THE DAWN OF STEEPLECHASING 9 



Bullivant, riding his favourite hunter, Sentinel, took 

 the lead, and though Mr. Frisby dropped out of the 

 running, a fine race between the other two who were 

 going on side by side appeared more than probable. 

 It was, it seems, permissible for the riders to go 

 through gates, as while Mr. Day was in the act of 

 so doing his horse's shoulder came in contact with the 

 gate post, and the luckless gentleman was thrown with 

 great violence. He was soon in the saddle again, 

 however, but Mr. Bullivant was so far ahead that the 

 race was as good as ready money to him, and so it 

 turned out. Mr. Day and Mr. Frisby had a some- 

 what bumping finish to themselves, running almost neck 

 and neck for the last half mile. At the end Mr. 

 Day beat Mr. Frisby for second place by half a neck. 

 The time occupied by the race is said, though surely 

 erroneously, to have been 25 minutes 32 seconds. 



We have seen that, with very few exceptions, races 

 over a country were matches made among hunting men, 

 and it may be the general opinion that nothing in the 

 shape of a made fence was known until comparatively 

 recently ; at any rate until the Hippodrome at Bays- 

 water was established about the year 1837, by Mr. John 

 Whyte. Such, however, is not the case, for very long 

 ago there was a made course at Bedford. The Clerk 

 of the Course at Bedford, one day in 18 10, went alter 

 the race ordinary at the Swan Inn, Bedford, to the 

 Duke of that name, with whom were General Fitzpatrick 

 and other race Stewards, to speak about the nomi- 

 nations for the following year. A sweepstakes on 

 the flat for hunters was proposed but negatived, it 

 being likely that some race-horse would, as was the 

 case at other meetings, come and swoop down on 

 the prize without showing any sport. The Stewards 

 then suggested that it should be a condition of the 

 race that no race-horse should run. Mr. George 



