272 



breast, where the ribs join, and by this means you will see whether he 

 takes a longer girth than Horses of his size commonly do. But you 

 must consider the condition you measure him in, for if he is fat, he must 

 in consequence take a longer girth," HoAvever, without doubt, Spank- 

 ing Iloger being a capital racer, under such a form, must be consi- 

 dered an exception to the general rule. He might perhaps inherit this 

 peculiarity from the Cyprus Arabian. 



The Doctor, an experienced sportsman, thus again mentions this Horse : 

 " The present Lord Weymouth has an excellent Horse, which about a 

 vear ago, was the propert}^ of the late Sir Edmund Bacon. He goes by 

 the name of Spanking Roger, and has, or at least had, such a particular, 

 way of running, that they were forced to use a Pelham bit, or sort of 

 half check bridle, otherwise, the rider could scarce manage him; and 

 when he won the forty pounds at York, and distanced three or four 

 Horses and Mares, the first heat, I w^ell remember, the rider leaned back 

 so much to hold him, through most of the course, that I really believe 

 his shoulder-blades touched the Horse's fillet. Now if this Horse had 

 been ridden by a tickle-heeled fellow, I imagine he would have been 

 distanced himself" This brings Chifney's bridle to recollection. By 

 tlie mode in which the Doctor described this Horse to have been 

 jockied, I am led to suppose, the curb did no manner of service, perhaps 

 only served to fret the Horse, which, as he coidd not be held against his 

 Avill by the curb, would have been equally well steadied with a plain 

 snaffle, at most, with the addition of a check-cord. The distinction 

 lies with those which cannot be held with any bridle, for example, the 

 Horse in question, Eclipse and some others. Some hot Horses, Young 

 Eclipse, as an example, are held back by the curb, and will) tliose it may 



be useful. 



Spanking Roger died in running a trial in the year 1741. Almost 

 twenty years before, Mr. Panton's Molly, one of the stoutest and most 

 valua'jle racers of her time, was seized with some violent disease, Avhilst 

 runnini- at Newmarket, the only race she ever lost, and died in great 

 a"-ouies. between the Stand and the Rubbing-house. Two hours after, 

 had she survived, she stood engaged to run another match. In January, 

 1808, the Duke of Hamilton's bay mare Crazy, dropped dead under 



the 



