332 HORSE-RACING IN ENGLAND 



of the same year, on the same ground, he won a 

 'considerable wager' by backing himself to ride, 

 employing, apparently, as many horses as he 

 pleased (but actually thirteen), 95 miles in 5 hours, 

 a task which he accomplished with 53 minutes 

 (only 7 minutes short of an hour) to spare. 



A.D. 1831 : On November 5, 'Squire' Osbal- 

 deston, the ' all-round ' sportsman, who fought 

 a duel both with the aristocratic Lord George 

 Bentinck and the plebeian Mr. Gully (ex-pugilist), 

 M.P., won at Newmarket his celebrated match, 

 ridden in witches' weather (in 'thunder, lightning, 

 and in rain,' at any rate in a deluge of rain), and 

 so often described and discussed as to need but 

 brief notice. The ' Squire ' was to ride 200 miles 

 in 10 hours, employing any number of horses, for 

 1. 000 guineas a side (laid with Colonel Charretie), 

 and, of course, bets beside. He was forty-four 

 years of age, and weighed 1 1 st. 2 lb. ; he finished 

 his task, as 'gay as a lark,' after several mishaps 

 and stoppages, in 8 hours and 39 (according to 

 others 42) minutes. He employed twenty-eight 

 horses, including Tranby (son of Blacklock), 

 ridden no fewer than four times, during one 

 whereof he ran his four miles in the miraculous 



