STEEPLE-CHASING 



with, my friend Captain Ross, who also appeared quite at his 

 ease ; and when he pulled up at the Coplow, I narrowly 

 observed the state of his horse. There were no symptoms of 

 fatigue ; no tottering on his legs ; no poking out his nose ; 

 no quivering of the muscles ; no distress for wind ; but he 

 walked down the hill with his rider upon him, in full possession 

 of his powers, and fit to have carried him over a large fence 

 at the bottom of it. His condition, it must be allowed, was 

 perfect. 



' Not being able to be in two places at one time, I did not 

 see Radical till some minutes after he had come in, when I 

 perceived no symptoms of distress. He has all the appear- 

 ance of a hunter, with immense powers in his thighs and hocks. 

 He was ridden in a snaffle bridle, and I understand he will go 

 in no other. Indeed, I should imagine from an expression of 

 his late owner, that he is not every one's horse. . . .' 



Concerning that incident at the gate, Captain Ross gave 

 an account which puts it in a somewhat different light. The 

 evening before the race, he says. Lord Kennedy sought an 

 interview with him and, urging the desirability of leaving no 

 loophole for misunderstanding, suggested that each rider 

 should do just as he pleased. ' In short,' rejoined Captain 

 Ross, ' I understand that we may ride over each other and 

 kill each other, if we can. Is that so ? ' ' Just so,' was Lord 

 Kennedy's answer. * Odd enough,' continues Captain Ross, 

 ' the first jump was a five-barred gate. I lay with Clinker's 

 head about Douglas's knee. When within forty or fifty yards 

 of the gate I saw clearly that Radical meant to refuse : so 

 recollecting last night's bargain, I held Clinker well in hand. 

 Radical, as I expected, when close to the gate turned right 

 across Clinker. I stuck the spur in, knocked Douglas over 

 the gate and sent Radical heels over head, and lying on this 

 side of it.' 



The foundation-stone of organised steeple-chasing was laid 

 in 1830 when certain officers of the 1st Life Guards asked the 

 well-known trainer ' Tommy ' Coleman, then landlord of the 



125 



