28o STEEPLECHASING 



brook and gave up, leaving Mr. Williams to complete the 

 course alone, in which circumstances one would suppose 

 that he eased his horse, yet thirty-one minutes and a half 

 is the time g-iven for the eioht miles. 



1823 



On the 3rd of February 1823 the great match be- 

 tween Captain Forester and Major James took place, from 

 Colebrook to Farnham. While crossing Lord Bray- 

 brook's park, Major James's horse fell ; his rider broke 

 his collar-bone and could not continue the race, where- 

 upon Captain James, the Major's nephew, forthwith 

 challenged Captain Forester to ride against him for 

 2000 guineas over a course of twenty miles. The 

 challenge was accepted, and the event was to come 

 off within a month, but I cannot discover that the race 

 ever came off 



The 6th of March 1823 saw John Mytton of 

 Halston ride a four-mile steeplechase against the Hon. 

 C. Trevor, from Pradoe to a spot near Nescliffe. Mytton 

 rode his fine hunter Beppo, and Mr. Trevor his mare 

 Lady Jane. The start took place at a quarter to twelve, 

 and in a quarter of an hour Mr. Trevor had decisively 

 beaten Jack Mytton, who, finding that he had no chance 

 of overtaking his antagonist, turned off to join the 

 hounds which he heard in the distance. At that time 

 the accepted rules of steeplechasing forbade a rider to 

 go more than a hundred yards along any road, and on 

 measuring the ground it was discovered that Mr. Trevor 

 had ridden along one lane a distance of a hundred and 

 five yards, consequently the match was declared unde- 

 cided, and the stakes were left to make a fresh match 

 to be run on the following Wednesday ; but it did not 

 take place, Lady Jane being amiss as the result of her 



