ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT. 287 



broken down to clear the way for confederates ; a horse in- 

 chned to refuse could always reckon on a lead over from some 

 one concerned for the rider's success, and in these days, when 

 perhaps a rider was in an enclosure by himself, a persistent 

 refusal might lose him the race. While the too ready backers 

 of the crimson were eager to do all they could for that jacket, 

 some of them were at least equally desirous of interfering with 

 the rival blue. A fair field and no favour for the competitors, 

 and an opportunity of witnessing the progress of the contest for 

 spectators, were imperatively demanded ; and the first adequate 

 attempt to secure these desiderata seems to have been at Liver- 

 pool in 1836, three years before the institution of the Grand 

 National Steeple-chase, which, since its origin in 1839, has been, 

 and to all appearance is likely to remain, the principal cross- 

 country event of the year. 



On Monday, February 29, 1836, the first Liverpool steeple- 

 chase was run near Aintree, twice round a two-mile course, and 

 a commentator says : ' A strong recommendation to it was that 

 nearly the whole of the performance could be seen from the 

 Grand Stand.' The conditions were *a sweepstakes of ten 

 sovereigns each, with eighty added, for horses of all denomina- 

 tions ; 12 stone each ; gentlemen riders. The winner to be 

 sold for two hundred sovereigns if demanded.' Captain Becher 

 (after whom Becher's Brook was subsequently called) won on 

 a horse called The Duke. 



The sport had meantime become increasingly popular. 

 Important meetings were annually held at St. Albans, Newport 

 Pagnell, Aylesbury, Leamington, and other places ; but Liver- 

 pool at once took up its position as the head-quarters of 

 steeple- chasing, and in 1839 the Grand National supplanted 

 the selling race, particulars of which have been given. Fifty- 

 five subscribers were secured for the race, ' a sweepstakes of 

 twenty sovereigns each, with one hundred sovereigns added ; 

 12 stone each; gentlemen riders; four miles across country. 

 The second horse to save his stakes ; the winner to pay ten 

 sovereigns towards expenses. No rider to open a gate, or ride 



