196 LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



always in '^rcat request at the time of point-to-point chases ; 

 l)ut methinks the music of hounds has more charms for him 

 than the clano" of the sadclHno- bell, or the hoarse shouts of the 

 mol). exciting as it may be, to win a ding-dong race by a 

 short neck. Many of the farmers' chasers has Mr. Tweed 

 ridden, none better than Mr. James Rust's " Architect," on 

 which he won the Farmers' Steeplechase at Champion Lodge, 

 we believe in the year 1886. Mr. Rust wears the trophy, a 

 gold watch, given by Sir Claud de Crespigny, to this day, 

 and no doubt thinks of the old horse every time he winds it 

 up after a heavy market-day at Chelmsford. 



Another good horse of the same class with which Mr. 

 Tweed was successful was Mr. Herbert Richardson's "Marvel," 

 on which he won the Shrubland Park Steeplechase at Ipswich 

 in 1890. His brother subsequendy won the Essex Union 

 Point-to- Point on this horse, while Mr. Darnley was trying 

 to sleep off slight concussion sustained at Galleywood the 

 day before. ^lention may be made of one or two more 

 good chasers which Mr. Tweed steered to victory for other 

 Essex sportsmen, commencing with Mr. H. B. Dickinson's 

 " Hypatica," a thoroughbred mare by " Blair Adam," and 

 bred by Mr. Dickinson on his ranche in Argentina. She 

 won the Roothing Steeplechase at Galleywood in 1888; the 

 last time Mr. Tweed rode her she fell with him at the drop 

 fence near the entrance gate at Reed Hall, Colchester, and 

 lay across him w^ith her legs going round his head like the 

 sails of a windmill. Calling to a dragoon standing by to 

 catch her legs, pull her over and free him, he received the 

 reply. "What about her kicking me?" Fortunately a better 

 plucked niessmate came running up and soon did as Mr. 

 Tweed required, using at the same time some very strong- 

 epithets to the funker. 



Mr. R. B. Colvin's "Merrythought" was a good mare. 

 Mr. Tweed won the Open Race at the Essex Hunt Meeting 

 in 1 89 1 on her, and quite expected a sequence of wins had 

 she not developed a leg. He thinks, however, that "Golden 

 Lady " was the best of Mr. Colvin's that he ever rode. In 

 1890 she Won the Open Race at the East Essex Hunt 

 Meeting at Galleywood, with Tippler up, and within an hour 

 Mr. Tweed rode her for the Hunt Cup over the same 

 course, when, in spite of being knocked down at the water 

 jump he caught the field of .seven before they rounded the 

 Church, and won in a canter. Unluckily she also developed a 

 leg. As good a looking one, but up to more weight and a 



