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them some very first-class performers indeed, and from 

 the time when ''The Memsahib " (Mrs. ''Jim" Cook) 

 rode in and won our big Cup outright, down through the 

 days of Mrs. K. C. Sanders and Mrs. Reg. Murray, to those 

 of Mrs. Barrow, Mrs. Walker, Miss Prophit, Mrs. Perkins 

 tolastyear's winner. Lady Violet Elliot, there has always 

 been some one amongst the " spindle " sex to whom we 

 can point with pride and truthfully assert would hold her 

 own in any country in the world. We have always felt 

 that the reputation of the " Calcutta Hunt" for hard and 

 straight riding would be entirely safe, even if it were 

 only left to be defended by the lady members, for the 

 winning list includes the names of some particularly 

 brilliant horse-women, than whom it would be difficult 

 to find any more finished or courageous if we searched 

 the world over. It is said that upon one occasion a certain 

 hard-riding soldier arrived at the finish of a paperchase 

 and imagined he had won, till he saw a lady getting into 

 her dogf-cart, when he said " How did you get here?" " Get 

 here?" she said, "why I and (naming four other ladies) 

 have been here ages and our horses have all been sent home, 

 and so far from your having won, you are only sixth — 

 and a bad sixth at that ! ! " The Dianas had entirely given 

 the rest of the field the slip ! ! 



The distance of the Ladies' Cup is usually between 

 2^ and 3 miles, and the fences, although not so 

 severe as those built up for the big Cup, are no 

 make-believe obstacles but take jumping. The race 

 is always a fast one from start to finish, and we 

 confess to having on occasion felt our heart stand 

 still to see three or four of the fair competitors racing 

 abreast over the concluding obstacles, steeple-chasing 

 pace, and not a thought of a pull or a "steadier," 

 even when an extra big obstacle looms up out of the 

 fog ! To win most jump races one has to treat the 



