298 IRiMno IRecoUections an^ TLwvt Stones 



this fate befell him. Goodall has told me that the 

 Queen enjoyed the narrative immensely, and always 

 took notice of the hat whenever she honoured the 

 Kennels afterwards with a visit. 



When we consider all things, ' The Doctor ' was a 

 marvellous horse with a wonderful career. He was 

 broken as a yearling, was a real good two-year-old, 

 and then turned bad-tempered. He was converted 

 into a steeplechaser, and was quite at the top of the 

 tree. Finally, he was given to me for a hunter to 

 end his days, which he took time to do, and I may 

 say died in harness. At eighteen years of age his 

 legs were as fresh as on the day he was foaled, but 

 his roarino^ became much worse, as he had a bad 

 attack of influenza the year before he died, and it 

 affected his wind very much. He was all right 

 when I could keep him on the flat, and the ground 

 was good going ; but if it was at all hilly or heavy, I 

 was obliged to ride him very carefully ; but he 

 jumped as well as ever quite up to the very last. 



Eventually ' The Doctor's ' end came about in a 

 very curious way. I was out with the Cottesmore 

 one day, and we were knocking about Wardley and 

 Allexton Woods in the morning — not at all a good 

 country. The Duchess of Hamilton came up to me 

 and asked what I was riding, as she wished to 



