134 



The following ladies declared to start: Mrs. Lamond Walker on Othello^ 

 Miss King on Dinah. Mrs. Barrow on Flatcatcher, Mrs. Norman on Marigold, 

 Mrs. Beverley on Kate, Mrs Sanders on a brown, and Miss Healy on a 

 black, the conditions being that ladies should ride bond fide paperchasers, 

 no matter whether they were their own property or not. The course 

 selected was an open one over the Salt Lake country, the point of departure 

 being the old place just on the further side of the Jodhpore Station over a 

 flight of hurdles placed in the ploughed field to the right of the Monsoon 

 Road. 



The morning was a foggy one and the start was therefore somewhat 

 delayed, but shortly after the advertised hour our M. F. H. (Mr. G. W. 

 Walker, Ed.) and Captain Grimston got away with the paper and were 

 accompanied on their journey by H. E. Lord Roberts on a chestnut and Miss 

 Roberts on Rabbit (formerly the property of Mr. A. L. Butler and the 

 winner of the Paperchase Cup of 1886, Ed.). When the signal for 

 departure was given, Othello was at once taken to the front and led from 

 Marigold and Kate ; Dinah and Flatcatcher, who cannoned badly over the 

 first fence, coming next in order. The paper bore straight away for the 

 open over a wall which was placed just on this side of the jungle that skirts 

 the Salt Lakes. At this fence Matcatcher refused owing to his being crossed 

 by one of the others, but was quickly set going again, and the lot were soon 

 in full cry over the open pointing straight for the ditch and wall near the 

 jungle clump. A flight of hurdles intervened and ove^- them and across all 

 the open old Othello had the best of it, the next in order being Marigold. 

 Dinah, Kate and Flatcatcher, the rest whipping in. At the ditch Dinah 

 refused and took Flatcatcher out with her Othello getting a still bigger 

 advantage and Marigold and Kate going on second and third respectively ; 

 Dinah and the black, who manaj.'ed it at the second attempt, in hot pursuit 

 in rear. 



A thumping big wall next had to be negotiated, and Calcutta had need 

 to be extremely proud of its ladies in the way in which they did it. Every 

 one of them rode excellently and the form they showed was very first class 

 indeed. The fences were jumped and ridden at in a way that it would teach 

 a good many of us a lesson in the art to witness. After the big wall came 

 some more hurdles, and further on another wall, which Mrs. Sanders' mare 

 struck very hard. Flatcatcher and Dinah now began to close on the leaders, 

 and as they emerged from the lane on to the Monsoon Road, which they 

 crossed, this pair got level with Othello and Marigold, who with Kate in 

 close company had had the best of the fun hitherto. Over the next flight of 

 hurdles the first five were all in a cluster, and skirting the Screw Pines they 

 went right over some more hurdles and then shaped left for a wall. Here 

 Flatcatcher was set going in earnest, and he and Dinah singled themselves 

 out from the rest and came over the last fence, a hurdle with only a length 

 dividing them the dark horse leading. On landing they both ran a bit 

 wide of the line, but Flatcatcher quickly pulled straight and came away, 

 leaving Dinah at every stride, eventually winning by ten lengths and more. 

 Dinah ran second and Othello and Marigold somethini; very like a dead 

 heat for third honours. Mrs. Beverley on Kate a very close fifth and Mrs. 

 Sanders sixth. 



The winner's performance was a good one, but where all rode so well it is 

 a very invidious task to particularize. It was quite one of the prettiest sights 

 I have seen to watch these half dozen or so ladies crossing a country, and 

 both horses and riders acquitted themselves very honourably. I hope we shall 

 have another of these chases next season, and that the entry will be twice as 

 large. 



Then, as now, it will be seen the race was a hotly^ 

 contested one all the way over, and there has never yet 



