When Montana Outraced the East: The Reign of Western Thoroughbreds, 1886-1900 with Catherine Melin-Moser

Author Catharine Melin-Moser will give a presentation on her latest book, When Montana Outraced the East: The Reign of the Western Thoroughbreds 1886-1900 on Second Saturday, November 14 at 1pm at The History Museum & Research Center. Catharine Melin-Moser’s new release records the untold stories of Noah Armstrong, Samuel Larabie, and Marcus Daly, three former Montana frontiersmen who turned from speculation in valuable minerals to speculation in valuable Thoroughbred horses. Eastern and Southern traditionalists stood firm: the pioneering concept to breed exquisite horses in high-altitude valleys covered in native bunchgrass in “that nowhere of the West” was thought to be “the verist madness.” Indeed, the men had to surmount obstacles. More than one thousand miles separated Montana from eastern racetracks. Communications between East and West were spotty and posed complications. Transportation of valuable horses across the country by rail was expensive, risked injury to the animals, and was stressful. Blizzards stopped trains in their tracks for hours, even days. Equine nerves frayed. But in due time, Armstrong, Larabie, and Daly were fielding equine stars, and the nation’s eminent turfmen, newspapers, and sporting publications repeated the names of Montana’s swift Thoroughbreds that won the biggest prizes eastern racing offered. The horses shaped historical events, became sources for local lore and regional pride, and stamped a Montana imprint in American horse racing history. A book signing will follow the presentation.