From Western Post & Mudgee Newspaper 9 October 1861: FREEMAN of Bathurst has challenged to run BEAN of Hartley, SINGLE of Penrith, WILLIAMS of Windsor, or any other man in the colony, from 150 to 500 yards for one hundred pounds per side. The match to be made at the Crooked Billet, Durham-street, Bathurst. We have been requested to caution the party who, the other night wantonly destroyed the flowers in Mrs. BURTON's verandah, and took away the rails placed to prevent horses and cattle going down the yard of her cottage in Market-street; such senseless and uncalled for mischief deserves punishment. A WAGER Mr. Thomas NEW, who was last week at Mundooran upon business, and happening to say that he intended to reach Mudgee on the evening of the day he left Mundooran, a party challenged him to stake £50 upon the accomplishment of the journey within the prescribed time. Mr. NEW accepted the bet, and started from Mundooran about ten o'clock in the morning, and reached Mudgee the same evening; his horse, which exhibited no appearance of fatigue, having accomplished the journey, a distance of seventy-three miles, in eight hours and five minutes. The horse, which is the property of Mr. DARE, was in anything but good condition, having before leaving Mudgee for Mundooran arrived two days previously from Maitland. ***END*** N.B. All care has been taken to transcribe the above accurately, however errors may have been inadvertently made. Spelling of names/places should be as appears in original. Transcribed from microfilm available from the State Library. Annette Piper Coolah NSW

Hi Annette, Very interesting those wagers! The value of the horse probably increased as a result. And how long would it take these days, driving, to get from Mendooren to Mudgee? Di Crystal Perth Western Australia -----Original Message----- From: Annette Piper [mailto:annette.piper@bigpond.com] Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2003 7:02 AM To: AUS-NSW-PILLIGA-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Western Post 9 Oct 1861 - Freeman, Bean, Single, Williams, Burton, New, Dare A WAGER Mr. Thomas NEW, who was last week at Mundooran upon business, and happening to say that he intended to reach Mudgee on the evening of the day he left Mundooran, a party challenged him to stake £50 upon the accomplishment of the journey within the prescribed time. Mr. NEW accepted the bet, and started from Mundooran about ten o'clock in the morning, and reached Mudgee the same evening; his horse, which exhibited no appearance of fatigue, having accomplished the journey, a distance of seventy-three miles, in eight hours and five minutes. The horse, which is the property of Mr. DARE, was in anything but good condition, having before leaving Mudgee for Mundooran arrived two days previously from Maitland.