fit to contest a race, and not weak and below the mark, as is the case with a gi-eat many 

 that come to the post. This, we believe, to be as finiitful a source of falls as anj-thing, 

 for no horse cap jump when exhausted, and the smallest fences -will throw him down 

 when in that state. 



All horses, of course, make a mistake sometimes, as even Pearl Diver, who, his 

 friends said, " did not know how to fall," gave them the lie at the ''table jump," in last 

 year's Grand National; but they put you down in a difi'erent style to the weak and incapable 

 ones, and at least allow the opportunity of getting out of their way, which the others 

 often do not. Luckily, even grief has its ludicrous as well as its serious side. We 

 remember a young man who, emerging from a brook into which he had plunged head 

 foremost, caused great amusement by ejecting the black, muddy water which had 

 invaded his mouth, with a gesture of disgust, and exclaiming at the same time — "What 

 (1 — d bad water ! Has anyone a flask of brandy ?" 



The Druid in the " Post and the Paddock " relates that ia a military race two men 

 were so flurried at coming down together that they unwittingly exchanged horses, and the 

 winnei- found on returning to scale that he was steering a bay mare instead of the brown 

 horse on which he started. One of the most remarkable instances ever heard of occm-red 

 some years ago at Epsom, though that was in a flat race, and scarcely comes within the 

 scope of our present subject ; nevertheless, perhaps we shall be excused for mentioning it. 

 The event is thus told in the "History of Horse Pacing" : — " Just before coming in at the 

 winning post, being crossed by a gentleman on horseback, a rider was thrown ; but his 

 leg hanging in the stirrup the horse carried his weight in, and won mu-aculously 

 without hurting the rider." There ! talk about the Cliifncy rush, or the patience and 

 fine riding of Fordham ! they are tarts and cheesecakes to winning a race head downwards 

 in this fashion, and the jockey of 177 G may literally be said to have won anyhow. Mr. 

 Yates was thought to have done a good thing at Croydon a few years ago, when, after a 

 burster at the water jump, he arose fi-om mother earth just as his horse Harold was 

 making off, and with a presence of mind never to be surpassed seized him b)^ the tail, and, 

 thus regaining the saddle, beat the crack Cortolvin. Put this fades into insignificance 

 by the side of oiu- Epsom friend who was carried in a winner bj' a foot. We have all 

 read how the Yicar of Wakefield (as he was facetiously termed) was set going ibr the 

 Liverpool, and looked, when in a regular scrimmage at Beecher's Bank, like a man who 

 had swallowed a waggon-load of monkeys; but it is, we believe, not so generally well- 

 kno^vn that a trainer of the present day, who in earlier times had the care of old C'heeroot, 

 to his utter amazement rode and won a steeplechase on him. The facts, as related to us, 

 run thus : Cheeroot was sent for a steeplechase, and either a gentleman or a professional 

 engaged to ride him. The day and hour came, however, witliout the man, and there was 

 nothing for it but to supply his place with the old horse's attendant, who, though a 

 fail' jockey and good exercise rider, had never faced a fence in his life. That he did 

 not fancy his job may be supposed, and he took his leg up with the full intention of 

 pulling the horse round at the first convenient opportunity, alleging that he had refused, 

 and retui-ning at least ere the brook was reached, his greatest di-ead being the water. 

 But Cheeroot knew of no such half measiu'cs, and going away at a rattler refused to 

 listen to the voice of the charmer, and, in spite of himself, bore him triumphantly over 

 all obstacles (the brook included) and passed the winning flag fii'st, thus making him 

 a hero in spite of himself. 



