290 CENTURY OF ENGLISH FOX-HUNTING 



Mr. Trotter, and Colonel Charles Rivers Bulkeley, 

 were three of the finest horsemen in England, and 

 that it was considered to be a breach of etiquette 

 for anybody to ride in front of her, either at her 

 fences or on the flat But great as these advantages 

 undoubtedly are, they would be valueless unless the 

 possessor of them had a strong nerve, fine hands, 

 and a firm seat. Nor do I think that there are 

 many ladies who would like to follow Captain 

 " Bay " Middleton over the Northamptonshire pas- 

 tures, and where he led the Empress always followed. 

 Her peculiarity in carrying a fan in the hunting- 

 field has been much discussed, and at one time 

 certain ladies tried to imitate her, but the attempt 

 was not a success and was soon abandoned. 



Her first essay in English hunting was in the 

 Pytchley country, where she rented Cottesbrooke 

 Park for the end of the 1877-8 season, and was 

 piloted by Captain "Bay" Middleton. In 1879 she 

 elected to follow the Meath, where she was piloted 

 by Mr. J. O. Trotter, the present Field Master of 

 the Worcestershire. In 1881 she went to Cheshire, 

 where she rented Combermere Abbey, and was 

 again piloted by Captain " Bay " Middleton. The 

 Captain is reported to have tumbled about a good 

 deal during this season, having fallen into the mis- 

 take that Cheshire was a country that could be 

 galloped over like Northamptonshire. In the follow- 

 ing season the Empress was again in Cheshire under 

 the pilotage of Colonel Charles Rivers Bulkeley, and 



