132 IRISH SPORT AND SPORTSMEN. 



tion of the word, but Mr. Lockwood's ignorance of 

 French did not take from the point of his description. 

 If ever light-hands did wonders, Mr. Dennis's did, and 

 so trained did his horses become that they worked as 

 he willed. The feat I refer to was a proof of this. 

 He had an old horse, a gray, called Monarch, which 

 he was riding as a hack on the racecourse ! I 

 think it was the year of the great struggle between 

 Brunette and Sam Slick — Ehcu, what horses ! The 

 meeting was over, and some one complained of the 

 height of a wall being raised for a match between 

 two gentlemen hailing trans-shannonwards. * Pshaw' 

 said Dennis, ' I'd ride Monarch over it without a 

 bridle.' A bet for some small sum resulted, and Mr. 

 Dennis rode Monarch, at and over five feet of a well- 

 built wall, his aids being his seat, his own and his 

 good horse's training, pluck, and confidence, and a 

 pair of cabbage stumps, with which an admirer from 

 the West armed him to guide * the auld horse, and 

 shame the blusthering devils that didn't know the 

 baste.' " 



•* I have heard that story before; but he accom- 

 plished a still greater feat, as he rode a horse of his, 

 I believe it was Monarch, over six six-feet walls with 

 nothing to guide him but a halter and his whip." 



*' Yes, some say six, but there is no doubt about 

 his having ridden him thus over four. Many years 

 ago he rode a horse, I don't remember his name, at 

 a meeting held this side of the Shannon, when the 

 country was in a disturbed state owing to an election 

 or something of the sort. Mr. Dennis was a great 

 favourite, but he displeased some of the Galwegians 

 at this time, and they made an attack on him while 



