Gentlemen Riders 



him up in the way he should go, Colonel Bathurst of the 

 Coldstream Guards, in conjunction with his other guardian 

 and uncle, General Windham (the Hero of the Redan), on 

 their ward being sent to Eton, enlisted the services of Mr. 

 George Yonge, formerly captain of the Eton and Cambridge 

 cricket elevens, and one of the finest round-hand bowlers of 

 his time, as private tutor. 



Owing, however, to a fall from his horse when riding in 

 Windsor Great Park, which nearly had a fatal result, this 

 arrangement, which bid fair to be a success in every way, 

 was brought to an abrupt conclusion. With one successor 

 after another, proving totally inadequate for the post, small 

 wonder that his late pupil, left without a hand to restrain 

 him at the most critical time, ** took the bit between his teeth," 

 figuratively speaking, and bolted, with disastrous results, both 

 to himself and his property. His old tutor — who, by the way, 

 v/as one of the few witnesses at the celebrated trial de 

 Limatico to put in a good word for him — always declared 

 that Windham's subsequent career of folly was entirely due 

 to the want of good influence over him at the right moment, 

 he not only being a most amiable youth in every way, but 

 amenable to discipline into the bargain. 



Probably no one hit him off better than the old Norwich 

 horse dealer, who, when Windham, meeting him shortly before 

 the trial, put the question, " You don't think I'm mad, do you. 

 Snaffle ? " replied, " Well, no, I don't say that you're exackerly 

 what I calls a loon-attic , Mr. Windham, but there's no mistake 

 about it, you re a damned fool I " 



To return to '* Mr. Abington." Although interested in a 

 few moderate horses during his minority, and occasionally 

 riding in a hurdle race, he did not come into prominence as 

 an owner until the first Spring Meeting at Newmarket in 1884, 



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