Gentlemen Riders 



own reason for adopting this practice, we believe, was that 

 by so doing he minimised the strain on his horse's shoulders ; 

 his theory being that the rider's weight should be as far back 

 as possible. There may or may not have been something 

 in this idea, but his detractors would have it that so far 

 from being the philanthropic action he would have people 

 believe, it was, in reality, a case of "one for the horse 

 and two for himself," his legs, they declared, being so short, 

 that but for his hold on the saddle, Mr. Hobson would 

 have often experienced considerable difficulty in retaining 

 his seat. 



Trick or no trick, the fact remains that ** Freddy" not only 

 enjoyed a remarkable immunity from falls, considering how 

 often he rode, but certainly managed to win in his turn. 

 ** And there you are, don't you know," as the late Mr. Edward 

 Brayley was wont to observe. 



Though he had ridden in steeplechases innumerable for 

 a considerable number of years, until 1877 when, to the 

 surprise of everybody, including the stable, he steered Auster- 

 litz to victory, he had never, to the best of our belief, had a 

 mount in the Grand National. And a most remarkable race 

 it was. The Squire, as he was sometimes called, sent 

 Austerlitz, in whom he must have had very great confidence, 

 to the front directly the flag fell, and the moment any- 

 thing came alongside, he just raced against it until it was 

 settled. 



At the first flight of hurdles after jumping on to the course, 

 The Liberator (ridden on this occasion by Mr. Thomas) 

 momentarily took the lead, and was actually first over the 

 last flight, when he was once more collared by Austerlitz, 

 who, sent along for all he was worth, came away and won by 

 four lengths ; the faces of the principal supporters of the 



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