Lieut. -Colonel John Watkins Yardley 



to me at a Dutch race meeting in Cape Colony. Visiting 

 the meeting, at the invitation of the member for the district, 

 Sir T. Uppington (which entailed a 6o-mile night drive in 

 a Cape cart), I accepted from a large landowner the mount in 

 a half-mile flat race. In addition to a sum of money the stakes 

 consisted of a hundred sheep. We started in front of the 

 stand, and having drawn the outside berth, I drew up on a 

 grand-looking sixteen-hand thoroughbred, outside a large field 

 of horses. The starter (also mounted) got us in line, and 

 having dropped his flag, rode right across our front, thinking 

 he would clear us, but being outside, my horse caught him 

 full, sending horse, starter, and flag head over heels, and with 

 one great bound went right over the rails into the midst 

 of the spectators. Many were badly bruised and shaken, 

 but luckily nobody was killed. Riding back to the paddock 

 I shall never forget the row between the infuriated owner, 

 who had quite expected me to win, the bruised starter, and 

 officials. Being all in Dutch, I did not understand all that 

 passed, but gathered that a certain amount of cursing instead 

 of apologies was being levelled at me. 



" On another occasion I mounted a fallen horse, whose 

 jockey was hurt, and rode it home into a place, being over 

 the weight, and thus winning the owner (a friend) his place 

 money for which he had backed it." 



The regiment now being ordered home, was stationed at 

 Brighton, and Captain Yardley registered his colours (green, 

 primrose sleeves, red cap) under N.H. Rules, and in con- 

 junction with Captain C. H. Poynter, a brother officer, made 

 a training ground on which they trained their hunters and 

 chargers for racing. 



The following year, 1891, he won the Plumpton Hunters' 

 Steeplechase, on his mare Actinolite, also the Tally Ho 



333 



