THE NOBLE ART OF BACKING WINNERS 1 99 



I got expelled from two boarding-schools 

 out of three — at least, I got expelled from 

 one, and the mater was politely requested 

 to remove me from another, which was 

 much the same thing. By some manoeu- 

 vring I managed to get off to the hunt 

 steeplechase meeting just outside the city, 

 and I had 55. to 45'. Barbarian, a horse 

 belonging to Mr. Sam Welfitt of Tath- 

 well, and ridden by Mr. Rippon Brockton, 

 otherwise known as old Rip Brockton, 

 even in those days, thirty years ago. 

 He was judging at a horse show the 

 other day where I was showing, and 

 looks very little older now than he did 

 then. Up to the time he gave up riding, 

 there w^as no more popular gentleman 

 rider in Nottinghamshire and Lincoln- 

 shire of a certainty than Mr. Brockton. 

 I did my winnings in and a bit more to 

 it before I left the course, but, nothing 



