88 GOOD SPORT 



Gillard before a hard-riding Leicestershire field for 

 eleven seasons^ and that without ever giving him 

 a fall that could be attributed to the fault of the 

 horse. On a certain Ash Wednesday, with an 

 enormous field out, a stranger lady crossed Grey 

 Bob at a fence, and the consequence was — upset 

 horse and rider. However, she never stopped to 

 pick him up, and probably thought there were 

 plenty more huntsmen to take his place ! 



About the early history of this good grey 

 horse. Will Wells — huntsman to the Hertfordshire 

 hounds — who left a lasting record when whipper- 

 in to the Belvoir in the eighties, writes a most inte- 

 resting letter, which appears in the " History of the 

 Belvoir Hunt," by the Rev. T. F. Dale. Here 

 Will Wells says, " I had five horses for five days at 

 Belvoir, two a day, and only had one sound one, 

 that was Grey Bob. This horse had got the better 

 of the men who had ridden him ; he would only go 

 to Croxton Park and back ! We were just going to 

 exercise with the hounds when I said to Gillard, 

 * Master, I should like to get on that grey horse, 

 for he is being spoilt.' ' So you shall. Will,' he 

 replied, ' if the groom will let you.' So I did. 

 It was then half-past nine in the morning, and I sat 

 on his back until half-past four that afternoon. 

 When I took him home, the stud-groom said, ' Well 

 now, you shall have him at the kennel,' and so I 

 did. He would get you under trees, into ditches, or 

 throw himself down, but I soon got him out of that, 

 and rode him that season, nothing being too big for 

 him." Gillard used to say that if Wells had not 

 taken him in hand, he must have been sold for a 

 song as an incurable. In the second season Gillard 

 took to the horse, and liked him, so that Will Wells 

 did not get him again ! 



