156 SPORTING STORIES 



passed the winning-post first. Although Burlton drew the 

 weight, the decision was given against his winning, and 

 Sailor was awarded the race. 



It was at Aylesbury that the Marquis of Waterford, " the 

 mad Marquis," indulged in one of his freaks. On this 

 occasion he brought his horse upstairs into the dining- 

 room. The horse was led up the garden steps, which were 

 very steep, and taken into the dining-room, where some 

 apples and biscuits were given him. It was useless to 

 attempt his descent by the same stairs, so steep were they, 

 so he was led by the corridor to the front staircase. The 

 floor of the passage was polished oak, and, although carpeted 

 in the middle, the horse slipped badly, and at the head of 

 the stairs refused to move. At last he began kicking, and 

 smashed the passage windows, soon clearing a ring behind 

 him. Eventually, when a little quieted, he was blindfolded, 

 and, once he began to descend he could not stop, and 

 blundered down into the entrance-hall, having done himself 

 no injury, and — excepting to a few balusters and some 

 windows — but little to the house. This was the first attempt 

 that had been made at bringing a horse upstairs. 



A similar feat, however, was carried out with more 

 success a few years later in the very same room. The 

 conversation turning to the feat recorded above, an Oxford 

 man, a very fine horseman, turned to old Charlie Symonds 

 and said, " I believe, Charlie, the little grey would come up 

 these, or any other stairs." It was asked if they might try, 

 and, permission being granted, a lumbering noise was soon 

 heard on the stairs, and in walked the gallant grey. After 

 being walked round the table, the horse, led by a halter, 

 was induced to jump over the backs of a couple of chairs. 

 Then J. Leech Manning, a sporting farmer of the neigh- 

 bourhood, said he would undertake to ride him over the 

 dinner-table (it should be mentioned that dinner was still 

 in progress), and, jumping on to the bare-backed horse, he 

 rode him up into the corner of the room, which was about 

 forty feet long by twenty-two wide. The table having 

 been slightly slued round. Manning struck the horse with 

 his heel and sent him flying over ; then he turned him and 

 sent him back again. 



