Celebrities of the Past Thirty Years 141 



the Bedford Hunt Cup with poor George Ede 

 up by half a field, easily beating Captain 

 Machell's Leonidas, who had won the National 

 Hunters' a few weeks previously." Soon 

 after this performance, Captain Machell 

 bought Acrobat from Mr. Blencowe for six 

 hundred guineas, and started him for the 

 Liverpool ; that is, he meant to start him 

 for that race, but Acrobat himself entertained 

 other views on the subject, and declined to 

 budge an inch when the flag fell, although 

 a man with a hunting crop had been specially 

 detailed to assist in getting the craft under 

 way. No one knows exactly how good the 

 horse was, as when he meant going he was 

 never beaten ; when he didn't, he wouldn't 

 try a yard ! No mortal ever devised the 

 fence that would stop him, but he wanted 

 " a man " on his back, and George Ede was 

 just that man. 



Lord Ronald, owned by that best of good 

 sportsmen the Duke of Beaufort, was also 

 piloted in the many races he won by the 

 same accomplished rider. Lord Ronald will 



