Breeding of Himters. 255 



Peter Simple, and at one or two Horncastle fairs his 

 stock showed in such force, that he was unanimously 

 pronounced quite the premier among sires. 



Nailer was the best Quicksilver that rare huntsman, 

 the late Will Smith ever rode. He was a good-look- 

 ing chestnut, and in spite of his family failing, gentle 

 in Will's hands, though sadly violent with every one 

 else. Even under Will, he always feinted to pull, and 

 went with his head turned almost to his rider's toe ; 

 but he made himself an old horse long before his 

 time, by his intemperate style in the field ; flying small 

 drains as if they were six-barred gates, in the most 

 unorthodox or rather un-Holderness style. The 

 blood was much liked by the Woldsmen ; and the 

 Prince of Wales, through Mat Milton, gave Mr. 

 Richard Nainby of Barnoldby (whose eldest son 

 Charles has no superior in the Brocklesby hunting 

 field) 400 guineas for a bay gelding by him, which was 

 bred by Mr. Phillipson, of Bradley. Sir Harry, who 

 was by Spartacus, and bred by the first Lord Yar- 

 borough, was after all Will's crack horse deep-bodied 

 and short, with wonderful elastic action, and as wild- 

 looking as an untamed Arab. 



The late Mr. Richardson, of Limber, had, however, 

 the honour of breeding Ploughboy by Hippomenes, 

 and seeing Will (who was in his glory with Will Mason 

 and Bob Caunt as his whips) on him for some eight 

 seasons. Few horses combined so much blood with 

 such stout legs ; his eye was also quite a curiosity, 

 from its power and prominence ; but his peculiarity 

 was his short-sightedness, and owing to this failing, it 

 was not three times in a season that he would take 

 anything at a fly. Will used to say of him that he 

 feared no fence if he could only pull him up and take 

 it standing ; but the old bay was fated to die in other 

 hands. That noted Lincolnshire sportsman, Tom 

 Brooks, of Croxby, had often wished to ride a run 

 on him, but never did so till one day, when, as Will 



