Gentlemen Riders 



"SQUIRE" BEAN 



A FAMOUS horseman, and certainly one of the greatest characters 

 of the time in which he lived, was Mr. William Bean, familiarly 

 known as " Squire " Bean. 



In his early days he was a horsedealer in London, and 

 whilst carrying on that business used to keep a few hounds 

 down Neasden way to run a drag, so that his horses could 

 be tried with hounds. 



For years he made Matt Milton's best hunters, an art in 

 which he probably was without an equal, let alone a superior, 

 for not only was he a desperately hard rider over a country, 

 but his hands were perfection itself ; as good, if not better — so 

 his admirers declared — than that of his friend, the celebrated 

 Jim Mason. 



Needless to say, with such credentials as his. Bill's services 

 as a steeplechase rider were in great demand. Mounted on 

 Chunee, he accompanied the field as umpire in the first St. 

 Albans Steeplechase in 1831, won by Moonshine, but unfortu- 

 nately got a fall at the brook. 



In 1832 he rode Hotspur in the same event, and in 1833 

 won it outright on Captain Fairlie's Antelope by two lengths 

 from the others, and was on the back of the famous Grimaldi, 

 in the first Aylesbury Steeplechase in November of the follow- 

 ing year. Captain Becher on Vivian fell over a gate and 

 was ducked in a river, but was first past the winning flags 

 notwithstanding. 



He also won a big steeplechase at Ware on his celebrated 

 horse Beanstalk. Altogether, Squire Bean rode in twenty-four 



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