Mr. George Ede 



quite at the top of the tree, and an acquaintance springing 

 up between him and young George Ede, eventually led to 

 the latter, who had long cherished the idea of adopting 

 cross-country riding as a profession, placing himself in the 

 hands of the professional for instruction. 



What sort of pupil he turned out can easily be imagined. 

 Suffice it to say, Ben Land in after years always declared 

 that of the many aspirants to Liverpool honours who had 

 passed through his curriculum, not one had done him so 

 much credit as Mr. George Ede. Having adopted the name 

 of Mr. " Edwards." for his nom de guerre, the subject of our 

 memoir made his d^but as a gentleman rider in the autumn 

 of 1856 in a flat race at Warwick, whilst shortly afterwards 

 he rode his first hurdle race at Waltham Abbey on Caledonian, 

 belonging to Ben Land. In 1857 we find him winning the 

 Birmingham Grand Annual for his old tutor on Weather- 

 cock, the Club and the Farmer Stakes on his own horse 

 Lilford, and the selling stakes on Weston. At Charlbury 

 in Oxfordshire, in the same year, he won the Grand Steeple- 

 chase on Lord Coventry's Red Cap and the Hunt Cup on 

 Ganymede, for Captain Duff. 



In 1858 " Mr. Edwards" had twenty winning mounts to his 

 credit, including the Warwick Plate on Janet, the two principal 

 Windsor Steeplechases for Ben Land ; the Warwickshire 

 Steeplechase and Hurdle race, and the Sherwood Handicap 

 at Nottingham on Samson, on whom he rode 8 st. 9 lbs. In 

 the same year he had his first mount in the Liverpool, 

 won by Little Charlie, when he was second on Weathercock 

 (11 St. 7 lbs.), belonging to Viscount Talon. At the distance 

 the two were neck and neck, William Archer, who rode a 

 most patient race, biding his time until close home, when 

 he came away and won fairly easily. 



107 



