56 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



CHAPTER VL 



MILITARY STEEPLECHASING. 



In whatever part of the world British military officers 

 are gathered together, there steeplechases or flat races, 

 or perhaps both, are pretty sure to take j^lace. The 

 army has produced some fair amateur jockeys, 

 and amongst them is — or, alas ! was — Major H. A. 

 Leveson, the ' Old Shekarr}^,' who thus describes a 

 steeplechase in which he rode for a friend. The 

 scene is Hyderabad, in the East Indies : 



'Moonlight was brought to my stables. He was 

 a high-caste, dark-bay Arab, standing very little 

 under fifteen, hands, and had many good points, 

 evincing great power and endurance ; but his temper 

 had been soured b}^ ill-treatment, and my friend 

 bought him at one-fifth of his value on account of 

 his vicious tendencies. In fact, he had been turned 

 out of a celebrated racing: stable because Georgfe 

 Smith, the jockey, had declared him to be dangerous, 

 and would have nothing to do with him; and his 

 character had become so notorious that Fred's in- 

 tended had forbidden his ever mounting him again. 



