Major J. A. Orr-Ewing 



was heavily backed by his connections, and the language used 

 by one of them who stood to win two thousand over the race 

 is said to have cleared the top of the grand stand. 



On another occasion a terrible fiasco occurred in a steeple- 

 chase at Aldershot, in which he and his brother John were 

 immediately concerned. There were only two runners, one 

 being The Mazzard — in great form just at that time (1888) ; 

 the other a useful horse called Peter, a recent importation from 

 Ireland, belonging to his brother, and, of course, ridden by the 

 "Weasel." 



Peter won all right, and his owner, who had wired his 

 S.P. merchant (from the course) to have a "monkey" on, was 

 so delighted at his victory that he forthwith issued invitations 

 for a big dinner to " celebrate the event." Judge, then, his 

 annoyance when, on settling day, thanks to a stupid mistake on 

 the part of the telegraph clerk, he was only returned the odds to 

 a "fiver." 



To make things worse, a day or two afterwards, Peter, who 

 was, without doubt, a clinking good horse, was found in his 

 box with a broken back. 



Cloister, Adare (a good grey mare, but very small), Lady 

 Hawkstone, Ford of Fyne, and Nelly Grey, were about the 

 best steeplechase horses Major Orr-Ewing ever owned. There 

 was another, Fred Archer bought for him, but it gave him such 

 a toss out hunting one day, that he resold it to Captain Bewicke, 

 who won a lot of races with it. Cloister he sold to Lords 

 Dudley and Cowley before leaving for India with his regiment. 

 With the exception of Metallic, who won the Viceroy's Cup in 

 India, on which occasion there was a great betting duel between 

 the "Weasel" and " Bill" Beresford, he never owned anything 

 of much account on the flat. 



A good and efficient officer (he was aide-de-camp to Lord 



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