22 'OLD q' 



the day of the match was not altogether antici- 

 pated. 



The 'wheelers' carried, including trappings, etc., 

 about seven stone ; a reference that will serve to bring 

 the riders of the team into notice. That a match of 

 this character required a nice judgment of pace goes 

 without sa}'ing. Therefore William Everatt, Evatt, 

 Ebertt, or Everett (he has been recorded by all four 

 names), a groom in the employ of William Panton, 

 Esq., was selected to regulate the rate of speed by 

 riding the ' off fore ' horse, Roderick Random. The 

 riders of the three others were lads in Lord March's 

 stable. His lordship's groom was the ' passenger,' 

 who ' sported ' his master's colours ^ in a somewhat 

 curious manner: red silk stockings and black cap, 

 while in place of the jacket usually associated 

 nowadays with colours he wore a white satin 

 waistcoat. The riders appear to have been looked 

 upon more as postillions, as they are described as 

 wearing blue satin waistcoats (jackets), buckskin 

 breeches, white silk stockings, and black velvet caps ; 

 while only those who rode the leaders wore spurs. 



Before describing the race, I must mention that 

 Little Dan, of ' Parson Thomson ' fame, was yoked to 

 the vehicle in place of a grey named Peeper, who had 



^ Afterwards registered as 'red aud black.' 



