108 SPORTING STORIES 



yards ; but he was fairly done up, and a wrangle ensued. 

 A man was sent back to see if the Squire had gone the 

 right side of the flags. " You had better send for the 

 Coroner for me," said Beecher, whose teeth were chattering 

 with cold. Ultimately the stakes were drawn. The two 

 competitors rubbed down and dressed ; then they went out 

 hunting and got another ducking in the Lem. 



About the time of the match with Squire Osbaldeston, 

 Beecher's connection with the famous horse Vivian com- 

 menced. Taken out of an Irish car, this animal originally 

 belonged to Lord Vivian, and from him passed to Captain 

 Lamb, who gave him the name of his former owner. 

 When Osbaldeston challenged all the world with Cannon- 

 ball, Beecher had never seen Vivian, and came from Market 

 Harborough to ride Vanguard, but in the end he was put on 

 Lamb's horse. The finish was up a steep hill ; but Beecher, 

 by jumping a very big fence, contrived to come up the 

 incline on a slant, thus saving his horse at the finish, and 

 won a splendid victory. 



A month later the Captain again found himself saddling 

 Vivian to ride against the Marquis of Waterford on Cock 

 Robin over the Harborough country for i^iooo a side. Cock 

 Robin was thought one of the finest hunters Ireland ever 

 produced, and fenced so well and went so fast that he 

 got three hundred yards in advance. For once in his life, 

 however, the Marquis had a " prudence fit," and, in trying 

 to avoid two big jumps which Beecher took, got stuck in 

 the dingle. The Captain saw his plight, and, following 

 some wheel-tracks to the left, kept out of difficulties and 

 won. The Marquis was very savage over his defeat, and 

 said he was beaten by the better horse. *' Very good," 

 said Beecher ; " I'll change horses, and race you the whole 

 distance back." The Marquis, however, did not accept the 

 challenge. This was the first of many trials of skill be- 

 tween these magnificent horsemen ; but the Marquis was 

 as good as an annuity to Beecher, who almost invariably 

 came off the winner. 



It was in 1839 that Liverpool began its Grand National 

 in earnest. Beecher was on Conrad, and when riding at 

 the fence with double rails and a large ditch dammed up 



