236 IRiMno IRccollections an^ TLmt Stories 



one of the biggest courses ever laid out) for not being 

 a gentleman rider. This decision never ought to 

 have been given, as he was much more of a gentle- 

 man than a great many who were riding under that 

 title. There was also a smart big man, Saville 

 Middleton. who stood six feet one inch, and rode 

 over 18 St. He had some wonderfully good horses, 

 and used to jump gates and big fences as if he 

 was a light-weight. One other such — he was 

 the father of the hunt— was Mr. Robert Bird, of 

 Gazely Hall, who hunted regularly, and rode long 

 distances until a few months before he died at the 

 age of eighty-two. I well remember him taking the 

 chair at the meeting for the Peterborough Steeple- 

 chases that were held at Marholme, just outside 

 Milton Park, and although he was in his seventy- 

 ninth year, he offered to run any horse in the Fitz- 

 william Hunt for ^50, 12 st. 7 lb. each, owners up, 

 and I think he would have won, as he had a real 

 good thoroughbred mare by ' Vortex.' The party 

 did not break up until one o'clock in the morning, 

 and they begged Mr. Bird to have a bed at the Angel 

 Hotel, where the meeting was held ; but he would not 

 hear of it, as he said he must be home to go hunting 

 the next day at Barnwell Wold, which he did, start- 

 ing punctually at half-past eight, and riding thirteen 



