210 SOLDIER AND SPORTSMAN 



become as efficient as others. A sfood chaser will 

 never jump a hair's-breadth higher than is necessary, 

 and will land so that he gets into his stride without 

 losing an inch of ground. 



It has been my good fortune to see a goodly 

 number of " Nationals," and when one compares 

 moderns like Ascetic Silver, Sunloch and Troytown 

 with Frigate, for instance, it makes one wonder 

 whether size has much to do with carrying weight. 

 Symmetry is not often combined with great size, 

 yet they are blended perfectly in this really mag- 

 nificent specimen of a chaser — viz. Troytown. 



On the other hand, Sunloch was a curious type 

 to be a winner of the chase, he being very distinctly 

 on the leg, seventeen hands high, and by reason 

 of his previous performances seemed an unlikely 

 horse to win. This was not the opinion of his past 

 owner and trainer, Mr Tom Tyler of Loughborough, 

 one of the old sporting sort ; he was so confident of 

 the success of his horse that he actually spent the 

 time the race was being- run in writing teleo^rams to 

 that effect to his friends. Tom had sold half the 

 horse to a ruffianly adventurer, and it happened 

 that this fellow was in gaol on the day of the race. 

 Tyler, however, previous to saddling the horse, 

 had consulted the stewards, and explained the 

 situation to them ; but no rule could be found by 

 which an owner, or part owner, of a horse who 



