Gentlemen Riders 



one of his bets being looo to lOO that the Squire completed 

 the distance under nine hours. The last three heats were 

 ridden in a tremendous downpour of rain. 



Of the racehorses owned by Mr. Osbaldeston, Rifleman, 

 who won the great Yorkshire and Doncaster Stakes, and was 

 second to Saucebox for the Leger of 1885, was undoubtedly 

 the best. How, ridden by " Nat," he came to be beat by such 

 a moderate pony as the winner has always been a mystery, 

 especially when, two days later, he easily beat Lord Zetland's 

 Fandango, for the Doncaster Stakes, a far better horse than 

 Saucebox. 



Mr. Osbaldeston died on August ist, 1866, at 2, Grove 

 End Road, St. John's Wood, the house he had settled on his 

 wife, within a few months of attaining his eightieth year. 



Mr. ALAN McDONOUGH 



From amongst that select little band of cross-country riders, 

 who, headed by Jim Mason, "witched the world with noble 

 horsemanship " in the late thirties and early forties of the last 

 century, it would have been difficult to find the superior of 

 Mr. Alan McDonough, who, like the Beasley family later on, 

 came over from Ireland regularly, in company with his brother 

 William, to compete in all the principal events in the Steeple- 

 chase world. Born at Wellmont, County Galway, his first 

 mount, we believe, was on Mr. Doolan's Hugo de Lacy, on 

 whom, though a mere boy, and weighing but eight stone, he 

 inaugurated what proved to be a most successful career, by 

 winning the Hunt Cup at Tipperary. 



26 



