STEEPLE-CHASING 



THE modern steeplechase or point to point race might 

 hardly recognise the original parent of both. When 

 the ardent ' bruiser ' of the mid- eighteenth century 

 felt moved to run his horse against another across 

 country he challenged the owner of that other to a ' wild goose 

 chase ' : whereof let old authority speak. It was : — 



'A sort of racing on horse-back, used formerly, which resem- 

 bled the flying of wild geese, those birds generally going in a 

 train one after another, not in confused flocks as other fowls 

 do. In this sort of race the two horses after running twelve- 

 score yards had liberty, which horse soever could get the lead- 

 ing, to ride what ground the jockey pleased, the hindmost 

 horse being bound to follow him within a certain distance 

 agreed on by articles, or else be whipped in by the tryers and 

 judges who rode by : and whichever horse could distance the 

 other won the race.' 



The obvious objection to this style of racing wrought its 

 undoing. If the leader could not distance his rival — i.e. gain 

 a lead of 240 yards— and the rival, faint yet pursuing, scorned 

 to pull up, the horses might be galloped to death and yet leave 

 the match drawn. Hence some daring innovator suggested 

 the advantages of a race run over a specified distance : a plan 

 which had humanity and common-sense to recommend it. 



There is record of a cross-country race in Ireland in the 

 year 1752, between Mr. O'Callaghan and Mr. Edmund Blake ; 

 four miles and a half ; but this we must suppose was merely 

 a solitary incident. Cross-country races, in England at all 

 events, did not become a recognised form of sport until the 



early years of the nineteenth century ; and they were not 



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