Ripley's Believe It or Not by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for August 25, 2021

I try to alternate between true stories and the ones where you have to suspend your disbelief. However, some may have trouble suspending their disbelief over this true tale:

Several years ago, The University of MO, in Columbia, put a lot of effort into refurbishing the old brick buildings on the Red Campus which surrounds the quad. One of the buildings had been restored and in the entryway the University had attached to the wall a bronze plaque with a bit of the building’s history and the names of the Board members who were serving when the construction was completed.

Activists complained that the sight impaired had been ignored when the plaque was placed, so the University had a copy made with all the information translated into Braille and attached it to the opposite wall of the entry.

Later activists complained that “People are touching the new plaque and it is getting ‘dirty’.” So the University, repository of the world’s wisdom, placed a clear Lucite sheet over the Braille plaque.

But Big Jake was allowed to run as fast as he pleased in Indiana. No one dared stop him.

Those stories about horses make me think of the old Rolling Stones song “Wild Horses.” RIP, Charlie Watts.

Interestingly, While “Big Jake” was approximately 3-1/2 hands (14 inches) taller than the average Belgian Draft horse, he weighed almost three times the average.

“Big Jake” used to tour around to various state fairs across the USA, I saw him a couple of years ago here in Texas

You can see the house on Patience Island on Google Maps, but it doesn’t list the address.

Big Jake weighing 6,500 pounds seems a typo for me, other sources say it weighed 2,500 pounds. https://freerangeamerican.us/big-jake-tallest-horse

Patience is a neat little island that we once visited while sailing. A real summer cottage and not a mega mansion like those surrounding Newport.

That horse was a horse was a horse of course.

Take care, may world famous stutter champion Ty Yord be with you, and gesundheit.

My dad and I saw one of Big Jake’s predecessors: A horse named Goliath. Google says Goliath was smaller than Big Jake. But, at the time we saw him, he was billed as the world’s tallest horse.

Horses are measured from the ground to the top of their withers (shoulder blade at the bottom of the mane basically) for those who are wondering.

Big Jake is probably 6’ 10" tall at the withers which is some where around 20 hands I think! I’m too lazy to look the conversion table up! Any way, I’m sure someone will and will correct me! ;o}

Do the folks at 0 Patience Way own a horse?

You’d need a step stool to mount and dismount that 464.29-stone, 2.08-meter horse.

Imagine owning that house, and telling everyone “I have 0 Patience” every day

Any more lots for sale on Patience Island?

i grew up in RI….but have little patience

Was Big Jake in any races?

If a horse in Indiana is doing 15 mph on a street with a 35 mph speed limit, does it get a ticket for going too fast and too slow?

All the articles I found on the Internet says Big Jake was 6-foot-10 and weighed 2,500 pounds, not 6,500lbs. Still impressive!

Are the horses in Indiana equipped with speedometers?

How do you know how fast the horse is going…by counting the hoof beats?