368 STEEPLE-CHASING. 



once, however, Primrose fell, and rolled over in front of 

 Schiedara just as he landed ; it was impossible to avoid the 

 collision, and thus Mr. Richardson lost three fields, and was 

 beaten. 



Mr. Arthur Yates was at this time going remarkably well 

 on Harvester, a winner of several good steeple-chases, when 

 the horse overjumped himself, and in the scramble which fol- 

 lowed tore his off hind-foot nearly off. Mr. Yates, feeling that 

 something was wrong as the game animal made an effort to 

 gallop on, looked down and saw that his breeches were covered 

 with blood, so he was forced to dismount ; and thus another 

 dangerous competitor was removed. 



From this point the race seemed a certainty for Scarring- 

 ton, who, with Robert I'Anson in the saddle, was going well 

 within himself So sure of victory did I'Anson make, that 

 he called out to Page, who was doing his best to keep Casse 

 Tete going, ' It's been a long time coming off, Jack, but I've 

 done it this time ! ' At the last hurdle but one Scarrington 

 was a dozen lengths to the good ; but there he cut his leg so 

 severely that he could scarcely get home at all, and, beaten 

 as Casse Tete was, Page had no difficulty in reaching the 

 post. 



The lesson was not lost on Mr. Richardson, who had better 

 luck in his next two rides — the best of all luck, that of winning, 

 though the luck had in it a great admixture of judgment. It 

 was his habit always to jump the second fence at Liverpool, 

 which used to be a bank, in the highest place, so as to avoid 

 the crowd. Almost every one else went for the best place, or 

 the place supposed to be best because it was the easiest, and 

 grief was usually the consequence ; for not to follow directly 

 in another horse's tracks, by doing which the rider of the 

 follower shares his leader's chances of accident, is one of the 

 secrets of steeple-chasing. 



Both on Disturbance and Reugny, the winners of 1873 and 

 1874, Mr. Richardson had all he asked — a fair field and no 

 favour. Disturbance only won after a most exciting race, 



