A History of Collin County, Texas Page: 36
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A History of Collin County, Texas
paring and serving the meals. Such meetings, however, were a relief from
the monotony of working alone at home. In addition there were less
strenuous activities, such as candy-pullings, spelling matches, and liter-
ary societies, enjoyed mostly by the young people. There were no
organized sports as in current times. Men hunted, fished, and went swim-
ming in creeks and earthen tanks; they attended cockfights, dog fights,
rat killings, and fistic encounters. Contests in riding wild horses and
steers were popular until after I900.
Chasing jack rabbits with greyhounds was also a favorite sport on
holidays and rainy days even as late as the I920o. Young couples on
horses followed the dogs over the open prairies. On December 27,
1916, groups from Prosper, Celina, Weston, and parts of Grayson
County, about 300 persons with 10o greyhounds, were in a big chase
and about 350 rabbits were caught. After the chase the ladies present
served a dinner.20
Horse racing was also popular. Bets were placed on different horses
and the animals had to be guarded before the race lest they meet with
foul play. A common practice among gamblers was to thread a needle
with a horsehair and pass this through a muscle or tendon of the horse
they did not wish to win, then to clip each end of this hair. This inter-
fered with the animal's running.21
Riding contests held in some communities were of special interest.
The riders who competed were called "Knights of Chivalry." Each
rode a good horse and wore a ribbon sash over his shoulder. He carried
a seven-foot spear, two inches in diameter at the large end and tapering
to a point at the other. Five poles were placed at equal distances along
a 3oo-yard track. An arm extended from each pole about ten feet from
the ground, and a ring, about two inches in diameter, hung loosely
from this arm. At a designated point, about fifty yards from the first
ring, the rider received the order: "Knight of Lebanan [or whatever
community he represented] ready, ride" At full speed he rode down
the track and tried to catch on his spear the rings from all five posts.
Each contestant made the run three times after which the judges an-
nounced the winner, who then had the privilege of selecting the
"Queen of the Tournament." The knight with the second highest num-
ber of rings was permitted to crown the lady of his choice as "Princess
20 MS., Brown Papers, pp. 43-46; McKinney Democrat Gazette, January 6, 1917.
1 MS., Brown Papers, p. 256.
36
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Stambaugh, J. Lee, b. 1889; Stambaugh, Lillian J., b. 1888 & Carroll, H. Bailey. A History of Collin County, Texas, book, 1958; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth61096/m1/48/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .