On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 10:55:49 -0700, Terry Morse <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:"There's no way a man can beat a horse, even over 100 yards," he
[Owens] explained.
Unless, of course, that man is on a bicycle. And the course is
longer than a mile.
The fastest land animal over 3 miles is a breed of dog called the
Saluki. Over a mile course, they have been measured to run at up to
33 mph.
Compare that to Dave Zabriskie's speed in last year's TdF prologue:
34 mph over 12 miles. No contest.
The finest cyclists have a mass scaled VO2 max of about 90, only
about 60% that of a thoroughbred horse. But since a running horse is
much less efficient than a cyclist on a TT bike, the horse wouldn't
stand a chance over a long enough course.
Dear Terry,
When Owens said "even over 100 yards," he meant even as short as 100
yards. As a sprinter, he obviously had no interest in bicycles.
You may want to check some details on fastest land animals.
If a Saluki does only 33 mph for a mile, the dog has little chance
against a race horse in a mile race, much less a 3 mile race.
Horses rarely race over any but the shorter standard distances, but a
century ago there was more variety. Churchill Downs has kept excellent
records since 1872.
The track record for 1 mile is 1:35.8, or 37.6 mph, almost 5 mph
faster than the dog for the same distance--and that's carrying a
rider.
The track record for 3 miles is 5:35, or 32.24 mph, almost the same as
claimed for the dog for three times as far, again with a rider.
http://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com/racing_information/todays_race_card/track_records.html
Pronghorns, a common sight near Pueblo, can reach 60 mph in a sprint
and will run for miles at over 30 mph, stopping only to crawl under
barb-wire fences. They're escaping from the cheetahs now extinct in
North America.
No other animal can catch an adult pronghorn in good health. People
have tried all sorts of exotic dogs over the last century, without
success.
Indeed, you need a good camera or a car just to get close enough to
see how silly the stocky little animals look, running like crazy with
their tongue dangling out one side of their mouth.
I clocked one last month at a steady 30 mph down a dirt road for a
quarter mile. It wasn't trying to outrun my car at all, not even hard
enough for its tongue to hang out in that odd fashion. It was just
trotting along, looking for a good spot to swerve and crawl under the
fence to join its two friends.
You may also want to look into ostrich speed. They're usually credited
with over 30 mph for long distances.
A Zabriskie over a course in excess of three miles stands a good
chance against a race horse--again, as long as the horse carries 120
pounds of rider and saddle.
Cheers,
Carl Fogel
