254 STEEPLECHASING 



to the hedge, but fell over a thick bush and was pulled 

 up lame. Nothing was near the first three, but India 

 Rubber, maintaining a uniform pace and making no 

 mistake, came in a bad fourth. There were several falls. 

 Robert the Devil tore off both his fore-plates, and 

 Coronet, after landing in a bog, dropped dead. The 

 winner was bred in Ireland in 1830, and was purchased 

 of Mr. Hunt, the owner of Cigar. 



1843 



In 1843, what were called the Grand Military- 

 Steeplechases were organised by the officers of the 

 17th Lancers (then quartered at Leeds), and were held at 

 Wetherby, Yorkshire, on historic racing ground. Prince 

 George (the Duke of Cambridge) was one of the patrons, 

 and he was accompanied to the course by Lord Hare wood, 

 Lord Cardigan, Lord Inverary, Sir L. Lister Kaye, Major- 

 General Brotherton, Colonel Markham, and others ; while 

 the band of the 32nd Regiment of Foot attended. 



The course was a round one, the line being marked 

 out with scarlet flags, which had to be kept to the left 

 of the riders. The start took place in a field near 

 Linton, and the course was about two miles round, but 

 the former part of the route had to be gone over again, 

 the artificial brook being the last leap but one into the 

 winning field, thereby avoiding the stone wall. The fences 

 in the first round were about twenty-two, and in the second 

 about fourteen ; the distance was 3^ miles. The ground 

 was nearly all grass, there being only one fallow and two 

 seed fields in the line ; the fences were good, some being 

 strong. One or two horses were staked, but not severely. 



There were three races, but they were all confined to 

 officers of the 1 7th Lancers, so the meeting cannot be 

 considered as a "Grand Military," though it was called 

 so in the columns of Bell's Life. 



