374 THE HORSE 



March 5, Saturday. — Monkshood, led by some of the hunters, jumped 



two hurdles, and then galloped three and a half miles. 

 March 6, Sunday. — Trotted and walked. 

 March 7, Monday. — Tried Monkshood two and a half miles on the race- 



coiirse with Bransdale, Bob (a fast hunter who had run in Ireland) 



taking them along for the first half-mile. 

 Monkshood, 12 st. 3 lbs. 

 Bransdale, 11 st. 10 lbs. 

 Monkshood won by eight lengths. 

 March 8, Tuesday. — Walking exercise. 



March 9, Wednesday. — Schooled over the steeplechase course at Ayton. 

 March 10, Thursday. — Walking exercise. 

 March 11, Friday. — Monkshood and Outlaw galloped four miles on the 



race-course. 

 March 12, Saturday. — Snowed all day. 

 March 13, Sunday. — Deep snow. Galloped on the sands. 

 March 14, Monday. — Monkshood left for Derby. 

 March 15, Tuesday. — Monkshood won the Grand National Hunters' Race, 



4 miles, by ten lengths, 12 st. 10 lbs., ridden by Capt. E. E. Owen. 



This was far from being what would be considered an 

 orthodox preparation, but the details are set down to show 

 the actual working of a stable when having to contend 

 against weather in a very rigorous climate, besides the 

 disadvantages of having only a very limited staff of skilled 

 assistants and an extremely small stud of horses. I had had 

 to break up my stable three years before for the second 

 time, owing to prolonged malarial fever contracted on the 

 West Coast of Africa in the Ashanti War, 1873-74, but being 

 temporarily in better health, I was just recommencing to 

 train again. But circumstances arose shortly afterwards 

 which made me retire from active superintendence, and now 

 if I occasionally have an animal in training I entrust it to 

 the care of a professional trainer. This desultory way of 

 doing things does not prove of much success, and most of 

 the interest is gone when one can no longer train and ride 

 the animals in their races. 



It will be seen from the above diary that sometimes the 

 horses were schooled several days together, and one week 

 were galloped every day on the sands. The reason for this 

 was that we took the opportunity of sending the horses along 

 over jumps when there was some open weather, for the 

 snows oft lie long and deep on the bleak north-eastern coast, 



