370 STEEPLE-CHASING. 



Aylesford soon after the Liverpool of 1873, when the animal 

 was so completely chest-foundered that he could hardly walk. 

 Mr. Richardson took charge of him, turned him out into a 

 paddock, and gave him no corn all the summer. When the 

 autumn came he had one feed, but was not removed from his 

 paddock till November 23, looking as rough as a cart-horse in 

 his coat. He was, however, perfectly sound, and in less than 

 four months he won the Liverpool. So lusty did he look, that 

 on the morning before the race, when Mr. Richardson rode him 

 a gallop, a dealer, a shrewd judge of horses, who saw Reugny, 

 remarked that he never saw a horse, tliat was really fit to go, 

 look so big. 



Reugny was suited by the hard ground, and had the good 

 fortune to escape interference during the race — that is to say, 

 Mr. Richardson took care to avoid the crowd. When the 

 racecourse was reached, only Chimney Sweep and Merlin had 

 the faintest chance. Reugny was sadly leg-weary, rolled under 

 his rider like a ship at sea, and, dead-beat, could not make a 

 pretence of jumping the last hurdle. He stumbled into it and 

 made a heavy peck on the landing side, the fall being saved 

 entirely by the rider's care and skill ; but the horse ran game 

 and won by half a dozen lengths. 



The only question with regard to Mr. Richardson's riding 

 is whether he should be ranked actually with, or a shade after, 

 Mr. Ede, and those who might be inclined to hold the latter 

 view would be hard put to it to explain why. Of the essentials 

 and of the niceties of horsemanship Mr. Richardson lacked 

 nothing. No man knew better what a horse was doing and 

 what he could do, whether the animal was the one he bestrode 

 or a rival ; none was ever cooler or more courageous, and his 

 ' hands ' were perfect. 



Mr. Thomas's last winning mount was on Pathfinder (1875). 

 The horse was nothing out of the common. He had changed 

 hands for 100/., and, not long before the Grand National, had 

 been beaten at Bristol — partly, however, because the race was 

 not run to suit him : there had been nothing to make a pace : 



