AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 127 



stances, and was apprenticed at the age of ten 3ears to 

 Drewett, of Lewes, making his dehut at the Brighton 

 autumn meeting in 1850, or four years later than did 

 John Osborne have his first leg up at Radchffe, Ford- 

 ham s weight avoirdupois being 3 st. 8 lbs., which was 

 increased to the necessary 5 st. with clothes and a large 

 saddle. It was not until twelve months afterwards, and 

 at the same meeting, that he had his initial winning 

 mount. A short time after this he had a narrow escape 

 with his life. He was thrown from Miss Nippet when 

 riding her in the strawyard, and his foot slipping 

 through the iron, he was suspended by the laiee and 

 carried round the strawvard with her kickins; at him 

 for some time until he was rescued. The effects of that 

 fall he felt throughout the whole of his career, and it 

 left him an enlarged knee joint until his dying day. It 

 was not until 1853 that he took his " first class " on 

 Little David, on whom he won the Cambridgeshire for 

 the wealthy and eccentric Mr. W. Smith, of whom it is 

 related that he never read but three books in his life — 

 " The Racing Calendar," " The Duke of Wellington's 

 Despatches," and the Holy Bible. His subsequent 

 brilliant recrister for manv seasons defies analysis in the 

 brief space admissible in these pages, and he well 

 verified the sobriquet of " The Demon," which was 

 conferred upon him in addition to " The Kid." 



A good year for the Osbornes was 1861, the stable 

 sendins; out no less than fifty-two winners, which total 

 was six better than that of Thomas Dawson's output at 

 Tupgill, though eighteen less than John Scott, who still 

 waved the wizard's wand at Whitewall. In this year 

 died Touchstone, whom Tom Dawson considered the 

 best horse of his time, bar none. When in training. 



