Captain Robert Henry Collis 



As it is, with the exception of Mr. Frank Bibby and one or 

 two other friends for whom he rides on occasion, Captain Collis, 

 from choice, is seldom seen on anybody's horses but his own. 

 Of these the best have been Tame Fox, Liskennet (by Robert 

 Emmett), Prince Talleyrand, Carnroe, Ben Head, and Crau- 

 tacaun, all of whom have won him many races at one time 

 or another. 



On Ben Head and Prince Talleyrand, respectively. Captain 

 Collis won the Grand Military Handicap Steeplechase two 

 years in succession at Sandown Park, and on one occasion at 

 the Grand Military meeting in 1904 succeeded on the second 

 day in bringing off what is termed the " Hat Trick," by winning 

 the Grand Military Handicap Steeplechase on Ben Head, the 

 United Service Steeplechase on Crautacaun, and the Tally Ho 

 Steeplechase on Carnroe, one after another. 



Though successful on several occasions over the Liverpool 

 course, the subject of our memoir never rode in the Grand 

 National until 1908, on which occasion he finished sixth on 

 Napper Tandy. Perhaps his most important victory was the 

 National Hunt Steeplechase, run at Warwick in 1905, when he 

 rode Comfit (afterwards killed at Liverpool) for Mr. Frank 

 Bibby, beating seventeen others. We may mention that 

 Captain Collis had been placed in the same event on several 

 previous occasions ; whilst he won the National Hunt Juvenile 

 Steeplechase, over the same course, the following year. 



Though owing to his having lately assumed the mastership 

 of the United Hunt Club Fox Hounds in Ireland, Captain 

 Collis is not so often seen in the saddle as formerly, anything 

 he rides is invariably treated with becoming respect by pencillers 

 and public alike. For instance, Wickham, his mount in the 

 Liverpool of the current year, was much fancied previous to the 

 race, but proved quite unworthy of his jockey in the actual 



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