SIXTY YEARS ON THE TURF 



recruits. Every year brought a fresh stream, and in 

 this connection I take kave to quote from Harry 

 Custance's charming "Reminiscences." Custance 

 says : 



"Wliilst on this topic [of Fordham's fine horse- 

 manship] I must relate a Httle anecdote of Fordham's 

 re-appearance in the saddle after an absence of two 

 years through illness. Mr. T. Jennings gave him 

 his first mount in the Bushes Handicap on a horse 

 called Pardon, belonging to Count Lagrange, at the 

 Newmarket Craven Meeting of 1878. Fordham 

 would not mount in the Birdcage, as no one hated 

 flattery more than he did. We went down the 

 course together to the Ditch Mile starting-post, and 

 he got into the saddle half-way down. He seemed 

 all right at first, but just before we got to the post 

 his spirits failed him, and he said to me : 



" ' Cus, I wish I hadn't got up.' 



«' « Why, George ? ' was my answer ; w^iereupon he 

 resumed : 



*' ' Look at those kids ; I don't know one of 

 them.' 



Tliere were several small boys, and only Archer 

 of the older ones riding. 



[The *' small boys," I may add, were Lemaire, 

 Heather, Hopkins, Gallon, Barker, Greaves, J. Berry, 

 Kendall, and Morris.] 



263 



