THE HORSE. 233 



York, carrying twelve stone, which he probably 

 might do, although it really was not ascertained. 

 Mr. Meynell's Richmond was beaten by upwards of 

 one hundred yards, and the bitch did not run her 

 course through. Three score horsemen started with 

 the hounds, of whom, Cooper, Mr. Barry's hunts- 

 man, was first at the ending post, having rode the 

 mare that carried him quite blind ! — a stupid piece of 

 cruelty, in all probability arising from the weight the 

 mare carried, joined perhaps to want. of blood in her ; 

 speed after the rate of thirty miles per hour, continued 

 for four miles, appertaining only to racers and racing 

 weights, a fact of which sportsmen ought to have been 

 aware. Twelve horses only, out of the sixty, were 

 able to run in with the hounds, and indeed it is ex- 

 traordinary that twelve were found able so to do. 

 Will Crane mounted upon a King's Plate horse, 

 called Rib, being the twelfth. The odds before start- 

 ing, were seven to four in favour of Mr. MeynelL 

 The subsequent performance of Merkin, a foxhound 

 bitch, bred by Colonel Thornton, was far superior to 

 the above, granting, we might depend on the fidelity 

 of the account published, which went the length of 

 asserting, that she actually ran a trial of four miles in 

 seven minutes and half a second. Correct or other- 

 wise as such an extraordinary account might be, 

 Merkin was sold in 1795, for four hogsheads of claret, 

 the seller to be intitled to two couple of her whelps. 

 With deference, I submit to our gentlemen of the 

 crack hunts, and of the turf, whether a match or 

 sweepstakes of the elite of their foxhounds, over the 

 Beacon Course, would not at this time, be productive 

 of much sporting interest. 



