The Qtiorn Hunt 



" Two hours and a quarter, I think, was the time ; 

 It was beautiful — great — indeed 'twas sublime : 

 Not Meynell himself, the king of all men, 

 E'er saw such a chase, or will e'er see again. 

 Tom Smith in the contest maintained a good place ; 

 Tho' not first up at last, made a famous good race. 

 I'm sure he's no reason his horse to abuse. 

 Yet I wish he'd persuade him to keep on his shoes. 

 You must judge by the nags that were in at the end, 

 What riders to quiz, and what to commend." 



Without any aspersion on the Quorn hunt field 

 of the present day — and the first-flighters are 

 quicker after hounds now than they were in 

 those days of long ago — I quote ^' Post and 

 Paddock/' by the Druid. 



"The greatest riding period with the Quorn 

 was generally allowed to be that of Lords Jersey, 

 Germaine, and Forester, and Messrs. Cholmondeley 

 (afterwards Lord Delamere), Assheton Smith, Lin- 

 dow, and his twin-brother, Mr. Rawlinson. The 

 latter was as famous over Leicestershire on Spread 

 Eagle as he was on the turf. He won the Derby 

 with Coronation in 1841. Sir Henry and his 

 brother, Mr. Alfred RawHnson, are equally well 

 known at Hurlingham and Ranelagh to-day. The 

 latter especially as a member of the 17th Lancers 

 team and Freebooter's quartette. 



"It used to be said that Mr. Rawlinson's riding 



was the better for his horse, but that Mr. Lindow 



sold his horses better." '^ Mr. Meynell was like 



a regular little apple-dumpling on horseback ; Mr. 



27 



