48 STEEPLECHASING 



Cotherstone for the Derby in 1843, and with him he won 

 the Queen's Vase at the followino- Ascot meetinor. No 

 one was more conspicuous than the Colonel for standing 

 against Derby horses, nor was he discouraged from doing 

 so b)' the many narrow escapes he had from losing 

 enormous sums. 



Colonel Charretie was always ready for a match or 

 bet of any kind, and in 1842 he made a bet that he 

 would win a shooting match, the Imperial Steeplechase 

 at Cheltenham, and play the Duke of Gloucester in 

 Richard III. at the Assembly Rooms on the same 

 evening. The Colonel was a very capital hand at 

 billiards, cards, and pigeon-shooting, and he took a 

 keen interest in the introduction of breech-loaders, a 

 subject on which he wrote several letters to the Field 

 newspaper. 



In connection with his shooting exploits, the Colonel 

 hired some partridge - shooting round about North 

 Mimms. He was something like Colonel Hawker in 

 his disregard for his neighbours' landmarks, and was a 

 frequent trespasser on the Hatfield property. 



" There he is on your lordship's land again," one day 

 said a keeper to the Marquis of Salisbury. The Marquis 

 dismounted from his cob, and ordered his man to ride on 

 and shoot the Colonel's pointer. The man obeyed his 

 orders, but the dog was scarcely dead before Colonel 

 Charretie shot the cob, the Marquis's favourite mount, and 

 gave the keeper to understand that he might consider 

 himself very fortunate that he did not shoot him as well. 

 The following morning, it is said, saw Mr. Osbaldeston 

 at Hatfield with a demand for "satisfaction," but 

 the matter was arranged without the spilling of any 

 more blood. 



For a bet Colonel Charretie is reported to have 

 learned by heart the whole of the Morning Post of a 

 particular day, and to have repeated every word of it, 



