CHAPTER XIX 



Joseph Rawlinson Battersby His Rules How the York and 

 Ainsty Men received them Langar and Ernest Willoughby 

 Diffidence of the Bedale Men John Booth and his Horses 

 The Great Run from Baldersby Whin to Newton House 

 A Red-letter Day indeed Longbow on the Swale Embank- 

 ment All's Well More about Battersby 



IT was in the Christmas vacation of 1873 that I hit 

 upon the idea of " Joseph Rawlinson Battersby," 

 and prepared the following circular, which was sent 

 out to all the York and Ainsty and Bedale men : 



Mr JOSEPH RAWLINSON BATTERSBY begs to announce that he 

 is making his annual tour through the hunting counties for the 

 purpose of collecting a stud of horses to be located for the re- 

 mainder of the present season at York. 



In offering a copy of the rules to be observed by his patrons, 

 Mr B. wishes to assure all that no insult is intended ; he feels 

 confident that they will see he is actuated by a sincere desire to 

 promote their welfare. 



They will doubtless be aware that the value of any horse is 

 doubled after it has been ridden by J. R. B. Mr B. makes it 

 his object to observe, in a day's hunting, such persons as are 

 possessed of good but mismanaged horses. He feels it the 

 triumph of his skill to reclaim and sell at large prices animals that, 

 from want of efficient horsemanship, have become well-nigh ruined. 



That Mr B. can do this, if any man can, is certain ; and those 

 who doubt it are referred to Mr Arthur Yates, the cleverness of 

 whose horses is so frequently spoken of in the sporting papers 

 (all his steeplechasers are made by Mr B.). 



Mr Ernest Willoughby, it is not generally known, entrusted 

 Langar for five weeks to Mr B. Further references can be given 

 if required. 



In anticipation of considerable patronage Mr B. has engaged 

 a number of commodious boxes at York, and will have the horses 

 under personal supervision. For the next week his address will 

 be at Yarm, afterwards Sea win's Hotel, York. 



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