George Washington

George Washington. The first President of the United States was an avid horseman and outdoorsman, as befit his era, and he at times was a participant in horse racing. The cherished tale of his Magnolia running against a horse owned by Thomas Jefferson was refuted by historians, but Magnolia was, in fact, a race horse owned by Gen. Washington. Alas, he was not a very successful one, although, being a politician as well as a horse trader, Washington wrote to Light Horse Harry Lee that the horse "is in high health, spirits, and flesh (and) can be delivered in high order." Washington was trading Magnolia to Lee for "5000 acres of Kentucke Land." . . Many of the emerging towns and cities along the East Coast had race courses, and Washington attended these with some frequency. His lament that he was "a consistent and persistent looser" at the Annapolis races of 1862 was often quoted. On occasion, Washington served as an official at race meetings, and his diary has references to enjoying the social aspect of racing as well, with such notes as "dined at the Coffee House with the (Maryland) Jockey Club."