ORGANISED STEEPLECHASING 55 



bank and a ditch to and from it. To this jump the 

 ground was on the descent ; it then rose a httle for a 

 field or two, and, with moderate fencing, came to a 

 narrow grass lane, banked, hedged, and ditched on both 

 sides. The line now proceeded over a country nearly 

 flat, leaving Childwick Bury, Sir Blundell Maple's place, 

 and the half-way house to the left, the fencing being 

 exceedingly light, until it was intersected by the Har- 

 penden high road, about two miles from the start. Up 

 to this stage the riders were directed to leave the flags 

 on the right hand ; here, however, a large black and 

 white flag was placed in a tree, and thence to the finish 

 the flags were to be kept to the left. Quitting the road 

 was a fence on a high bank, and it was a regular poser. 

 The line continued through a few small inclosures, 

 skirted the first part of the common, entered it from the 

 corner of the field, and finished with a half mile over 

 flat turf. There must have been upwards of thirty 

 fences, but the only severe obstacles were the two at 

 the beginning into the green lane, and that out of the 

 Harpenden road. The riders were in their saddles a 

 little before two o'clock, and on entering the starting 

 field Coleman, who was accompanied by Mr. Delme 

 Radcliffe, Mr. S. Smith (the Mayor), and the Esterhazy 

 party, pointed out the flags, and gave the direction of 

 the ground, which was not shown to them. There was 

 scarcely any betting. Cinderella at once dashed away 

 with the lead at a pace which some voted too fast to 

 last. Prediction blundered at the first fence, while The 

 Curate jumped splendidly. Cinderella, maintaining the 

 lead, hesitated at the fence into the road, but was first 

 over this awkward obstacle, at which Spicey, Conrad, 

 Boy Blue, and Beanstalk refused, the two last named 

 because they were so interfered with by other horses. 

 On reaching the Common, Speculation and Cinderella 

 went on side by side taking their fences together. Pilot 



