CHAPTER IX 



VISITORS AT LIMBER 



One of my brother's favourite racing maxims was: "Put yourself 

 in the best company and your horses in the worst." And certainly, 

 to judge from the friends he invited to stay at our home at 

 Limber — especially Lord Minto, who was as Jonathan to his 

 David — he carried out to the full the first part of this trite 

 saying. It can be gathered, too, from the number of his 

 " wins," totalling up in one year to fifty-six, the particulars of 

 which appear later on in this book, that he carried out the 

 second part of this maxim in a highly satisfactory manner. 



One of the most celebrated of our visitors was the late 

 Captain Machell, at that period the doyen of the racing 

 world, who came several times to stay with us at Limber. 

 An old steeplechase rider of great ability himself when 

 quartered with his regiment in Ireland, there was probably no 

 better judge of the sport, and everything in connection with it, 

 than the Captain. He certainly showed his good judgment 

 when, having marked my brother down, while at Cambridge, as 

 an amateur of unusual promise, he took care not to lose sight 

 of him when he left, that abode of learning. For it was the 

 Captain's motto through life never to miss a chance ; and he 

 had no doubt felt certain that in my brother he had discovered 

 not only a rider who would carry his colours to the front when- 

 ever possible, but also one whom he could mould to his will in 



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