X AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



himself that the success of the book was dependent 

 in a great measure — almost entirely indeed — on the 

 assistance it was likely to get from those sportsmen 

 still with \is, who, either as owners or riders, had 

 taken an active part in the great cross-country race, 

 and it was therefore with no little fear and 

 trepidation that he awaited the result of his first 

 batch of letters. A feeling quite unnecessary as it 

 turned out. 



The issue, indeed, was never in doubt for a 

 moment, one and all of those appealed to responding 

 so readily that he might well sit down in his saddle 

 to write the first chapter, strong in the conviction 

 that with such a start there could be no doubt 

 of the result — no possible doubt whatever. For 

 the earlier races. Belt s Life in London, and other 

 newspapers of the period, had of course to be levied 

 under contribution, and it was not until i860 that 

 those hardy veterans Mr. Thomas and Mr. E^. C. 

 Burton chipped in with their interesting reminis- 

 cences of Anatis, Bridegroom, Alcibiade. The Lamb, 

 and Pathfinder, to be closely followed by Mr. J. M. 

 Richardson, Mr. Garrett Moore, Prince Charles 

 Kinsky, Lord Manners, Joe Cannon and Mr. E. P. 

 Wilson, with anecdotes of the respective horses they 

 had piloted to victory. 



