THE CRIMEAN STEEPLECHASE. 5 



country, there was a race in which young Roger Palmer, 

 now Sir Roger, distinguished himself less than he after- 

 wards did before Sebastopol. He rode a mare of old 

 George Symonds', called The Parson's Daughter, a screw, 

 but a famous fencer. Roger Palmer was a good-looking 

 youngster, but noted for having a very big head, quite 

 out of proportion to his body. The mare got well off, 

 maintained her lead to near the end, and was so far 

 ahead in the last field but one that her rider eased her, 

 jumped into the winning field, and pulled her up into 

 a walk, intending to pass quietly between the winning 

 flags. The Hon. Mr. Portman was riding Joe Tollitt's 

 horse. Valiant, and seeing his opportunity, he made a 

 tremendous rush. Amidst the shouts of the spectators 

 poor Palmer tried to put his mare into a gallop ; but 

 alas! it was too late, and Valiant won by a short neck, 

 amidst roars of laughter. Some one came up to Palmer 

 and said, '' I always knew you would be beaten ; you 

 never had Jiead enough to win a race." 



I am reminded by the mention of Sir Roger Palmer's 

 name, of the delight with which we saw in the papers of 

 the day that the great Crimean Steeplechase was won 

 by Blundell, Dewar coming in second, both old 'Varsity 

 riders and winners of races, keeping up the prestige of 

 our Broughton and Aylesbury courses. And, indeed, 

 those courses were no easy ones to negotiate : once, when 

 showing the riders over the course at Broughton, Lord 

 Ribblesdale and some others loudly proclaimed the 

 improbability of any horse jumping the brook. They 

 were all walking, but I was on my favourite mare, who 

 was well known by my friends (but not by the 'V^arsity 



