I30 STEEPLECHASING 



her breeder. After being trained for Mr. Hoi ford by 

 Saunders of Hednesford, Lord Coventry bought her 

 and sent her to J. Golby at Northleach, the well-known 

 trainer of jumpers, and afterwards to Weever, of Bourton. 

 Having fallen several times, she came to quite dread the 

 sight of a fence and could never be induced to jump. 

 She did not show temper when asked to leap, but 

 simply appeared to be in a high state of nervousness. 

 One day Weever's patience was fairly exhausted, and 

 picking a decent stick out of some hedge cuttings, he 

 "helped her over" a small fence. After two or three 

 rough-and-tumble lessons of this sort Emblem made 

 unwilling attempts to jump, and was taken out with the 

 Cotswold and Heythrop Hounds. 



Occasionally she would jump well enough ; at others 

 she would chance her fences in the most appalling style. 

 At length, however, Emblem became a jumper. She was 

 out with the North Cotswold Hounds at Weston Park. 

 At that time Charles Maidment, the "lucky Maidment " 

 of after days, was a light-weight in Weever's stables, 

 and being mounted on a trustworthy hunter, was told 

 to give Emblem a lead over some gorsed hurdles in the 

 Park. He did so and Emblem followed. This simple 

 leap appeared to put new courage into the mare. She 

 never turned her head from a fence all day, and what is 

 more scarcely ever put a foot wrong in a steeplechase, 

 while she turned out a tremendous jumper. Once when 

 out with the Heythrop she took an enormous fence ; she 

 is credited with having cleared about thirty-three feet at 

 Moreton- in- Marsh steeplechases, and even a bigger jump 

 when running for the Birmingham Grand Annual. As 

 Emblem won the Grand National there was a great 

 agitation on foot to get the weights raised, including a 

 penalty of lo lbs. She carried lo st. ro lbs., and weedy 

 as she was voted, yet started at 4 to i. 



