THE HORSE. 261 



SECTION XXXIX.— The Turf. 



The Sport of the Turf, or witnessing the contention 

 between horses for superiority of speed and endur- 

 ance, is of high classical antiquity, forming the grand 

 object of the Olympian and Pythian Games of an- 

 cient Greece. These games were annually celebrated 

 in all the Grecian cities, with a splendour and mag- 

 nificence of which no modern era has exhibited an 

 example. Their objects were more extensive than 

 those of any later period, or of ours at the present 

 time. They were chiefly directed to warlike pur- 

 poses ; and the races with war-chariots seem to have 

 obtained the paramount consideration. In both their 

 chariot and horse races, the jockeys, consisted of the 

 nobles and first men of the country ; in the latter, 

 they rode without either saddle or stirrups, whilst 

 even " crossing and jostling" were allowed ! A pretty 

 lesson this would be for our modern Buckles, Chif- 

 neys, and Goodisons. The ancient course, or Hippo- 

 drome, moreover, in direct opposition to the carefully 

 regulated state of the modern, was purposely ren- 

 dered irregular and uneven with various obstruc- 

 tions interspersed. They ran heats, both in the cha- 

 riot and horse races, the distance upwards of four 

 miles to a heat ; and as the grand view was to in- 

 spire the charioteers and riders with the utmost 

 hardihood and contempt of personal danger, as well 

 as to enable them to acquire the highest degree of 

 skill and dexterity of management, it was contrived 

 that they should have to pass a very sharp angle or 



