H /IDatcb 173 



work it is ; but, although I had twenty-four years' 

 experience, I don't get much pity now, as people say 

 that I look as well as ever. 



One of the most extraordinary accidents that 

 happened in the whole of my career, occurred to a 

 horse named ' Fitzroy,' a two-year-old. He was the 

 property of Mr. R. Ten Broeck, the American 

 sportsman. We tried him one Saturday at New- 

 market, in 1866. I rode ' Paris ' in the trial, and he 

 was a long way above plating form, and the "young 

 un " beat him at even weights, with three others in 

 the gallop. In fact, ' Fitzroy ' won such a good trial 

 that Sir Frederick Johnstone gave Mr. Ten Broeck 

 ^4,000 for half of him the very day before the 

 accident happened. The horse was matched with 

 the Duke of Newcastle's ' Pericles ' for ^200 p.p., 

 over the Rous course, so they were obliged to run. 

 Mr. Matthew Dawson said to me, "We are oblisfed 

 to run, as it is for all the money ; but as soon as you 

 find you are beaten — as I hear this is a good horse 

 — don't persevere, as ' Pericles ' is in two or three 

 other races this week." As I knew ' Fitzroy ' was a 

 real good one, I rode my horse accordingly. As 

 soon as we jumped off, Fordham, knowing ' Pericles ' 

 had good speed, slipped ' Fitzroy ' along to the top 

 of the Bushes hill as hard as he could. He then 



