Gentlemen Riders 



*' bowled" at any moment by a straight ball from the 

 beleaguered city. 



After peace had been proclaimed, the Sultan of Turkey 

 gave three magnificent gold cups to be competed for by the 

 officers of the Army in steeplechases. Two of these Tom 

 Townley won on chargers belonging to friends, but was 

 unlucky enough to just miss the third when riding his own 

 horse. 



In 1858, Captain Townley retired from the service by sale 

 of his commission, devoted himself entirely to race-riding, 

 both over a country and on the flat. How he just missed 

 the Liverpool of i860, on that good horse The Huntsman, is 

 a matter of history. 



Tom Townley always declared that but for getting both 

 feet out of their irons at Becher's Brook, and a collision at the 

 last hurdle, he must have won.* On the other hand, Mr. 

 Thomas, who rode Anatis, is equally certain that the con- 

 tretemps in question made no difference to the result, Mr. 

 Capell's mare having won the race to all intents and purposes 

 when it happened. 



The Huntsman, who belonged to his friend, Captain Jonas 

 Hunt, familiarly known as ** Balaclava " Hunt, and himself a 

 first-rate performer over a country, started at 40 to i, his 

 mission being to force the pace for a stable companion, who, 

 however, fell. 



Captain Townley had great hopes of winning the Liverpool 

 of 1865 on Jerry, belonging to his friend, Mr. John de Heley 

 Chadwick, a horse he always declared was the best he ever 

 rode, and who had been backed by his owner during the winter 

 to win him ;^2 2,000. 



* Mr. William Bevill, who was riding alongside The Huntsman at Becher's 

 Brook, and witnessed the occurrence, strongly favours this idea. 



80 



