VARIOUS RACES 297 



ground before, while their riders had not the least know- 

 ledge of the fences. The victory he thought was a fluke, 

 because by some lucky accident one of the riders made 

 a good guess, while another on perhaps a still better 

 horse found himself confronted by some absolutely un- 

 jumpable obstacles. In Ireland, he explained, the ground 

 was chosen with a great deal more care than in England, 

 by experienced sportsmen, who so managed matters that 

 all-round excellence was aimed at. There was orrass 

 over which horses might gallop, and fallow ground to 

 test their endurance, while the steed whose forte was 

 getting over banks or ditches found that before he could 

 win he had to jump some 5 ft. walls, while, on the other 

 hand, the wall jumper found that his ability in that 

 respect would not bring victory in his grasp, because 

 brooks and ditches had to be cleared. Furthermore, the 

 course, he remarked, was always "double posted," and 

 between these posts the horses must pass, though we 

 have the curious proviso, "always provided if they can," 

 while the spectators could ride with the competitors clear 

 of the posts. The jockeys had the opportunity of riding 

 over the ground once or twice, so as to take mental notes 

 as to where they would make play, and to what part of 

 the fences they would ride. 



Haverfordwest was all excitement in March 1837, 

 when the second steeplechase seen in that part was 

 held, and a critic who went down to see wondered how 

 on earth the horses managed to get over the Pembroke- 

 shire banks. There were three starters, the winner 

 being Cannon-Ball, ridden by Mr. Wellington Peel, and 

 just afterwards was a match over the same course be- 

 tween Mr. Scourfield's Charlie, a well-known hunter, 

 and Mr. Davis's Madcap. The former was ridden by 

 Mr. Scourfield's huntsman, Michael, while Mr. Welling- 

 ton Peel had a leg up on the other. Charlie pulled 

 hard for over two miles andilooked like winning easily. 



