196 SOLDIER AND SPORTSMAN 



go to the Dumfriesshire Hunt. His first perform- 

 ance in racing was to win a point-to-point. He 

 was then tried at the real game and no doubt 

 proved himself a useful horse. 



Why Not, when the property of Mr D. J. Jardine, 

 and managed by Mr C. J. Cunningham, had several 

 attempts before he was successful in the hands 

 of Arthur Nightingall. His previous pilot, Mr 

 Charlie Cunningham, was one of the best cross- 

 country riders, either over a country or in the 

 hunting field, that ever lived ; but he was too long 

 in the leg, and if his horse did not jump clean the 

 animal was to some extent hampered by his rider's 

 feet, brushing through the fences, acting as a drag. 

 It was partly owing to this that he never won a 

 National. 



The year (1889) that Why Not ran second to 

 Frigate with 1 1 st. 5 lb. on his back, Charlie 

 Cunningham had in his stable a horse called Sir 

 Herbert. This horse and Why Not were tried 

 not once, but twice, at even weights, Sir Herbert 

 winning both times by many lengths. The last 

 trial, however, was one too many for Sir Herbert, 

 as he broke down and never ran again. His 

 weight in the National was 9 st. 12 lb. Had all 

 concerned been satisfied with one trial, what a 

 fortune might have been made ! 



Why Not was made of iron, as he continued to 



