Gentlemen Riders 



time Dick Marsh had twenty or thirty jumpers under his 

 charge, and what with riding these, and others trained by 

 Ryan, Jewett, and Joe Cannon, to say nothing of gallops 

 and trials on the flat, with such professors of the art of 

 equitation as Fred Archer, F. Webb, and John Watts, it is 

 not surprising that, in a comparatively brief period, the Duke's 

 protkgd began to be looked upon as one of the most rising 

 horsemen of the day. 



One unique experience which happened to the subject 

 of our memoir, during his sojourn at Lordship Farm, he is 

 never tired of relating, and small wonder. 



"It is given to few, I fancy," opined Mr. Thirlwell, "to 

 participate in a midnight trial for the Grand National, but 

 that was what happened to me once, and what fun it was ! 

 Dick Marsh having two in the race, was naturally very 

 anxious to know which was the better of the pair; and as 

 the owner did not care to have them publicly galloped, it 

 was decided to try them on the quiet. Accordingly, we got 

 Robert I' Anson to come and stay with us for a few days, 

 and it was arranged that, the first moonlight night during 

 his visit, we would try them together over the schooling 

 ground inside the belt of trees enclosing Egerton House. 

 At last we had a perfect night, and everybody was packed 

 off to bed at lo o'clock, only John Gibbons (the head man) 

 being in the secret. 



"At 1.30 Dick called Bob 1' Anson and self, and we at 

 once got up, saddled the horses, and went out into the night. 

 The horses we tried were Eau de Vie ( I' Anson), Athlacca 

 (R. Marsh) and The Captain (D. Thirlwell). I made the 

 running on the last named for 3^ miles, when I was beaten, 

 and then Dick and Bob I' Anson fought out a tremendous 

 battle, which ended in Bob winning by a neck. Now came 



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