My Racing Adventures 



meeting I was third in the big steeplechase on 

 " Cadiz," who was a very consistent performer. 

 It is always a pleasure to ride when both horse 

 and man are doing their best ; if their class is all 

 serene they are not unlikely to emerge from the 

 combat with eclat. 



"Bay Comus" — one of the best 2-mile 'chasers 

 in this country — gave me a couple of painful 

 shocks in France. I rode him in a steeplechase 

 at Auteuil, when, almost running away — nobody 

 could hold him properly — he hit the post and 

 rails very hard, and had a lovely fall. I thought 

 that I should never cease revolving. It was a 

 cruel bouleversement. Bones and back ached 

 to such an extent that even the spinal marrow 

 seemed to be injuriously affected. But we were 

 merely down, not down-hearted. " Bay Comus " 

 ran over the same course a day or two after, 

 and though he took special care not to hit the 

 rail a second time, he fell at the bank, so that 

 my revolutions began again worse than ever. 

 My bruises and soreness were not inconsiderable. 

 After consciousness was restored, even if there 

 were not smiles all round, the owner of "Bay 

 Comus " remarked nonchalantly : " We will give 

 him another run in about a week's time." 



"Thank you, sir," I replied, still smarting, 



54 



