99 Ikings of tbe 1bunting=*3Fiel^ 



tamer of horses than the Master of Tedworth. Take 

 this anecdote in illustration of his powers. 



One of the most remarkable Irish hunters of the 

 present century was Mr Smith's Fire-King — a sixteen- 

 hand, very large-limbed, light-fleshed, and deep-girthed 

 thorough-bred chestnut. He was bought by Mr William 

 Denham of Kegworth from Mr William Lucas of 

 Liverpool, in January 1840, for ;^5 only, and was just 

 as unmanageable a savage as ever wore a bridle. How- 

 ever, Mr Denham contrived to beat all Derbyshire on 

 him, both with foxhounds, and Lord Chesterfield's stag- 

 hounds ; Will Derry, who was riding one of his lordship's 

 thorough-bred 300-guinea chestnuts, frankly acknow- 

 ledged on one occasion, that he could not live with him in 

 any part of the run. He also distinguished himself in 

 two runs in Leicestershire, one from Cream Gorse, and 

 the other from Sir H. Goodricke's Gorse. Next day Mr 

 Assheton Smith rode up to Mr Denham at Croxton Park 

 races, and made him an offer of p^200 for Fire-King, 

 which his owner declined, unless Mr Smith would make 

 it guineas. On this the latter jocularly remarked that 

 he was the most independent horse-dealer he had ever 

 met with, and was told in rejoinder that had he been 

 independent, he would not have taken 2000 guineas for 

 the horse, as he was sure that no man could expect to 

 have more than one such in his life. Fire-King was very 

 much blemished at the time, so much so that Mr Smith 

 could hardly credit the assurance that he was sound, after 

 having been ' repaired so often.' At this juncture Lord 

 Chesterfield rode up, and Mr Smith on hearing his 

 lordship indorse Mr Denham's statement, that he had 

 never in his life seen a horse that could go better, if so 

 well, to hounds, closed the bargain for guineas. At first 



