ENGLISH PONIES. 177 



they always have been ridden for thirty minutes out 

 of the sixty in a tight match. 



Siren (Fig. 42) and Nipcat (Fig. 70) are ponies 

 of the same class and stamp as the three just men- 

 tioned, but they are not so good from a show point of 

 view, because they are a trifle short in front and 

 carry their saddles a little forward. They have been 

 ridden in all the matches played by the Rugby team 

 for several years. Nipcat 's performances are quite 

 unique. I rode her as a four-year-old in the winning 

 team of the Open Cup in Paris in 1894; she has 

 played in four winning Champion Cups at Hurlingham, 

 in two Open Cups at Ranelagh, and in three Open 

 Cups in Dublin. Altogether she has helped to win 

 ten Open Cups. In 1901 she played for thirty minutes 

 in the final of the Champion Cup at Hurlingham, in 

 the Open Cup at Ranelagh, and in the Open Cup at 

 Dublin. Siren's performances are as good, but she 

 has not been as long at the game. In my opinion she 

 is the best forward pony I have ever ridden, as she 

 has more pace than those that I have just mentioned, 

 and is quite as handy. It is a great pity that we know 

 so little about the breeding of these flyers. The 

 pedigrees of Matchbox and Luna are quite unknown ; 

 Siren is believed to be by Loved One out of a pony 

 mare ; Mademoiselle is by Loved One out of Madame 

 Angot, a favourite old hunter mare belonging to Mr. 

 L' Estrange, of Sligo. Madame Angot was by 

 Munster Blazer, grand dam by Woodpecker, by Bird- 

 catcher. Nipcat is by Buckshot (the sire of Swan- 

 shot, Ardcarn, and many other good horses) out of a 

 14-hand pony mare. Luna, Siren, Mademoiselle, and 

 Nipcat are Irish. Mickey (Fig. J2)) ^^^ Dennis 



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