582 



A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH TURF. 



labour and long endurance which is to be desired in our hunting matches." But 

 it is still an open question whether the phrase can strictly be interpreted a.s 

 meaning a steeplechase, so I prefer to leave the honours of origination with the 

 Emerald Isle. 



It is needless to give even a curtailed list of the many little matches like that 

 of 1752 which undoubtedly took place at various times all over the country after 

 that date ; but it may be noticed that all the early contests were for two horses 

 only. That which took place in Leicestershire in 1792 was of a somewhat 

 curious character. The stake was 1,000 guineas. One of the horses belonged to 

 Mr. Loraine Hardy, the other was the property of the Hon. Mr. Willoughby, who 



was at the time hunt- 

 ing Lord Middleton's 

 country, and eventually 

 succeeded to the title. 

 Mr. Willoughby's whip- 

 per-in rode for him, and 

 the valet was on the 

 back of Mr. Hardy's 

 horse. It appears a 

 curious selection on both 

 sides, as Mr. Willoughby 

 was himself no mean 

 horseman, and some of 

 his Yorkshire friends 

 must have been able to 

 ride. However, Mr. Hardy's horse won, owing, it was said, to the intimate local 

 knowledge possessed by the valet. The start took place near Melton Mowbray ; 

 the finish was at Great Dalby, about nine miles away. 



We do not find any steeplechase with more than two starters until the year 

 1792. This, too, happened in Leicestershire, from Barkby Holt to the Coplow 

 and back, eight miles altogether, and was over the same ground as that crossed 

 by Mr. (afterwards Captain) Horatio Ross on Clinker, and Captain Douglas on 

 Radical, in their historic match ; but they ran one way only, four miles. The 

 competitors in the 1792 race were Mr. Charles Meynell (son of the famous Hugo 

 Meynell ; eight years later he gave up the Ouorn Country), who won ; Lord 



Mr. CoitlthwaitJs Stables. 

 An easy fence for a youngster. 



