254 THE POST AND THE PADDOCK. 



were a grey mare of Colonel Biddulph's, and a grey- 

 horse, whose flying jumps became so noted, that a 

 hard-riding divine christened him " Jumping Jack. 5 ' 

 Mr. Joseph Clay, of Sutton, rode him in the front rank 

 with the Shropshire for two seasons ; and he was 

 latterly in Mr. Smith Owen's hands when he divided 

 the country with Lord Hill ; and gained the reputa- 

 tion of being the best horse in the stud, by the style 

 in which, despite of his lack of speed .and not very 

 sound legs, he carried the huntsman to the last. 

 The Strephons were generally thick, stout-hearted, 

 weight-carrying nags, with magnificent backs and 

 shoulders, first-rate in the field, but vile as hackneys, 

 always knocking their toes against the ground, and 

 inheriting a beautiful head, the outline of which may 

 still be traced at many a cover side. Stapleton, a 

 contemporary of Pilkington, was one of his principal 

 sons, and stood at Fryatt's of Melton for a time. 

 The Champions were of a bigger stamp altogether, 

 and with legs like waggon-horses, but they were 

 rather loosely built, and seemed as if they had just 

 one joint too many in their backs. In his hind- 

 quarters their sire somewhat resembled Camel, though 

 his tail was not hung so low ; his face bore a huge 

 white blaze, and his character in the country was to 

 the effect that he was " a very determined devil.'" 

 The county and the kennel stables were full of 

 Jupiters, when Sir Bellingham Graham gave up 

 Shropshire, and the triad of masters succeeded. 

 This sire was the Belzoni of Shropshire, as his stock 

 were great sprawling, high-tempered horses to begin 

 with, and never at perfection till they were rising 

 eight or nine. Lord Stamford bred him, and Will 

 Staples, who had Jack Wiglesworth and Tom Flint 

 (who died a few years back with the Duke of Cleve- 

 land), as his whips, adored him like a heathen of 

 old. Poor Tom used occasionally to go like his old 

 Shropshire self in Durham, and a more perfect horse- 



