23 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



liim word that I would make this challenge public, 

 and I thought it very probable it would be accepted, 

 and I then put to him a great variety of questions 

 upon certain points on Avhich I deemed it essential 

 that information should be suppUed. Thus the matter 

 stands at present. — C. Geeville. 



♦ Bruton Street, Oct. 12.' 



Beneath the letter, BelVs Life had the following 

 paragraph : 



' The vast superiority of the English thorough- 

 bred horse over Arabs has been established by in- 

 numerable trials in India; and that the Cossack 

 horses have as little chance with them will be 

 gathered from the following account of a match in 

 Kussia, taken from the second volume of the Biii^ 

 Booh : 



"Sharper, bred by Lord Egremont, and got by 

 Octavius out of Young Amazon by Gohanna, was 

 sent in 1825 to Russia, where he and Minna, bred 

 by Mr. Newton, and got by Woful out of Diana by 

 Stamford, were matched to run seventy-five versts 

 (49| English miles) on the public road against two 

 Cossack horses. Minna, falling lame, was pulled up 

 early in the race, which Sharper won with ease, not- 

 withstanding the loss of a stirrup, and the consequent 

 inability of the rider to restrain him for several 

 miles. The Cossack horses had nearly three stone 

 advantage in weight, and one of them fell at the end 



