THE BKOCKLESBY HUNT UNION CLUB 

 AND SOME OF THE FIELD. 



The Brocklesby Hunt Union Club was established at 

 Caistor in November, 1835, and from the Minute Book, 

 kindly lent the writer by the late Mr. Charles Nainby, of 

 Barnoldby, it started with a roll of fifty-four members. 

 Mr. Thomas Brooks (" Old Tom Brooks of Croxby ") was 

 its first Chairman, and Mr. W. Torr, junr., of Aylesby, its 

 Hon. Sec. and Treas. The first " Steeple Race " took 

 place the same year, from Riby Slingsmere, and was 

 followed, as was invariably the case, by a dinner, gene- 

 rally at the George Inn, Caistor, the tickets for which 

 were 7s. 6d. each, and members who did not attend were 

 fined Ss. each, to go to the wine fund. 



The conditions of the early races were as follows : A 

 sweepstake of £5 each, with £50 added from the club 

 funds. Open to all England. Weights, 4 yrs. old, 11 st. ; 

 5 yrs. old, 11 st. 9 lbs. ; 6 yrs, old and aged, 12 st. ; mares 

 allowed 2 lbs. Distance, four miles across a country. 

 The owner of the second horse to receive ten sovereigns. 

 To be ridden by gentlemen or farmers, or members of a 

 Fox-hunting or Racing Club. Messrs. R. Nainby, Thomas 

 Brooks, and Theophilus Harneiss were the first Stewards, 

 and Mr. Thomas Borman was Judge. Old Will Smith 

 used to start the race with a twang of his horn. 



Mr. Lionel Holmes won the first race on a mare 

 belonging to Mr. Hargreaves. He took a toss, but re- 

 mounting the mare as she rose to her feet again, little 

 time was lost. 



Flying Billy, the property of " the Squire of Limber," 



