286 STEEPLECHASING 



chase should be held annually on the second Tuesday 

 in March. 



Mention has already been made of a race or two in 

 Scotland, and in the year 1833 there were a couple 

 which were of sufficient importance to record here. The 

 first, for which there were eight starters, took place 

 on the I St of March over a four -mile course near 

 Edinburgh, the starting-point being about a mile to 

 the west of the Livingstone and Bathgate road, the 

 " winning beacon " being placed in Dechmont Great 

 Park. The line was all over grass, and there were 

 twenty-three fences, chiefly high stone walls, but there 

 w^ere several other fences, including a wide brook. 

 The line was chosen by Major Shairp, the umpire, who, 

 to show that he considered it a perfectly fair course, 

 rode fence for fence with the competitors, his mount 

 being a fine hunter of Mr. Ramsay's, that gentleman 

 running another, named Rattlesnake, in the race. The 

 Major's horse jumped a brook in flood, clearing 27 feet. 

 Mr. Dyer's Navarino, ridden by his owner, gained a 

 somewhat easy victory ; Mr. Scott's Twilight was second 

 into the winning field, but Mr. Spiers, his rider, finding 

 that he could not win, eased him, so Mr. Asher's Coup- 

 cart, ridden by his owner, beat Twilight for second 

 place. Mr. Wilkie's Rainbow came in fifth, after giving 

 his owner four falls on the way. The time was given 

 as 1 3 minutes. 



On Monday, the 25th of March, there took place a 

 series of five four-mile steeplechases between horses 

 belonging to Lord Eglinton and Mr. Edington of 

 Glasgow. The horses were to be ridden by gentlemen 

 riders. 



In the first race Lord Eglinton rode his horse, and 

 Mr. T. Annesley that of Mr. Edington. The latter led 

 till close to home, when his horse refused, so Lord 

 Eglinton went on and won. 



