Montana Horse Racing

A History

Brenda Wahler

• Publisher: The History Press
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN:
  9781439668733
• Edition: 0

For centuries, on prairie grasslands, dusty streets and racing ovals, everyday Montanans participated in the sport of kings. More than a century after horses arrived in the region, Lewis and Clark's Nez Perce guides staged horse races at Traveler's Rest in 1806. In response to hazardous street races, the Montana legislature granted communities authority to ban "immoderate riding or driving." Helena led the way to respectable racing, with Madam Coady's fashion course hosting the first territorial fair in 1868. Soon, leading citizens like Marcus Daly built oval tracks and glitzy grandstands. By 1890, a horse named Bob Wade set a world record for a quarter mile in Butte, a mark that stood until 1958. Horsewoman and historian Brenda Wahler highlights the Big Sky's patrons of the turf and courageous equine champions, including Kentucky Derby winner Spokane.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Notes to the Reader
• Introduction: Montana’s Horse Racing History
• 1. In the Beginning
• 2. Fort Union to Fort Benton
• 3. Virginia City: Fast Horses and Vigilantes
• 4. Deer Lodge: From Racetrack to Ranching
• 5. Montana’s Derby Horse: Spokane
• 6. Historic Helena: When the Queen City Reigned
• 7. Butte and Anaconda: The Highest Highs and the Lowest Lows
• 8. Daly’s Domain: Hamilton and the Bitter Root Stock Farm
• 9. Galloping in the Gallatin: Bozeman and the Beaumont
• 10. The Phoenix: Determined Missoula
• 11. Billings: Running under the Rims
• 12. The “Bushy-Bush”: Rural Montana Racing
• 13. Montana’s “Lady Jocks”
• 14. Miles City: Wild Horses Dragged Them In
• 15. Great Falls: Racing in the Electric City
• 16. Native Future
• Afterword: The Horse and Its Future
• Glossary
• Notes
• Selected Bibliography
• About the Author