The Life of a Great Sportsman 



appeared amongst the field whose knowledge of horsemanship, 

 let alone race- riding, I should imagine must have been of a 

 very limited description. It was none other, indeed, than 

 Johnny Browne, the well-known prize-fighter, who had the 

 mount on Eagle, the story being that he had betted Captain 

 Alleyne a " monkey" that he would be in the fourth field from 

 home when the winner passed the post. Johnny, as might 

 have been expected, rode with plenty of pluck, if not with 

 much judgment, and kept with his horses all through the first 

 round until Becher's Brook was reached the second time, when 

 his horse, who was palpably unfit, coming to dire grief, gave 

 the venturesome pugilist such a "toss" as lost him his senses 

 for the time being, as well as his wager. 



To go still further back, it may be interesting to members 

 of the theatrical profession to hear that Mr. Newcombe, one 

 of the best-known provincial managers in the kingdom, and a 

 staunch follower of the different packs in the West of England, 

 where his home lay, who died quite recently, at a great age, 

 was the same Mr. Newcombe who rode his own horse, Cannon 

 Ball, in the initiative Grand National in 1839. 



Public School Successes. 



It would be odd indeed if the great public schools had not 

 been well represented on the classic plains of Aintree from 

 time to time, and accordingly Eton is responsible for Capt. 

 Townley (second, on The Huntsman, to Anatis in i860) ; 

 Capt. Coventry, who won on Alcibiade in 1865 ; George Ede, 

 rider of The Lamb in 1868, and in the opinion of many 

 (including myself) the best cross-country horseman of his day ; 

 Mr. Digby Collins, owner of and rider of the celebrated mare 

 Express, knocked over by Arbury in 1865; Freddy Hobson, 



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