THE GRAND NATIONAL. 205 



Saying he didn't keep horses for Lincohishire 

 farmers to bet on, he threatened to scratch Reugny 

 there and then, and rely on Defence, to which 

 Mr. Richardson, angered in his turn and not 

 unreasonably so, retorted, that he had lived amongst 

 and hunted with the farmers in question all his 

 life, and that under these circumstances who could 

 blame him for doing his best to put them on an 

 important winner now he had it in his power to 

 do so ? 



"Carry out your threat," he added, "and I'll ride 

 Furley and beat you." 



When in addition it was suggested to Mr. 

 Richardson that he should purposely mystify people 

 as to which of the Captain's trio he would eventually 

 be seen on the back of, it was indeed a case of the 

 " last straw," and the subsequent announcement 

 therefore that after the Grand National he would be 

 seen no more in the saddle, caused little surprise to 

 those who knew the man. 



"And I never regretted my decision," observed 

 Mr. Richardson when discussing the affair, " for not 

 only had I met with more than my share of success 

 during my ten years in the saddle, but there wasn't 

 one of the big events in the steeplechase world that I 

 hadn't won twice over. Besides," he added naively, 



