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little mare for Croxton Park Races ; that was the first 

 horse-fleah speculation I ever had. We used to enter at 

 the keeper's house, and I heard Mr. Berkeley Craven 

 say to Lord Forester, "This little black beggar's got 

 a devilish good mare, and thinks to win the Farmers 5 

 Plate." So Lord Forester he comes up, and he says, 

 "If your mare wins, Mr. Christian, I'll give you 

 300 guineas for her before she goes out of the park." 

 But I didn't : they never ketched me till very near 

 home, but she was in season, and she shut up when 

 they collared her. How I did whip her, to be sure ! 

 She did just the same next heat ; but I got 10 gs. 

 for her being second, and Lord Forester bought her 

 that day for 160 gs. I had other horses after that. 

 I used to train them at Luffenham, on Barret on 

 Heath. I won lots of races at Leicester and Not- 

 tingham ; then I gave up the farm, and I comes to 

 Melton. 



Sir James Musgrave and Mr. Maxse got me to 

 come. I had been there before. The first night I 

 ever slept there was the night before the first steeple- 

 chase that was ever run in Leicestershire mind you 

 put that down. Lord Forester, Sir Gilbert, and Mr. 

 Meynell ran. It was for 100 gs. a-side, eight miles, 

 from Barkby Holt to BillesdonCoplow and back again; 

 no rules as to gates or roads; each to come as he could. 

 It was a grand race till three-quarters of a mile from 

 home : poor Sir Gilbert ! he got jammed in a bullock 

 pen that threw him last, and Mr. Meynell won. 

 Lord Plymouth was what you'd call my first master; 

 he gave me 20 gs. a season, and 15s. a time for each 

 schooling besides. If a strange gentleman asked me, 

 I had my pound. I've rode as many as twenty fresh 

 horses in a week, and had three out with hounds : 

 they were fixed for me. Lord Plymouth had twenty- 

 three or twenty-four of them at one time ; he would 

 arrange for me to ride his horses a quarter of an 

 hour, half an hour, three-quarters, two hours some- 



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