50 THE ORANGE COUNTY 



in public the only trials worthy of credence they were 

 confined to the winning of two matches, for the first of 

 which, at six years old, carrying eight stone five pounds each, 

 he beat Speedwell, a gelding of equivocal celebrity (the dis- 

 tance was four miles) ; for the second, when seven years old, 

 he beat Chanter, twelve years old, six miles. He was en- 

 gaged in three other matches, for which he received forfeit. 

 It is related that he was at first used as a hunter, and that he 

 was headstrong and vicious. He was the property of the 

 Duke of Devonshire, who bought him when young, from Mr. 

 Childers, whence his name. He died in the Duke's stud, at 

 the age of twenty-six years. These observations are not in- 

 tended to detract from his excellence in the stud, but to con- 

 fute the marvelous tales which seem to excite the wonder 

 and admiration of the uninitiated, while among experienced 

 turfites they attain no credence. Bartletts Childers, another 

 son of the Darley Arabian, was never trained to the course, 

 but his symmetry sufficiently spoke for itself. A great many 

 of the first horses of the day owned him for their sire, and 

 the two Childers were soon acknowledged for their superior- 

 ity in the stud. 



As a worthy scion of the latter stands his great-grandson, 

 the celebrated Eclipse, of whose speed no correct estimate 

 was formed; for, although he contended with some of the 

 best horses of his day, he never met with an opponent suffi- 

 ciently fleet to put his powers to the test. He was soon 

 withdrawn from the turf, and became the sire of one hundred 

 and thirty-four winners, who brought their owners more than 

 160,000 exclusive of cups. He was bred by the Duke of 

 Cumberland, and owed his name to his having been foaled 

 during the great eclipse of 1764 At the sale of the Duke's 

 stud, he was bought for seventy-five guineas. Eclipse was 

 five years old before he was brought on the turf, his first 

 race being for the maiden plate at Epsom. His powers were 

 at once seen, and in his next race, at York, twenty guineas to 

 one were betted on him. During the race this increased to 

 a hundred guineas to one. At the end of the first two miles 

 he was a distance before his competitors, and won with the 

 greatest ease. 



In 1769 a Mr. O'Kelly became his proprietor, for sixteen 

 hundred and fifty guineas. In 1779 one of the Bedford 

 family asked his price; O'Kelly replied, that "all Bedford 

 Level would not purchase him." From another person he 

 asked 25,000 down, and an annuity of 500 for life. O'Kelly 

 cleared 25,000 by him. 



