LONDON TO YORK.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16423, 6 May 1924, Page 6

LONDON TO YORK.

NEW ZEALANDER'S RECORD RIDE

MR BELL AN OLI) GISBORNITI

Tlio cable news a month or two ago contained several references to the remarkable ride of a New Zealander, Mr Geo. N. Beil, from London to York and back, when the standing record for the distance was broken by 24 hours.

Mr Bell, who is a well-known milking shorthorn breeder of Palmerston North, returned to New Zealand' recently, and during the past week has been in the Gisborne district, having previously resided here. On the return trip from England, lie met several Gisbornites, and decided to re-visit Poverty Bay. He was held up in Rotorua by the railway strike, and decided to work back to his home via Gisborne, leaving here this morning for Palmerston North on horseback. Mr Bell’s ride from London to York and back was a notable achievement, the distance of 502 miles being covered in 83 hours, 13 minutes, which is a. longdistance record, and defeated the previous best time, established by Mr Tiwitt Drake on th c Arab stallion “The Shield' bv no less than 24 hours. Mr Bell was riding an English-bred horse, and considering that the whole journey was made over a tarred-macadam roadl the test was a very severe one for both horse and rider.

After spending some days in this district, Mr Bell purchased a locally-bred mare, which be is now riding through to Palmerston North. Although he considers the mare a particularly good one lip is not attempting to lower any more records, especially over local roads in their present condition.