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18 LKAVKS FROM A HUNTINC 1)1A1<\" 



began life, while a lad, as whip, or second horseman, to Sir 

 Belling'ham Graham's Harriers in Yorkshn'e. He was thirty- 

 two years with me and died while in my service. He loved 

 his horses and took infinite care of them. His wife used to 

 complain that he thought much more of his horses than of 

 his children. On more than one occasion I have happened 

 to go to the stables supposing all had gone home for the night, 

 when on entering I saw Beckington stripped to his shirt sleeves, 

 bathed in sweat, and dressing a favourite hunter. 



On rather chiding him for letting his understrappers go 

 home before finishing their work, he explained that the horse 

 had not been done to his satisfaction and so he preferred to do 

 him over again himself. It need hardly be added that the 

 horse's coat was then shining like satin, as he showed it to me 

 with honest ])ride. 



" Cognac." 



At that time I had three other hunters, namely, *' Cognac," 

 " Champagne," and " Circe.'' The two latter were capital 

 hunters, but with no special features. " Cognac " was, 

 however, a more wonderful horse than even " Carlow," and 

 was, without exception, the grandest water-jumper I ever saw 

 or possessed. I have jumped rivers and the main Fen- Dyke, 

 beyond Grantham in Lincolnshire, and the Down Hall. Leaden, 

 and other brooks in Essex and the Vale of Aylesbury, in places 

 where they had never been jumped before and very probably 

 never since. 



A moat on the farm of John W^ebb, of Hatfield Town, near 

 Dunmow, had always been voted impracticable, but was seen 

 by John Webb to be cleared by " Cognac " in gallant style. 

 At another place in the Roothings where two fences and wide 

 ditches crossed at right angles, I was rash enough to ride him 

 at their junction, but he jumped the lot, clearing a distance, 

 measured the next day, of 36 feet. 



On another occasion, riding home from hunting with that 

 good sportsman and neat rider, Horatio Kidd, of Nine Ashes, 

 Blackmore, he said to me, " You have jumped everything 

 except a road. Do be able to say you have jumped a ready 



We were near home at that time, after a hard day, and in a 

 deep narrow road. So I jumped out of the road, took him 

 some fifty yards into the field and sent him at it, when he 

 cleared the two fences and intervening road magnificently. 



Unfortunately, he had no mouth, and pulled frightfully, but 

 I succeeded with him where evervone before me who had tried 



