336 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



very large party. The catering was first-rate ; so was 

 everything, until it came to the great match, and then Mr 

 Jewell, who was represented by quite a useful jumper 

 in training, had things all his own way, for Colonel North 

 ran an ordinary fox-catcher, in reasonable hunting con- 

 dition, and ridden by his deputy Master of Staghounds. 

 This horse had his wits about him, and, after going once 

 round, refused resolutely, at the fence opposite the 

 stands, to commence a second circuit, so that the other 

 went on and won as he pleased. I sent a report of that 

 day to The Sportsman, under the heading : 



COLONEL NORTH STEEPLECHASING AT 

 LINGFIELD 



and it will be found in the file of the paper. At the time 

 it had never occurred to me for a moment that I should ever 

 become " The Special Commissioner." The report was 

 written almost in jest, and I transformed Lethby's name 

 to M. Letheby, giving him a French origin. That name, 

 so transformed, was so well received that it was promptly 

 adopted, and Messrs Letheby & Christopher are now the 

 leading race-course caterers. They never looked back 

 from that day. 



The late Major H. S. Dalbiac (" The Treasure "), whom 

 very many old friends remember so well, never did more 

 strenuous work than he did in the building of those 

 Lingfield stands, for no contractor would take on the job, 

 the weather being so frightful. He drew his own plans, 

 was his own architect, bought the timber and other 

 materials, and did all the work with local labour, employing 

 day and night shifts, with double pay on Sundays. It was 

 a terrible winter, and the local people have never forgotten 

 the benefit that was derived from the making of the stands 

 and enclosures at a time when there was no other work. 

 I believe that Lingfield is to this day the most popular 

 race-course in England locally speaking. 



The first actual meeting was brought off there with a 

 temporary stand, but the second found the existing 



