Mr. L. R. Thomas 



examination they found all the muscles of his near shoulder 

 were diseased, and he must have run his races practically on 



three legs. 



" I had good luck that year with Goldfinder — on whom I 

 won nine times off the reel — Hussar, Minaret, Adieu, and others ; 

 and if my memory serves me, was either first or second in the 

 list of gentlemen riders. 



"At Mr. Powell's sale, a friend of mine, the late Mr. John 

 Moore, bought Hussar, who had lost his form. We could 

 not get him to eat his food, and at last, in despair, I tried 

 mixing brown sugar with each feed. This had the desired 

 effect, and he came back to form. There was a big Hunters' 

 fiat race the following year at Carmarthen ; Minaret, ridden 

 by Tom Pickernell, being a warm favourite. I had left 

 Hussar's coat on, and as he looked very shabby in conse- 

 quence, we got a long price about him, and he won easily, 

 carrying his penalty and beating Minaret again the following 

 day. 



" Several bad spills fell to my lot that spring — in fact, I 

 was in splints most of the year, and only rode just under 

 twenty winners. I was riding then for Mr. F. C. Coliden, 

 and won several races on Taffy, the most perfect mannered 

 chaser and best jumper I ever rode. On one occasion after 

 being got at, he jumped Bangor course as if nothing had 

 happened. About this time I first rode Milton, a real good 

 horse belonging to one of the best sportsmen I have ever 

 known, the late Mr. W. R. H. Powell. I had ridden him for a 

 goodish bit in former years, when E. P. Wilson was not avail- 

 able, and at Cardiff he asked me to ride Milton. I had beaten 

 Milton at Knighton, when riding Carolus, a horse belonging 

 to Mr. Morris Owen, and fancied then that he could not 

 quite stay, so ignored my orders at Cardiff and ran him for 



177 N 



