Gentlemen Riders 



and his friendly rival in the field, the late Alex Goodman, /^r 

 nobile fratrum, cutting out the work and always in front, was 

 indeed "good for sore eyes." In those days Mr. Fitzwilliam 

 was no mean opponent where hounds ran, nor were such as the 

 late Lord Probyn, George Ede, Mr. Goodliffe, the still living 

 Frank Lotan, or Custance the Jockey, easily shaken off. It 

 was a liberal education in the art of riding to hounds — not after 

 them, a very different performance — to watch Frank Gordon 

 with a line to himself alongside of the pack, taking fence after 

 fence as it came, turning with hounds, always in touch, yet 

 never pressing them ; the flight across country was one 

 perpetual theft — stealing away from the field. 



No one ever saw Frank Gordon either angry or in a hurry, 

 such grace, such elegance, such power, such repose in the 

 saddle — if I may use the expression — always in harmony with 

 his horse ; the whole thing seemed " easy as lying " and yet 

 how difficult ! This art of riding to hounds, always rare, is, I 

 fear, in these high-pressure days, when young men and young 

 horses are not given sufficient time to learn, becoming more 

 and more so year by year. 



The soul of honour, modest, generous to a fault, there was 

 a natural dignity about Frank Gordon which compelled respect 

 and admiration from every one with whom he came into contact. 

 One felt impressed with the indefinable influence of a really 

 good man, always 2. persona grata at such houses as Milton, 

 Apethorpe, Elton, Orton, and throughout the country side. In 

 those bright, happy days, life — of which, alas ! the subject of 

 these remarks was one of the last and most cherished links — 

 went very pleasantly. 



Passing through the district adjacent to Huntingdon, Peter- 

 borough, Stamford, Wansford, Oundle, etc., since his death 

 became known on Saturday last, we heard on all sides, in 



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