First Whipper-in. 103 



Brother to " Patience " was a good young horse, six years 

 old, and ran third to Mr. Chaplin's "Emperor II" in the 

 Great National Steeplechase at Wetherby in 1863 or 1864.t 

 Mr. George Walker was " up," but broke a stirrup leather 

 after going half a mile, and could have been second. He 

 was bid a good price for the horse at the meeting, but 

 refused it, and sent him home at once. Whilst being 

 shunted at Barnetby Junction a collision took place, and the 

 box in whioh he was in was smashed up all to pieces, and 

 the horse, of course, killed. It was a great loss, as he was 

 a wonderful good horse, and I beat Cortolvin, who, after- 

 wards in 1867 won the Grand National (having also run 

 second to Salamander in 1866) on him in a trial. We had 

 a big saddle bag on " Brother to Patience," full up, but I 

 never knew what the weights were, and they took care 

 that I didn't handle it either! They were particularly "fly" 

 about my never knowing the weights, or anything of that 

 sort. I wanted to get into a hunting stable, or be with fox- 

 hounds, so I gave them notice, his Lordship, at Brocklesby, 

 having promised me a situation as soon as one was vacant. 



I may add that it was with regret that I heard of the 

 death of Mr. George Walker in March of this year, 1903, at 

 the age of seventy years. I believe Mr. Robert is still alive. 



It was in the year 1865 that I went to Brocklesby as 

 under-kennelman for one year, and was then put on as 

 second horseman to Nimrod Long, the huntsman. Nimrod 

 Long was a first-rate huntsman, but best of all perhaps in 

 the kennel, for he was a great hound man ; he had a beau- 

 tiful seat on a horse, but I always thought that his heart 

 was not quite right for cross-country work ; he seemed to 



t Probably in 1864, as the Grand National Hunt Steeplechases were held at Market Har- 

 borough in 1863. 



