FIRST PERIOD : CHARLES II. TO GEORGE II. 55 



race, or rather steeplechase, between three com- 

 petitors, took place at Plumpton in the Ovingdean 

 Steeplechase, on Saturday, December 17, 1892, 

 between Sea Wall (Mr. Atkinson), Arran (Mr. 

 Gale), and Covert Side (Mr. C. Thompson). 

 The odds were 5 to i o?i Sea Wall, 6 to i against 

 Arran, and 20 to i against Covert Side, whose 

 behaviour in the race was such that he was taken 

 back to the paddock. Meanwhile Arran fell, and 

 by his fall was put /lors de coinbat ; and Sea Wall, 

 having reached the ' open ditch,' pertinaciously 

 refused to ' take it.' Mr. C. Thompson, yielding 

 to repeated calls, brought out Covert Side, a little 

 improved in temper by this time, from the pad- 

 dock once more, mounted, and got the horse over 

 the ground as far as Sea Wall and the 'open 

 ditch.' It was generally thought that Sei Wall, 

 with a ' lead,' would take the jump and win ; but, 

 though Covert Side cleared the obstacle, Sea 

 Wall would not budge, and Mr. Thompson com- 

 pleted the course. The stewards declared it a 

 race, and as there was no second there was no 

 opening for an objection, unless the declaration of 

 the stewards were objected to, which does not 

 appear to have been the case. 



