THE CRITICS OF 175 



able manner that their room is preferable to their com- 

 pany in the hunting-field, and the general public regards 

 them as horse-copers. It may appear harsh that, owing 

 to the dishonesty of a few individuals, the calling of a 

 professional rough-rider has been abolished by the 

 verdict of public opinion ; but it must also be 

 remembered that there are now many gentlemen 

 who are good horsemen, but who cannot afford to 

 keep horses. As a rule, they are younger sons, who 

 have been educated in the same way as their elder 

 brothers, and, on arriving at man's estate, find that 

 the estate does not include stabling. But they love 

 hunting, and are willing to accept a mount on the 

 biggest rogue that was ever foaled, in order that they 

 may enjoy their passion for seeing hounds. Thus the 

 occupation of the rough-rider has gone, or is limited to 

 the men-of-all-work who act as grooms to horse- 

 dealers. Again, it is not desirable that the hunting- 

 field should be turned into a dealer's yard. In Dick 

 Christian's time it did not matter, for very few men 

 hunted then as compared with the numbers of the 

 present day. There was room for everybody, and a 

 rough-rider on a raw young 'un did not interfere with 

 his neighbours. What sort of a reception would he 

 get now at a popular fixture of the Quorn ? 



The fact that Dick Christian has had no imitators 

 adds to the difficulty of writing about him, since he 

 had no rivals with whom we can compare him. It is 

 almost impossible to form an estimate of his riding 

 abilities. Thus, such an authority as the late Duke of 

 Beaufort has described him as a butcher on a horse, 



