CHAPTER X 



JEM MASON AND LOTTERY 



" To mention the Grand National," says the author of 

 Steep lechasing in the Badminton Series, " is at once to 

 suggest the names of Lottery and Jem Mason, who head 

 the list of winners." 'Tis seventy years ago since that 

 famous pair immortalised themselves at Liverpool, and 

 their memory is still green among sportsmen. I have met 

 veterans within the last decade who saw Jem Mason steer 

 Lottery to victory on that memorable day, and who stoutly 

 maintained that neither horse nor rider has ever had his 

 peer. 



Jem's father was a horse-dealer in a large way at Stilton, 

 in Leicestershire, and the lad was brought up among 

 horses. At the age of 1 5 he was engaged as rough-rider to 

 Mr Tilbury, of Dove House Farm, near Pinner, one of the 

 best-known dealers in the kingdom, who sometimes had as 

 many as 200 hunters on his hands. Jem had plenty of 

 practice in riding to hounds, and one day, when he 

 was out with the Hertfordshire, Lord Frederic Beauclerk 

 was so struck with his riding that he got the lad to ride 

 The Poet, who had run third in the St Leger, in the St 

 Albans steeplechase, which was then the leading cross- 

 country event of the season. The Poet had to carry 12 St., 

 and as Jem was under 8 st. he had to carry upwards of 

 4 St. dead-weight ; but he won so cleverly as to convince 

 good judges that he had in him the making of a first-rate 

 steeplechase rider. 



It was just after this steeplechase that Jem Mason's 

 connection began with the horse which is as closely 

 associated with his name as Black Bess was with Dick 

 Turpin. Lottery was bought by John Elmore, another 



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