Gentlemen Riders 



bustling up and eagerly asked, "Did you win that race?" 

 " Yes," replied Mr. Meysey-Thompson ; whereupon the other 

 gave his thigh a resounding smack with his hand, and ejaculat- 

 ing, " Well, I am d d ! " turned round and hurried out as fast 



as he came in. 



The Curragh was fairly bewildered at the turn of events, 

 and did not know what to make of it. 



During his residence in Dublin, his old friend and occasional 

 employer, Don Jose de la Sierra, came on a visit, and was 

 asked by a mutual friend what had been the strong point of 

 Mr. Meysey-Thompson's riding in Spain, when he at once 

 answered, " His judgment of pace. No one could touch him 

 at that, though in other respects we have other jockeys quite as 

 good." This quality was to serve its owner yet further, two 

 most notable instances being at Cork Park, and again subse- 

 quently at Thirsk. Alan McDonough was keen to run Elmina 

 for a steeplechase after her performance at the Curragh, for 

 she had been lunged and ridden over a few fences, and 

 promised to be a bold and active jumper. She was accord- 

 ingly entered at Cork Park, and taken to practise over a few 

 fences near Ashtown Gate, where Mr. McDonough then 

 followed the profession of horse-dealer. There were but three 

 jumps, over which Elmina was sent several times, occasionally 

 led by Alan McDonough himself, on one of his hunters. 

 Declaring the mare knew quite enough to negotiate the Cork 

 Park steeplechase course, Alan backed her for ^5 — which sum 

 he was very near losing. Jumping in public is a different thing 

 to following an old hunter over three easy fences, and Elmina, 

 though doing her best, jumped too high at first, thereby losing 

 ground each time. Just as she began to warm to her work, the 

 field of horses took a big bank on the far-side of the course, 

 when a horse close in front on the right gave a kick back, and 



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