1838] THE FIRST WILL SMITH. 69 



before, Bradley Wood, and they went away to the Manor 

 Farm, over the brook, and with Irby Holme and Bow- 

 lands on the left, and Swallow Vale on the right, by 

 Cuxwold Beech Holt to Rothwell. A six-and-a-half -mile 

 point so far. The pace became faster and faster as hounds 

 drew up to their fox, and it was Avith difficulty that the field 

 could see the way hounds went, as they turned left-handed 

 from Rothwell towards Croxby Pond, and still left by 

 Cuxwold Asholt and Bowlands to Irby Holme, and just 

 short of this covert hounds cauerht their fox. Mr. W. 

 Appleby, Will Mason, and Mr. W. Richardson's groom 

 had the best of it to Rothwell, Will Smith's horse being 

 Ijeat at Bowlands. Mr. Copley took the fox away from 

 the hounds, he having got a bad start owing to being late, 

 and he just reached Irby Holme as hounds came back 

 there and killed their fox. Hounds covered at least eleven 

 miles, and if the time is correct it shows that even in those 

 days hounds could go a great pace. 



The Brocklesby Hunt Steeple Race took place on 

 March 13th, over Grasby, Clixby, and Owmby lordships, 

 and was won by Mr. Loft's grey horse Valentine, ridden 

 by Mr. AV. Loft, and Mr. C!ook's brown horse Transport, 

 ridden by Mr. Riby Nicholson, was second. 



Here are two memorandums that should be of interest ; 

 the latter one is very curiousl}^ worded : 



"On the 18th poor old Colonel Tufuell died. He was at the Steeple Race, 

 and very well, and in high spirits, on the 13th. He was frequently taken with 

 violent spasms in the hunting-field, and I expected he would some day die in 

 the hunting-field ; but it was not to be so." 



"On the IGth ]Mr. C. Coates, of Great Coates, died from a violent cold and 

 inflammation. He, a few years ago, was a groat sportsman, but at our second 

 Steeple Chase [it will be noticed that the terms Steeple Race and Steeple Chase 

 were both used at that time] declined it and turned a pious man, and never 

 liunted afterwards. A steady young man." 



Mr. Coates won the Steeple Chase on Cannon Ball in 

 1836. 



April 21st was the best day of a very good season, 

 full of excellent sport after Christmas, and which had 

 yielded sixty-six foxes, though no fewer than forty-seven 



