First Whipper-in. i79 



rode a grey horse, or mare, and looked on the bright side 

 of things ; sometimes he would come accompanied by Mr. 

 John Page Sowerby of Stokesley (a relative, I think, of Mr. 

 Page), who enjoyed a gallop in the Norton or Bishopton 

 country. Then I remember Mr. John Armstrong, whose 

 brother "Willie" was in the Castle Eden district, and 

 used to entertain us with "something hot" when we passed 

 his house on a cold winter's day ; and Dr. Hind of Norton, 

 or Stockton, who joined us for several seasons, and rode, 

 I fancy, a good chestnut mare that had won a few races ; 

 but I cannot for the life of me remember her name at this 

 moment, though I am certain she was by the " Miner." 



It didn't matter what part of the country we were in 

 the first few seasons I was with the South Durham, Mr. 

 George C. Whitwell was always at the meet and the finish, 

 and was always cheery. He once nearly threw me into the 

 Skerne on Hardwick Carrs ! There was a chained gate and 

 I got off to lift it off the hinges, but I couldn't stir it; off he 

 jumps— as strong as an elephant — claps his back to it, gave 

 one haul, and very nearly sent me and the gate all away 

 together into the Skerne. He very nearly tore the post up, 

 too, and sent me sprawling; they did laugh at me, and often 

 said, " what's the use of you getting off to lift a gate." 

 This was the same day, October 19th, 1881, that Mr. Ord's 

 (this was in the first season of his mastership) brown horse, 

 " Controversy," slipped off a bridge at Trundle plantation, 

 just after we killed our fox, after a real good run of fifty- 

 five minutes from Camp whin, through Hylace, the Ruffus, 

 by Narbel Hill, the Poor Carrs, and on towards Trundle 

 plantation. The horse always seemed to be very nervous 

 when crossing any unsound or slippery places, or bridge, 

 and slipped off as one corner of the bridge broke away ; he 

 disappeared altogether, with the exception of his head, which 



