EARLY ALLUSION TO HORSE RACING 91 



usually discovered, bits and harness are found in 

 these tombs in rare instances only. On the other 

 hand in the Scandinavian barrows in Scotland 

 the bones of men and horses mixed have been 

 discovered frequently. 



Perhaps the first historical allusion to horse 

 racing, as we understand it now, and to " running " 

 horses, as race horses continued to be called for 

 many centuries afterwards, is the one that occurs 

 in the ninth century a.d., when Hugh, the 

 founder of the royal house of Capet, in France, 

 made a present of running horses to King Athel- 

 stan in the hope that in return the king might 

 allow him to wed his sister, Ethelswitha. 



Hengist and Horsa are said by some historians 

 to have displayed interest in horse racing, but the 

 statement is not based upon indisputable evidence, 

 any more than the assertion that because Hengist 

 and Horsa are alleged by one historian at least 

 to have given the order that forms of horses 

 should be cut upon the chalk hills of Berkshire 

 therefore all the Saxon banners must have borne 

 as a device a white horse. 



The white horse at Wantage other' historians 

 declare to have been cut in commemoration of 

 Alfred's great victory over the Danes at the 

 battle of ^Escendun or Ashtreehill, during the 



