366 THE POST AND THE PADDOCK. 



let him scramble in a ditch a Lit, but not get cast. 

 I like the Empingham country best for young 

 horses ; fences not too high, and they won't break. 

 When I begin a young horse with water, I walk him 

 to it, and let him look at it ; I don't let him go away : 

 never lick him, and, bless you, he soon takes a de- 

 light in it. 



Grimaldi, he was a charming horse; he never 

 would look at water at first. Mr. Osbaldeston, he 

 comes to me in Day's shop here, and he says, "I 

 want you, Dick, to go to Brixworth directly : I've 

 made a match with Col. Charritie's Napoleon for 

 500 guineas, over the Dunchurch country : there's 

 a brook, and GrimaldPs lost me two races already 

 that way." So I said I'd like to go to Croxton races, 

 and Pd be at Brixworth by two in the morning ; and 

 so I was there, sure enough, and I got him over 

 some water the first time, after he had smelt at it a 

 bit, and made him quite handy. The Squire and 

 me, we went over the ground; and the Squire, he 

 says, " Grimaldi will never jump this water, Dick." 

 I says, " I'll bet you a guinea he will, Squire." I 

 went and fathomed it, and found a place ; so I told 

 him " when you're running, I'll stand there, and 

 put my hat on the top of my whip ; come right to me, 

 and keep him going." Bless you ! he jumped it like 

 nothing at all, and won. Becher was on Napoleon ; 

 he was stronger, I think, than Oliver; Jem Mason's 

 not so hard as them two. 



The Clown, that won here the other day, reminded 

 me for all the world of Vyvian when he was coming 

 to the brook. Vyvian was quite as big, a great 

 slamming horse ; no trouble to ride ; he went sailing 

 along in a snaffle, and Becher just niggling at him a 

 bit. I rode against him and Becher at Dunchurch,, 

 and gave them such a tying up. Lord Waterford 

 and Lord Macdonald were in that race. I was on 

 Warwick, one of Sir Edward Mostyn's horses. They 



