88 THE HORSE. 



It is curious that we have nearly a contemporary account 

 of horse-races, ridden by Henry himself, with Charles Bi-andon, 

 Duke of Suffolk, in the presence of Queen Katharine, and that, 

 in his reign, the first annual races, on a regular race-course, 

 were established in England : so closely — it might be said, indi- 

 visibly — is horse-racing, in its proper form, connected with the 

 improvement of the horse. 



" Katharine and the royal bride," says Miss Strickland, in 

 her life of Katharine of Arragon, — the royal bride being Mary, 

 Henry's favorite sister, widow of Louis XII. of France, and 

 bride of Charles Brandon, — " rode a Maying with the king from 

 the palace of Greenwich to Shooter's Hill. Here the archers 

 of the king met them dressed like Kobin Hood and his outlaws, 

 and begged that the royal party would enter the good green- 

 wood, and see how outlaws lived. 



" On this Henry turned to the queen, and asked her, ' if she 

 and her damsels would venture in a thicket with so many out- 

 laws ? ' 



" Katharine replied. ' that where he went she was content 

 to go.' 



" The king then handed her to a sylvan bower, formed of 

 hawthorn boughs, spring flowers and moss, with aj)artment8 

 adjoining, where was laid out a breakfast of venison. The 

 queen partook of the feast, and was greatly delighted with this 

 lodge in the wilderness : " here follows a long description of tlie 

 pageants which they encountered on their return to Greenwich 

 palace, concluding with this passage : — 



" The amusements of the day concluded with the king and 

 his brother-in-law, the Duke of Suffolk, riding races on great 

 coursers, which were like the Flemish breed of dray-horses. 

 Strange races these must have been," adds the lady writer, 

 " but this is the first mention of horse-racing made in English 

 history." 



It is not the first mention, as I have shown above, but it may, 

 perhaps, be considered the first instance of horse-racing being 

 used as an acknowledged sport, and part of a series of regular 

 and pre-devised entertainments — the rather that we find a race- 

 course proper, with annual meetings and fixed prizes, first 

 established in this reign. 



