Riding a Point-to-Point 



WE are all lined up at the starting-post in the nearest 

 thing to a straight line that a troublesome bay horse 

 will allow. His green-clad rider is fighting desperately 

 to prevent the brute from savaging every other fairly- 

 well-behaved entrant in the race. Soon " Away you 

 go ! And good luck to you ! " is heard as the flag 

 drops; and the Starter sends a further God-speed to 

 our thundering hooves with the merry notes of a " Gone 

 Away " on his hunting horn. 



The first fence looks like a strip of dark green canvas 

 stretched between two groups of people. With a railing 

 of human beings lining its approach on left and right, 

 horses seem distracted, and treat the fence rather care- 

 lessly. Luckily it is only a simple gorse-built affair; 

 though the horse on the left refuses it. Flinging it 

 behind, horses race away with renewed fury. The 

 chestnut in front is setting a terrific pace. His rider 

 endeavours to get him settled down, but with little 

 success, and he leads over the first bank like a Derby 

 winner. People are no longer crowding the fences and 

 horses have less to distract them at their work. An 

 open ditch yawns malevolently, but the pace affords 

 scant opportunity for an examination of its width. A 

 bank looms in front, and if that chestnut leads us to it 



90 



