TROTTING HORSES 235 



year on account of so many American trotters having 

 been imported. I think there were twenty-two entries 

 in one class of pacers, and it took some considerable 

 time for me to give my decision, as I was very keen on 

 placing the right one. 



The gentlemen who were assisting me were both very 

 fine judges of Hackneys and Thoroughbreds, but they 

 had not studied the trotting-horse, so they decided 

 to leave the selecting to me. I drove most of the 

 horses to give both the horse and owner a sporting chance. 

 The horse I awarded first prize to was The Rascal, a new 

 import. He was the best pacer I think I had ever seen 

 on the track. There was considerable diversity of 

 opinion as to my judgment : some were satisfied with 

 my decision and some were not, the reason being that 

 Lady Osgood, who was second, looked so good that it 

 was difficult for anyone but an expert to determine 

 which was really the better of the two. But I was 

 pleased when Lady Osgood's owner, Mr. Turner, shook 

 hands with me and said, " You have given the best 

 horse the prize." I was further delighted the following 

 week when The Rascal made a new British record, pacing 

 a mile in 2 mins. 12J sees. I think he is still un- 

 beaten, or he was the last time I saw him at Greenford 

 Driving Park. 



