The Life of a Great Sportsman 



time in public in a steeplechase at Huntingdon, which he won 

 on Vienna, a mare of his own, who must have been a goodish 

 animal, as he won the Fitzwilliam Hunt Cup at Peterborough, 

 and the Kimbolton Four-mile Handicap Steeplechase at Bed- 

 ford — which last was over a very stiff country — on her the 

 following year. (Note by M. E. R. : " Vienna was a brown 

 mare, perfect in her paces, sweet-tempered. I have often 

 ridden her/') 



After this successful beginning, the subject of our memoir, 

 greatly to his credit, made up his mind to devote attention 

 entirely for a time to reading, and that he carried out his plan 

 with the same energy and determination which were his leading 

 characteristics in everything he undertook, either then or in 

 after life, is clear, seeing that in the end he succeeded in passing 

 his " Little Go " with flying colours. After this he no doubt 

 thought himself fairly entitled to resume his favourite pursuit. 



Accordingly, in 1868, we find him once more making a start 

 — and a good one — by winning the Open Handicap Steeple- 

 chase at Lincoln on a mare belonging to himself named Proser- 

 pine, which victory he followed up by winning the Yarborough 

 Cup at the same meeting on The Pet, belonging to Mr. Nelson. 

 Whilst at Cambridge he won the Open Hunters Steeplechase 

 for Mr. Abington on Warden, and the Aylesbury Open Handi- 

 cap for Mr. Bentley on Novice. 



At Aylesbury the following year he won a match, which 

 created a good deal of interest at the time in undergraduate 

 circles, on Cora Pearl, belonging to the late Sir William Milner, 

 beating his friend Mr. "Charlie" Newton on The Fawn, the 

 property of Lord Rosebery, after a good race, by a neck. In 

 1869, riding Watteau, belonging to himself, the "Cat" won 

 the One Mile Hunt flat race at Redbourne, this being the 

 first race on the flat he ever took part in. 



96* 



