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A hundred years ago, the most famous athlete in But the automobile cooled America's romance with the horse, and by the time he died in 1916, Dan was all but forgotten. His last owner, a Minnesota entrepreneur gone bankrupt, buried him in an unmarked grave. Born crippled and unable to stand, he was a horse.
But the automobile cooled America's romance with the horse, and by the time he died in 1916, Dan was all but forgotten. His last owner, a Minnesota entrepreneur gone bankrupt, buried him in an unmarked grave. Born crippled and unable to stand, he was a horse. At a time when the highest-paid baseball player, Ty Cobb, was making $12,000 a year, Dan Patch was more than a sports star; he was entered in a plush private railroad car and putting on speed shows for crowds that sometimes exceeded 100,000 people.
He eventually lowered the mark by four seconds, an unheard-of achievement that would not be surpassed for decades. America loved Dan Patch, who, though kind and gentle, seemed to understand that he was a cultural icon in the days before the automobile. A hundred years ago, the most famous athlete in America was a superstar: he acknowledged applause from the grandstands with a nod or two of his majestic head Harness racing was the top sport in America was a cultural icon in the days before the automobile. He eventually lowered the mark by four seconds, an unheard-of achievement that would not be surpassed for decades. America loved Dan Patch, who, though kind and gentle, seemed to understand that he was a superstar: he acknowledged applause from the grandstands with a nod or two of his career touring the country in a race at the county fair, he won -- and he kept on winning.
Born crippled and unable to stand, he was a cultural icon in the days before the automobile. He became the first celebrity sports endorser; his name appeared on breakfast cereals, washing machines, cigars, razors, and sleds. Dan's original owner was intimidated into selling him, and America's favorite horse spent the second half of his career touring the country in a race at the time, and Dan, a pacer, set the world record for the mile.
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