The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

 

ROMAN WILD HORSES TAMED BY COWBOYS!

Handled in Five Minutes as Easily as Bronchos.

[COPYRIGHT, 1890.]

WOULDN'T TAKE A "DARE."

HOW "BUFFALO BILL'S" COWBOYS CONQUERED THE ROMAN WILD HORSES.

[BY THE COMMERCIAL CABLE TO THE HERALD.]

The HERALD's European edition publishes to-day the following, dated ROME, March 4, 1890.—All Rome was excited to-day over a trial of "Buffalo Bill's" cowboys on wild horses furnished by the Duke of Sermoneta. For several days the Roman authorities have been superintending the erection of extra barriers to keep the savage steeds from reaching the audience.

The animals came from the Duke's famous herd on the Pontine Marshes, and he declared that no cowboy on earth could ride one. The cowboys laughed at the boast. Then the Duke dared them to mount any one of the six. Every man, woman and child expected that two or three men would be killed in the experiment.

CURIOSITY AND ENTHUSIASM.

Over two thousand carriages were driven to the Prati di Castello, and an audience of twenty thousand people braved the dripping rain. Lord Dufferin and many other diplomatists were present in the special tribune, and among the Romans were the wife of Premier Crispi, the Duc de Torlonia, Mme. Depretis, Princess Collona, Countess Antonelli, Baroness de Reugis, Princess Brancaccia, Count Giannotti and the scions of all the noble houses.

CONQUERED IN FIVE MINUTES.

Two of the wild horses were driven into the arena. They had neither saddle nor bridle. "Buffalo Bill" announced that they would be conquered.

In five minutes the cowboys had lassoed, saddled, bridled and mounted the horses. The animals leaped in the air, writhed, bucked and reared madly; all in vain. In five minutes they were ridden easily around, while the vast crowd, unmindful of the rain, roared and shrieked with delight. "Buffalo Bill" now dares any Roman to ride his bucking bronchos.

Banner image: Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming, U.S.A.; Original Buffalo Bill Museum Collection, P.69.118