i82 SOLDIER AND SPORTSMAN 



by the soldiers and their friends. By the way, it 

 was in the first or second year of the change that 

 King Edward VII., when Prince of Wales, won his 

 first steeplechase. It was a very bad day for 

 weather, but there was a large company, which 

 included the Princess and the Duke of Connaught. 

 The winner was the late Captain Wenty Hope 

 Johnstone, who then wore the royal livery on 

 Leonidas ; it was an easy win, but matters might 

 have been very much closer had Captain Annesley 

 on Pixie not made a mistake at the water jump. 



Recently the style of riding has changed. 

 " Hands," however, must always remain one of 

 the great factors in successful horsemanship. It 

 is surprising what power can be brought to bear 

 in handlino- a horse. Like successful o^enerals, 

 jockeys are born and not made. No doubt too 

 much attention paid to sport, such as steeple- 

 chasing and hunting, by an officer, may lessen 

 the interest he should take in military duties, but 

 several of our most distinguished generals have 

 given considerable promise as riders ; among 

 these I might mention Gough, Haig and Rawlin- 

 son. Lord Haig, I notice, is still enthusiastic ; he 

 was much interested at the last Grand Military 

 Meetinof. He showed considerable enthusiasm 

 in his subaltern riding days and it may have been 

 forgotten by many that at the 7th Hussars chases 



