154 THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT. [1887 



viz., tliat ncitlicr of the viders were to open a gate, pass over a bridge, or 

 take a rcjad. The start was at twelve o'clock. 



Lord Oiigley's Cogniae Hon. M. Ongley 



Mr. Cooke's Creeper Mr. Campbell 



Mr. Cooke's Vivit Owner 



Capt. Montgomery's Cannon Ball Owner 



Mr. Hunter's J. Russell. Jun. 



All five Avent off together at a slow pace till they got to the first fence, 

 and in the next field they separated, the Hon. M. Ongley and Mr. Russell 

 taking a direction more to the right, and the others to the left. On taking 

 the second Mr. Russell's mare fell ; the others cleared it in good style, and 

 Coguiac shot ahead and kept the lead for about a mile, till they got to 

 Hogbrook, where, from the peculiarity of the ground, Cogniae. Vivit, and 

 Creej^er, l)eing unable to clear the stream, were plunged into it. The Hon. M. 

 Ongley, on alighting on the opposite bank, endeavoured to extricate his horse, 

 but the brittle shifted from the head of the animal, and Cogniae got loose, and 

 was not caught for three or four minutes after. In the interim the riders of 

 the other horses had remoiinted, and a mile farther up they all, except Mr. 

 Campbell, again crossed the brook. That gentleman, taking a direction still 

 further to the right, leapt the hurdles across the bridge near Mr. Bradley's 

 farmhouse at Chesterton. l)y which means he reached the appointed goal first. 

 There is little doubt tliat the stakes would have l)een awarded differently had 

 the second horse belonged to any other person than Mr. Cooke, in consequence 

 of the rider passing over a liridge contrary to conditions. Creeper refused 

 to take the last fence from home, but, l)eing turned, leapt it in good style. 

 Result — Creeper, 1 ; Vivit, 2 ■ Cogniae, 3. 



We liave been informed by Colonel Norris that there 

 used to be a steeplechase meeting at Banbury in the old 

 days, in which many of the horses running belonged to 

 farmers and others hunting in the neighbourhood. The 

 first meeting was in 1839, concerning which some very 

 spirited pictures were printed, one of which we publish.* 

 In April, 1841, the stewards were: H. Norris, Esq., the 

 father of Colonel Norris, now at Swalcliffe Park, and J. 

 Stratton, Esq., who lives now at Turweston, near Brackley. 

 The course ran from the Bodicote Eoad up to and round 

 Crouch Hill. There was a sweepstakes of 10/. each, with 

 50/. added, and another of 3/. with .20/. added; and Mr. 

 Norris, who is believed to have helped to "design" the 

 course, used, in the latter part of his life, to compare the 

 real sport of a race then, when the line in one place lay 

 " through an ash spinney," and every fence was left 



*See Vol. II., p. 122. 



