Gentlemen Riders 



upholders of steeplechasing in the country, is lucky in having 

 such an able successor to his old jockey, in the shape of Billy 

 Payne, who since his brother's enforced retirement from the 

 pigskin has been carrying all before him in the blue bird's-eye, 

 yellow sleeves, and white cap of their popular owner. That 

 good little nag Let go the Painter, who by this time is quite a 

 ** horse of the people," being alone responsible for something 

 like sixteen chases in the past twelve months. 



MAJOR-GENERAL SIR HUGH McCALMONT, 



K.C.B., C.V.O. 



Of the many military riders portrayed in this book whose 

 brilliant services in the field afford abundant proof that it is 

 quite possible for a young officer of sporting proclivities to 

 occupy his spare time in riding between the flags — an amuse- 

 ment which, after all said and done, is a species of mimic war 

 with a good deal of danger attached to it — without in any way 

 neglecting his regimental duties, there could be no more 

 striking example than that furnished by the distinguished 

 soldier-sportsman named above. The eldest son of the late 

 Mr. James McCalmont, of Abbeylands, Co. Antrim, the subject 

 of our memoir was born on February 9th, 1845 ^^^ educated 

 at Eton, subsequently going to Oxford. In 1865 ^^ joined 

 the 9th Lancers ; and that he was not long in following what 

 Mickey Free was pleased to term his "inclinations," maybe 

 gathered from the fact that the year following Mr. McCalmont 

 was not only riding in, but winning races in Ireland ; the 9th 

 Lancers Regimental Challenge Cup, on Bendermere, for Captain 

 Savile, being one of their number. 



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