Gentlemen Riders 



Coleman at once set to work to organize a race, the conditions 

 of which were as follows : — 



A siveepstake of fifteen sovs. each, ivith a gold cup 

 added, for any horse ca.rrying twelve stone ; aboiit three miles 

 across a line of country in the neighbourhood of St. Albans to 

 be marked otit with fags ; a winner of two steeplechases to carry 

 seven pounds extra {^matches excepted). No person to ride more 

 than one hundred yards on any road or lane in the race ; ten 

 subsciHbers or no race, and if more than ten, the second to receive 

 back the stake. The first and second home to be iveighed at 

 the winning-post. Gentlemen riders, first entrance five sovs. 

 extra. The winner to pay five sovs. for expenses, and all 

 disputes to be settled on the evening of the race by the umpire, 

 and his decision to be final. 



The line selected for the race was a trifle over three 

 miles in length, and, until within half a mile of home, almost 

 entirely over light ploughed fields. It began at the top of 

 the hill in a grass field on Townsend Farm close to Barnet 

 Heath, and not such a very long way from the town of St. 

 Albans. To get out of this field it was necessary to charge 

 a tremendous bullfinch, the next obstacle being a stiff black- 

 thorn hedge with bank and a ditch to and from it. To this 

 point the ground was on the descent. It then rose a little for 

 a field or two, and with moderate fencing came to a narrow 

 grass lane, banked, hedged, and ditched on both sides. The 

 line now proceeded over a nearly flat country, leaving Child- 

 wick Bury (the place purchased from Mr. Henry Toulmin 

 by the late Sir Blundell Maple, and now owned by Mr. ]. 

 B. Joel) to the left, the fencing being exceedingly light until 

 it was intersected by the Harpenden high-road some two 

 miles from the start. Up to this stage the riders were directed 

 to leave the flags on the right hand : here, however, a large 



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