42 



RACING. 



CHAPTER II 



THE PROGRESS OF THE SPORT. 



HE influence brought 

 to bear upon racing, 

 and the changes 

 wrought thereon by 

 time, fashion, and oc- 

 casionally by the in- 

 domitable energy of 

 some master mind, 

 have been so mani- 

 fold, that little more 

 than an outline of the 

 progress of the sport 

 can be attempted in 

 these pages. 



When racing first 

 became a popular 

 amusement through- 

 out Great Britain, the 

 means of locomotion 

 were so limited com- 

 pared with those of 

 the present day, that 

 competition was more 

 local than general, and it was necessary for an owner to possess 

 a very superior horse before incurring the expense and risk of 

 a long journey by road to compete with a distant champion. 



A long journey by road. 



