REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 23 



out early in the year, they were unlikely to race there again, 

 and bluer than ever in conse- quence, looked the pros- 

 pects for the coming meeting. A dullness and apathy 

 in everything connected with racing, seemed to be settl- 

 ing over Behar, like a funeral pall; thoughat Pusah good 

 old Colonel Apperley, a son of the gallant Nimrod and 

 then in charge of the stud, offered to throw open his course 

 and hospitable house, to any horses and men that cared to 

 come and train there. Strong was the veteran's language 

 against the deplorable want of go and independence among 

 the local civilians and planters, whom he characterised as 

 a lot of sycophants, but to no purpose did he moralise, and it 

 was not till Lord Ulick Browne came, like a Bayard to the rescue, 

 that Mozufferpore flourished again. Alec Russell and Frank 

 Drummond backed him up warmly. There was an uncommonly 

 good native jockey in those days, who used to ride at Sone- 

 pore, his name was Panchoo Khan, he was quite as fine a 

 horseman as was afterwards Jaffir Khan, and had the nick- 

 name of the Chifney of the East. Panchoo, who was at this 

 time about forty-six years of age, was the son of the Jemadar 

 of a Tirhoot planter named Perry, who kept a pack of hounds 

 as far back as 1811, and who made the lad whipper-in when 

 some eight years old; teaching him to ride a loose horse 

 barebacked. Panchoo first donned silk at Sonepore in 1822, 

 but after Mr. Perry retired to England, he went up to the 

 North-west, where his career was very successful. He was 

 trusted and liked, not only by his many employers, but fully 

 as much by European professionals. Dr. Ogilvie, Mr. Patton 

 and Mr. Russell were his chief patrons in Behar, after Mr. 

 Perry; he frequently outrode such exceptionally fine horsemen 

 as Robert Ross, C. Barker, and Barnes. Ross was a jockey 

 whose steadiness and business capacity stood him in such 

 good stead, that he finished his career as head-partner of 

 the famous house of Cook and Co., Calcutta, Barker more 



