ORGANISED STEEPLECHASING 29 



early in the race, was much talked about. Considering 

 the many big countries over which he rode, he sustained 

 fewer falls than might have been expected, and certainly 

 fewer than fell to the lot of many of his contemporaries. 

 Nevertheless he had some severe tumbles, and one of 

 them caused him to walk lame for the remainder of his 

 life. 



He retired from active work in 1838, honoured by 

 all, but in somewhat poor circumstances, for, as one of 

 his friends said, "He failed to make hay while the sun 

 was shining." This was really a great compliment to 

 his integrity, which, during the eight or nine years he 

 was riding, was never called in question. Some little 

 time after he had given up steeplechasing, a friend of his 

 obtained for him the appointment of inspector of sacks 

 on the Great Northern Railway, but a few months of the 

 work was enough for him, and as his wife came into a 

 little property he settled down quietly, and the life of 

 this fine horseman came to a peaceful end. His remains 

 rest in Willesden Cemetery. Captain Becher was often 

 painted as taking part in steeplechases, but so far as I 

 am aware, no portrait of him as he was in later days 

 exists, and it is a pity that when Mr. Joy published his 

 picture of Tattersall's Yard, he could not have secured 

 Captain Becher's spare figure, intelligent face, and white 

 curled whiskers to place among the other notables of 

 the day. 



1832 



Nineteen horses of what were described as of "the 

 right sort," went to the post in 1832, the conditions of 

 the race being the same as before, except that the winner's 

 selling price was to be ^400 instead of ^^500. The 

 competitors were all stabled in the town, and the riders 

 having saddled and mounted in the "Turf Hotel" yard, 



