Webb accepted Arnst's challenge with the stake at £500 a side. The sum of £500 would be the amount of money earned over several years by a working man at the time. The match was held on the Whanganui River (New Zealand) on 15 December 1908 and Arnst won by eight or ten lengths.
The wager between Webb and Arnst was significant because it represented years of work for an average worker in the time period. The match took place on the Whanganui River (New Zealand) on December 15, 1908, with Arnst winning by a substantial margin.