Lieut. -Colonel John Watkins Yardley 



In 1896, the regiment being stationed at Edinburgh, 

 Captain Yardley was seen riding a good deal at northern 

 meetings, winning races at Bogside, Dumfries, and Rothbury, 

 although he came south to ride in the Army Point-to-Point 

 and the Sandown Grand Military. 



" An amusing incident," says Captain Yardley, " happened 

 at the Dumfrieshire Hunt Races. I was riding a capital 

 hunter of my own, Saucy Lass II., by War Eagle — Saucy 

 Kate, but she was no race horse, and it was long odds on the 

 only other runner, King of the Meadows, ridden by a pro- 

 fessional jockey. At the preliminary jump my mare refused, 

 but I did not persist, as I knew with a lead over the first fence 

 she would be perfectly right. However, the jockey of the 

 other horse had noticed her refusal, and when the starter 

 dropped his flag we both remained standing still. The starter 

 became very angry, informed us we must go on, report us, etc., 

 so we quietly walked on. I said to the jockey, * You may as 

 well go on and give me a lead over the first fence, won't you ? ' 

 His only reply was, ' I've got waiting orders ; ' to which I replied, 

 ' So have I.' Thus we walked all the way to the first fence, 

 but being on a good hunter I could afford to walk closer up to 

 the fence than he could, so when a few yards from it, he had 

 to go and give me the lead I wanted. Directly he was over, 

 he pulled up to a walk again, but knowing I was all right I 

 slipped my mare off at full gallop, and got such a lead he never 

 quite caught me again, and I won the race. 



" At this time I paid a flying visit to Ireland to ride a little 

 mare Unity for my sister in the Kilkenny Hunt Cup, which we 

 won, but an objection overruled by the local Stewards was 

 some months later sustained by the Irish National Hunt, 

 and the race awarded to one of their members. The objection 

 was on the hunter certificate; the M.F.H. had sent in 



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