Washington was quite an athlete, noted for his strength and horsemanship.
Yep
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
And his slapshot.
The attached screen shot is from the White House and for former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and I am sure, for the current one, Mark Carney. Pusillanimous effeminate weaklings! USA! USA! USA!
Did Washington ride to the hounds at Mt. Vernon? The thought just struck me. While hockey was impossible in the 18th century, I could see him and the other Virginia Fathers at polo, had the sport been known to them.
Washington was an avid fox hunter. At the battle of Harlem Heights where the Continentals routed the British, he yelled to his men, “It’s a fine fox hunt lads!” in response to an earlier British taunting fox hunt bugle call during the engagement.
One anecdote about Washington’s strength. A guest at Mount Vernon wrote that he and other young men were having a contest to see who could pitch a heavy piece of metal the longest distance. Washington passed by and asked if he could join in. Washington picked up the metal and threw it a huge distance, the metal seeming to defy gravity according to the witness. Washington then smiled and said if anyone beat that throw to come get him and he would try again.
And like many a hockey player, Washington was without teeth. 🙂