GREEN; YELLOW SLEEVES, BELT, AND CAP 



burn, and it may be assumed that the anxiety of the 

 jockey, then known as " Mr. Roily," and later as Lord 

 Hardinge of Penshurst, for some years Viceroy of India, 

 was not less. " Mr. Roily " went down continually to 

 Mentmore to ride the horse in his work, but unfor- 

 tunately for the friends of Ledburn an opponent was 

 Schiedam, ridden by Mr. Richardson, who carried off 

 two Nationals on Disturbance and Reugny. Schiedam's 

 jockey has told me that this was the best horse he ever 

 rode, in spite of Disturbance's exceptional capacity. 

 Once when finishing a four mile steeplechase Schiedam 

 was so fresh that he playfully shied at a piece of paper 

 which had blown on to the course. 



One reason why such a high opinion was entertained 

 of the National Hunt Steeplechase was doubtless 

 because apart from the National it was almost — for 

 several years it has been absolutely — the only race run 

 over fences of four miles. When things become normal 

 again, and 'chasing revives, as there is every reason to 

 think it must simply because so many people desire this 

 revival, the desirability of having more long races may 

 be expected to come up for discussion. There has been 

 a tendency of late years to shorten courses. Thus the 

 Ladies' Plate at Sandown, which used to be run over 

 three miles on the flat, an excellent test of staying, was 

 some time since shortened to two miles and a half. One 

 of the National Hunt rules provides that " There shall 

 be in each day's programme at least two steeplechases, 



140 



