AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 135 



was to Ireland, he was to Scotland. A man of 

 exalted character, he was cut off in the prime of life, 

 after attaining every honour that ambition could desire, 

 breathing his last in the arms of his bosom friend, Whvte 

 Melville, the laureate of the chase. 



Ashgill, in the early " sixties," was rising to its zenith, 

 for the world of later years had prospered with " Old 

 John," his horses and his family. He had thoroughly 

 established his reputation as a capable trainer, and the 

 worries and responsibilities of his position were now 

 relieved by the valuable assistance rendered by his three 

 sons — William, Robert, and John — now men in years 

 and in experience. At the beginning of the decade a 

 large number of horses were in the stable, which, indeed, 

 had been invariably full up after '58. In addition to the 

 sixty horses in training, there was a like number of 

 brood mares to look after, these being placed out at 

 various homesteads in the neighbourhood. 



Continuing the viva voce narrative, John Osborne 

 relates : — 



" I rode no good winners in 1860 except 

 Sabreur, who won the ' Great Yorkshire.' No 

 noteworthy horses were at Ashgill that year 

 except Moorcock and Moorhen. Moorhen, who 

 was the property of my father, won the ' Great 

 Yorkshire ' at Doncaster. Lady Trespass won 

 two small handicaps at Derby, and went amiss 

 for the Oaks, but after\vards showed form when 

 she won the ' Park Hill ' at Doncaster. She 

 belonged to old Mr. Hudson, of Brigham, near 

 Driffield. Her best at the stud was Mr. Batt's 

 Castlereagh, by Speculum. 



" About this period Zetland appeared on the 

 scene. He would be a two-year-old in '61. Bred 



