Gentlemen Riders 



and her rider, scrambling back into the saddle, found the 

 bridle had come off. Fortunately, he had retained hold of 

 the reins, and there being a good stretch of ground before the 

 next fence, he was enabled to lean forward and get the bridle 

 back on to her head just before they came to the fence — an 

 acrobatic feat he might well feel proud of, seeing that they 

 were going full speed at the time. 



"Another incident I remember," says Major Herbert, "was 

 when riding Bacchus in a steeplechase at the old Croydon 

 meeting. A gentleman rider of the day tried his best to ride 

 me out at every fence by bumping into me, with the conse- 

 quence that a very pretty slanging match took place. How- 

 ever, my worthy opponent tried the game once too often, as 

 my mount, not entering into the joke, seized the rider's leg 

 with his teeth, and held fast for some time. I had no further 

 trouble after this, and won comfortably." 



"To me," continues Major Herbert, "belongs the credit 

 of having started at Abergavenny the first red-coat race ever 

 run in England — a popular class of race that was taken up all 

 over England, as it enabled the local talent to disport them- 

 selves between the flags without having to don cap and jacket. 

 But like many good things it got abused, and fell into discredit 

 by being taken up by the suburban meetings, where the most 

 extraordinary get-ups were witnessed, ' Tommy Atkins* ' red 

 coat doing duty occasionally if the real article wasn't forth- 

 coming. My ambition had always been to ride in and win 

 the Grand National ; but Fate decreed otherwise, and getting 

 married, I retired from competing between the flags. Racing, 

 however, always retained a strong hold on my affections, and 

 at the suggestion of some friends interested in pony racing 

 I organised and started in 1887 the National Pony and Gallo- 

 way Racing Club, which for some seven years brought pony 



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