Mr. E. P. Wilson 



field on the back of Congress (lo st. lo lbs.), the property of his 

 elder brother, who also trained the horse, who, however, failed 

 to distinguish himself in the race. 



The following year he rode him again, but was brought 

 down at the second fence from the start by the falling of 

 Vintner, the mount of Mr. Crawshaw, whose collar-bone was 

 broken as the result, but though quickly remounted he never 

 again got on terms with his horses. 



In 1875 he again had the leg up on Congress, who by this 

 time had passed into the possession of Mr. Gomm ; but with no 

 success, the horse, who on this occasion carried 12 st. 4 lbs., 

 being beaten shortly after landing into the racecourse for the 

 final struggle. 



" There's many a slip 'twixt cup and the lip," as most of us 

 know to our cost, and never was the old saying more applicable 

 than in the case of Mr. Wilson and Congress, in the Grand 

 National of 1876, which, but for an unavoidable mishap at a 

 critical period of the race, must inevitably have fallen to their 

 share. As it was they were only beaten by a neck by Joe 

 Cannon, on Regal, after a tremendous struggle from the last 

 hurdle. 



•' I was very unlucky," writes Mr. Wilson, " not to win on 

 Congress, as in pulling out for Jack Goodwin, I came into 

 contact with a fallen animal which certainly lost me many 

 lengths. My horse came on his nose and knees, and I was 

 hanging round his neck all across the next field, and had not 

 recovered my seat when we jumped the next fence. 



" This left me in a bad position and took a lot of making 

 up. You may remember we finished very wide, Joe Cannon 

 right under the judge's box, and yours truly bang the other 

 side of the course. As for Congress, he was the best horse I 

 ever rode." 



187 



