148 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. 



He won his spurs, too, between the flags, riding at 

 most of the old meetings, and winning over the St. Leger 

 course at Doncaster, besides carrying off the Ludlow Cup, 

 and the Harrington Cup twice. When Sir Peter Walker 

 started his point-to-point races in 1894, he was most 

 anxious to ride. But to do so he had, under the conditions 

 of the race, to be nominated by a lady, and the, perhaps, 

 wiser counsels of Mrs. Boden, who comes of an ancient 

 Derbyshire stock, the Holdens, prevailed. 



In his younger days, before his marriage, he could 

 wield the willow to good effect, playing for his county, 

 and at the Oval, in most of the best matches. 



Neither does he despise a day's shooting, and used to 

 enjoy it to the full in Scotland with his friend, the late 

 Mr. Hamar Bass, when many a brace of grouse, and many 

 a lordly stag, fell to the crack of gun and rifle. But, 

 perhaps, one of his greatest achievements was, in con- 

 junction with his brother Walter, in raising the Derby 

 meeting from the mire to the very pinnacle of racing 

 excellence, while the mention of " Boden's Thorns " sends 

 a thrill of delight through the veins of every hunting man. 

 His stable is always full of the best of horses, and as 

 empty on a hunting morning as the needs of his many 

 friends can make it, for he is not one of those churls — 



" Who keeps for nought else, save to purge 'em with balls, 

 Like a dog in a manger, bis nags in their stalls." 



A stranger coming here a year or two ago was at a loss 

 to know which to admire the most — the horsemanship or 

 the tout ensemble — and, of a surety, both are very hard 

 to beat. He might almost lay claim to be the original 

 of the following verses, which were written of the famous 

 Mr. Banks Wright, Sir Richard Sutton's half-brother : — 



"At Styche arrives, and then bewitches 

 The ladies with his azure breeches : 

 The well-turned leg, the well-made boot, 

 The hat, the tie, all follow suit. 

 In fact, they all at once declare, 

 None in their Hunt so dehonnaire J^ 



