CHAPTER II. 



Mr. James Merry and Matthew Dawson — ' Dundee ' breaks down 

 in the Derby — ' Folkestone ' compared with ' The Bard ' — 

 ' Thormanby's ' Derby — A Dead Heat for the City and Suburban 

 — Tom Taylor and his Employers — A Nasty Trial at Bretby 

 Park. 



ERTAINLY the most memorable 

 season in my early riding career 

 was that of i860. I was then 

 associated with the stable Mr. 

 Matthew Dawson presided over at 

 that private training place, Russley, which lies amidst 

 the undulating Berkshire Downs. Mr. James 

 Merry, the Scotch ironmaster, was the principal 

 patron, and very dangerous indeed was "the boy 

 in yellow" during the early part of the "sixties." 

 The stable contained a really good lot of horses, 

 and I am pleased to be able to say that I myself 

 rode over forty winners in the above-mentioned 

 year. Of course, ' Thormanby ' was the great card, 



