SOME HORSEMEN OF THE CENTURY 203 



day, if needed — and he never could tell how he did it — 

 and the latter for five-and-twenty minutes. He had 

 seen Mr. Chandos Pole lead a big Meynell field by 

 two inclosures of quite a dozen acres each, and for 

 eighteen stone up it was marvellous. I had the 

 pleasure of seeing this gentleman's stud on one 

 occasion, and on the favourite that set the type of 

 about a dozen others being shown to me, I said to 

 the stud groom, ' Where on earth could such a horse 

 come from ? ' as he was as long and bloodlike about 

 the shoulders, neck, and head as a crack steeplechaser, 

 standing perhaps 16.3, and yet as big as a carthorse 

 about back, loins, and quarters, with a boast of ten 

 inches of bone under the knee. I had nev'er seen 

 such a horse before in all my travels, and I did not 

 know anyone who bred the sort. Mr. Henry Chaplin 

 was a welter, but never quite eighteen stone, I should 

 say, and no one rode better in a fast five-and-twenty 

 minutes. On Emperor, said to have been the best 

 weight-carrier in England, no one could beat him, 

 and he also rode Emperor 11. and Emperor HI. ; but, 

 although winners of good steeplechases, the last- 

 mentioned pair were hardly fast enough for the 

 Squire of Blankney, who was more at home on 

 Snowstorm in his wall country. Mr. Musters, Mr. 

 Chaplin, and Mr, Chandos Pole had all their difierent 

 types of hunters. The first wanted them long and 

 low, very thick through, with great bone and sub- 

 stance. Mr. Chaplin, in both hounds and horses, 

 always had a pet liking for quality, and believed that 



