THE THOROUGHBRED 63 



raised, and common horses are ordered to withdraw 

 from out of the way. Two jockeys, then, or some- 

 times three, as the case may be, prepare themselves 

 for the contest, such as are used to ride, and know 

 how to manage their horses with judgment, the grand 

 point being to prevent a competitor from getting 

 before them. The horses, on their part, are not without 

 emulation. They tremble, and are impatient and con- 

 tinually in motion. At last, the signal once given, 

 they hurry along with unremitting velocity; the 

 jockeys, inspired with the thoughts of applause and 

 the hopes of \ictory, clapping spurs to their willing 

 steeds, brandishing their whips, and cheering them 

 with their cries." 



The first Arab horse imported into Britain, of 

 which we have certain knowledge, was presented by 

 Alexander I., King of Scotland, to the Church of St. 

 Andrew's, in the reign of Henry I. Richard I. im- 

 ported two eastern horses, probably on his return 

 from the Crusades. Their names were Favell and 

 Lyard, and their qualities are thus set forth in Ellis' 

 Metrical Romances: 



"In the world was not their peer, 



Dromedary, not destrere 1 

 Steed, rabite, ne camayl, 



That ran so swift sans fail. 

 For a thousand pounds of gold, 



Should not that one be sold." 



Edward I. brought horses from the East. One of 

 the accusations against the Templars was that, in vio- 



1 Destrere steed, a war-horse- 



