406 



THE MODERN' SYSTEM 



tier sufferings, and detestation for the man 

 who committed the crime, and who could de- 

 light to witness the tortures of an animal pos- 

 sessed of such delicate sensibility as made it 

 tremble with fear. 



HORSE LEAP. 



On Saturday, July 20, 1822, an extra- 

 ordinary leap was made by a Horse in the 

 possession of Mr. Beards worth, of Birming- 

 ham. On the ground being accurately mea- 

 sured by some gentlemen, who witnessed the 

 performance, it was found that in passing 

 over a bar three feet six inches hiah, the leap 

 was taken at the amazing distance of seventeen 

 feet seven inches from it, and the whole space 

 of ground covered was twenty-seven feet 

 eJght inches. The Horse was fifteen hands and 

 a half high, and carried upwards of twelve 

 stone. He was afterwards rode over the same 

 bar several times, and ceared upwards of 

 eight yards without much apparent effort. 



TROTTING MATCHES. 



A curious match took place on the Bea- 

 consfield road on Tuesday, February 19, 

 1832. Mr. Causton undertook to trot his 

 Horse seven miles in half-an-hour ; and took 

 bets that he performed each mile within four 

 minutes and twenty-two seconds, a piece of 

 nice calculation, which was achieved in good 

 style. 



A Horse belonging to Mr. Dyson, which 

 nad been picked up in Smithfield for a trifle, 

 having done thirty miles in two hours and 

 forty-nine minutes^ was produced by Mr. 

 Brian against another which cost 11., to do 

 forty miles in four hours, carrying fifteen stone. 

 This was performed on Wednesday morning, 

 March 20, 1822, over a ten-mile piece of 



road, near Hockerill, for one hundred guineas. 

 The lankey emblem of blood and bone, above 

 seventeen hands high, was mounted by an old 

 jockey of the same built, and did the first 

 ten miles in fifty-four minutes ten seconds, the 

 second ten miles in fifty-six minutes fifty 

 seconds, the third ten miles in sixty-three 

 minutes, and the fourth ten miles in sixty-three 

 minutes forty seconds, making a win of it 

 two minutes and twenty seconds under the 

 time. The Horse never once broke from a 

 trot ; the rider was more fatigued than the 

 Horse. 



The second great match between the slate- 

 coloured American Horse, and Mr. Dyson's 

 Wonder, took place on Monday, March 11, 

 1822, at two o'clock, over the same ground as 

 the preceding one, on Sunbury common. The 

 match was for Mr. Fielder and Mr. Dyson 

 to ride their own Horses. Mr. Dyson took 

 the lead, and was fifty yards a- head at the end 

 of trie first mile, and the American Horse 

 never had a chance at any one period, and 

 was beat, with the greatest ease, by about 

 two hundred yards. Neither Horse broke 

 through the match, and the ground, three 

 miles, was done in eight minutes and forty- 

 tliree seconds, which is thirteen seconds 

 quicker than the last match. What makes 

 this performance unparalleled, is not only the 

 speed, but the extraordinary weights which 

 were carried. The riders were both weighed, 

 to determine a bet, at Kingston, after the 

 match, when Mr. Fielder weighed thirteen 

 stone twelve pounds, and Mr. Dyson fifteen 

 stone four pounds, without saddles. By this 

 it appears that the winner gave the American 

 Horse twenty pounds, which clearly proves 

 the superiority of the breed of our own country, 

 as the slate-coloured Horsa has been consi- 



