326 IRISH SPORT AND SPORTSMEN. 



he showed his predilection for racing, particularly on 

 the flat, and for many years he stood high on the list 

 of successful gentlemen riders, and was one of the very 

 best Corinthian riders in the country. He had a few 

 horses of his own, too ; and with Altro, Arbutha, and 

 Cruisk (brother to Russborough, which ran a dead 

 heat with Voltigeur for the St. Leger), he won several 

 stakes. 



Then there is Captain Barclay, of the i6th Lancers, 

 on Merlin. He is a fine horseman, and won several 

 races in England and Ireland, both on the flat and 

 over the country. He rode many good races in 

 Punchestown. He was second, in 1858, for the Corin- 

 thian Cup on Phoenix, the best chaser in Ireland that 

 day, as proved by his giving Ace-of-Hearts 2st 6lb., 

 and running him to a neck. The Captain's best per- 

 formances in the pig-skin was his riding Merlin, 

 against Captain Hutchinson on Free Trade, for a 

 Corinthian Stakes, two miles, over the Confy-Castle 

 course on Patrick's Day, 1854; it ended in a dead 

 heat, and spectators were ** witched" by the artistic 

 horsemanship of the gallant Lancer and Light Dra- 

 goon ; and many a shamrock was drowned that night 

 in bumpers to their health. 



Over the same course, in a month afterwards, at a 

 military meeting. Captain Barclay won four out of 

 five races run during the day. Mr. J. G. Price, then 

 an officer in the 2nd Dragoons, was a good rider too, 

 and was second for the " Cup " this year on The 

 Squire. He was thought to ride more " wickedly " to 

 Hounds than any contemporary, and was called by 

 some the " Demon " horseman. Few stronger men 

 in the saddle were ever known. Major Dickson, 



