three mi-
nutes! Very heavy bets were depending on
this match.

“Prior to her last performance, she was
matched to trct nineteen miles within the hour,