My Racing Adventures 



Bletsoe for hunters, having once owned " Kil- 

 worth," a horse that the former picked up as a 

 two-year-old in a farmer's straw yard for twenty- 

 five pounds — happened to see " Avis." He asked 

 what her price was, for he wanted her to win 

 a steeplechase. Count Kinsky was then riding 

 his own horses — he won the "National" on 

 " Zoedone " — but, unfortunately, he broke his 

 arm whilst steering " Kilworth " at Sandown, 

 with the result that, after he had bought " Avis," 

 Mr E. P. Wilson rode her for him in the three 

 steeplechases in which he had entered her ; she 

 won all three. 



She was then sent to Newmarket to be trained 

 to win a race on the flat, when she broke down, 

 and afterwards Mr Bletsoe bought her back for 

 a brood mare for seventy pounds. Following 

 that transaction, he went into Shropshire again 

 and tried to find the rest of her family, but only 

 succeeded in getting her dam, " Wings," who 

 bred him " Old Times." He was never able 

 to find out her pedigree, so that " Avis " and 

 "Grudon" had to remain as half-bred ones. 

 Now, judging from the appearance of both 

 " Wings " and " Avis," if any mares were 

 thoroughbred, according to my estimable in- 

 formant, they must have been so. " Wings " 



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