LORD CLONMELL, 1854-1857 



peculiar to horseflesh; some of them were rogues, 

 but all such as survived his discipline galloped, 

 and all had to jump. In one year in the 'eighties of 

 the last century, he possessed four smashers at one 

 time. He killed three of the four in the process of 

 training, and with the worst, which, in order to 

 satisfy a grudge against a pious acquaintance who 

 objected to racing, he named " John Kane," he 

 won the Conyngham Cup at Punchestown, the 

 blue ribbon of Irish steeplechasing. 



It is a mystery to all who knew him how any colt 

 ever survived his methods of schooling. Long 

 ropes and small fences he disdained from the 

 beginning and rode the colts from the first over 

 every kind of fence that presented itself, often with 

 a whole parish of men and boys with sticks behind 

 him. Little wonder that in such a process Hanway 

 broke the backs or legs of a great number and con- 

 verted such as survived into first-rate fencers. As I 

 have said, many of his own bones were broken by 

 the same discipline. But he invariably came up 

 smiling, and while his bones were knitting he kept 

 his mounts fit by turning them out and having 

 them chased by dogs. 



In many aspects, William Hanway was the soul 

 of honour. If he once gave his word he could be 

 relied upon. This was so well understood that the 

 bailiffs, who more than seized his horses on the 



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