CANADIANS. 217 



In the final of the Rugby tournament of 1900, he did 

 not get off this pony's back for half an hour ; and he 

 makes a rule of always playing him for three periods of 

 ten minutes in every important match. Bendigo's 

 chief merits are great pace, handiness, and a perfect 

 mouth. He is so easy to play that he never tires his 

 rider. Mr. Lawson brought him to England after 

 having won with him, in Canada, 22 races, most of 



Fig. 94. — Colonel de Lisle 's Australian pony " Mary Morrison." 



which were steeplechases : in fact, he is a perfect type 

 of a miniature steeplechase horse. Mr. Buckmaster 

 got several other ponies from Canada, but none of them 

 was of any use. They were good-looking ponies, but 

 slow, and had bad tempers as a rule. It would not be 

 fair to judge Canadians by one or two small batches, 

 and perhaps in the next few years some enterprising- 

 sportsmen will pay us a visit from Canada and bring 

 their ponies with them. We shall then have a fair 

 chance of forming a correct opinion on their merits. 



