GENERAL GRANT GOES FOR A DRIVE
During his first Presidential campaign, Ulysses
Grant had become the frequent guest of wealthy barons of East-coast industry and enterprise; Robert
Bonner owned the prestigious and profitable New
York Ledger, one of the country’s first literary “news magazines.” Shortly after Dexter’s match races against Ethan Allen, Bonner purchased him for the stratospheric price of $35,000. This removed the gelding from official competition, in which Bonner never engaged, preferring instead to use his horses for personal pleasure. This did not, however, mean that Dexter’s racing days were over, for Bonner would match him against all comers.
Most of these private contests were held on Harlem Lane, in what was then rural New York. Large amounts of money changed hands in each race, but Bonner insisted that a $10,000 guarantee be deposited beforehand by the challenger, and afterwards be given by the unfortunate loser to charity. Bonner used Dexter this way for over a decade and never once lost a race.
A naturally gifted horseman, Grant was one of the finest riders this country has ever produced (see EQUUS 477, “Horses of the Civil War”). A country boy at heart, he loved a fast horse whether under saddle or in harness, and there are records of his twice being stopped by police in Washington, D.C., for driving at excessive speed. Thus, when Bonner invited Grant to go for a drive behind the world’s fastest trotter, the delighted general climbed aboard; and when Bonner asked him if he’d like to take the reins, Grant gleefully accepted. The most charming thing to me about this print is Bonner’s bemused expression, while Grant breaks the fourth wall, grinning at the viewer like a mischievous little boy. (Currier and Ives print, courtesy Library of Congress)