RIDING MATCHES BECOME POPULAR 155 



promising at the same time that he too would ride 

 his own horse, and forthwith the stakes were 

 handed to "an independent and neutral person" 

 by each of the contestants. 



Arrangements having been made that the match 

 should be run early in the morning of St Clement's 

 Day, May 2nd, we read that, "a ce jour meisme 

 que Ton courre 1'awaine et le baicon au dit lieu 

 St Clement," the two riders, accompanied by 

 many of their friends, went out through St 

 Thiebault's gate, which had been opened before 

 the usual time to suit their convenience, "and 

 so passed into the field for the race." 



There was much wagering on the result, and, 

 as we should to-day express it, the Duke's mount 

 was hot favourite. That Seigneur Nicolle was 

 no novice in race riding is made manifest by the 

 statement that he had taken the precaution to 

 have his horse shod with extremely light shoes, 

 also that " he came into the field like a groom, in 

 his doublet and without shoes, and with no saddle 

 but with a cloth tied round the horse's belly," 

 whereas the Duke wore comparatively heavy 

 clothing and rode in a heavy saddle. 



The Duke's horse, however, jumped away with 

 the lead and retained it during the first half of 

 the race, " but when they were near St Laidre 

 his horse lagged behind, so that the Duke urged 

 him on with spurs until the blood streamed down 

 on both sides ; but it was in vain, Nicolle gained 



