264 STEEPLECHASING 



the race being won by the horse which really de- 

 served it. The lane which divides two of the meadows 

 on the left hand was completely full of water, presenting 

 all the appearance of a brook, and this was the cause 

 of innumerable mishaps, for, as the horses, after jumping 

 into it, could not see the ditch below the hedge that 

 led out of it, most of them placed their fore feet in the 

 ditch, and fell in attempting to jump. At half-past 

 two, eleven riders sallied forth, to be transformed in a 

 few minutes into a set of guys whose features defied 

 recognition. 



The race resulted thus : — 



Capt. Dyson's (3rd D. G.) "Master Robin" . . Owner i 

 ,, Hervey's (13th L. D.) " Mushroom " . . ,, 2 



With the advent of the year 1849 the glory of the 

 Grand Military Steeplechases appears to have been 

 somewhat dimmed, and both the competitors and the 

 management seem to have incurred the charge of being 

 indifferent to the welfare of the meeting, and in 1849 

 the number of starters was regarded as unsatisfactory. 

 Up to the year 1846 the Grand Military was run in the 

 Northampton district, but on the venue being changed 

 to Warwickshire both the entries and the fields fell off, 

 so in 185 I a change of conditions was made, an attempt 

 to keep out any steeplechase horse which some ambitious 

 officer might have seen fit to buy. This year (1851) the 

 horses were to be the unconditional property of officers 

 on full pay of the army, and that had been regularly 

 hunted in the years 1850 and 1851, with any estab- 

 lished pack of hounds, 12 st. each; a winner of a 

 steeplechase or hurdle race, within the four previous 

 years, of the value of 50 sovs., to carry 7 lbs. ; 

 twice of 50 or once of 100, 10 lbs. ; of 200, 14 lbs. ; 

 of 300, 21 lbs. ; or of 400, 28 lbs. extra. Any officer 



