Mr, Harry Beasley 



National, or, for the matter of that, any event of importance 

 in the racing or steeplechasing world you like to name, is as 

 certain of as hearty a reception as one achieved by representa- 

 tives of our own right and tight little island. And who more 

 popular than the celebrated Beasley family, the two elder 

 branches of which, Messrs. Harry and "Tommy," certainly 

 had no reason to complain of their reception on their return 

 to the weighing-room on any of the four occasions on which 

 the victory of the Grand National fell to their share. Though 

 he had, of course, previously to this figured with success in 

 many a steeplechase in Ireland, Mr. Harry Beasley did not 

 commence riding in the Grand National until 1879 — two years 

 after his brother Tom — when he had the mount on Mr. R. 

 Stacpoole's Turco (10 st. 9 lbs.), who was, however, pulled 

 up before the end, the race going to Ireland notwithstanding, 

 through the instrumentality of The Liberator and Mr. '* Garry " 

 Moore. After this, with the exception of 1890, when he was 

 without a mount, he rode steadily every year in the Grand 

 National right up to 1892 — thirteen in all — out of which number 

 he won once, was second twice, and third on another occasion. 



His solitary win on Come Away by half a length from 

 Cloister, and nineteen others, four only of whom completed 

 the course, was a great performance, and very popular, Mr. 

 Jameson's horse starting a hot favourite at 4 to i. 



The following year, 1892, Mr. Harry Beasley made his 

 last appearance in the Grand National on the back of Major 

 Crossley's Billee Taylor, who, however, bolted immediately 

 after going into the country the second time round, and took 

 no further part in the race. 



Though not seen in the saddle with the frequency of former 

 years, that the subject of our memoir still likes to keep his 

 hand in is clear, for as late as the spring of 1907 we find 



329 



