194 SPORTING STORIES 



" The King " was a rare trumpeter as he stood in his stall 

 near the wings, and it was these loud defiances that worked 

 up the audience so well before Rarey led him in. 



When he had King of Oude or any other savage before 

 the public, Rarey always took care to pile up the agony a 

 little by judicious stimulants, and then the shouts of 

 " Bravo, Rarey ! " rang through the house. Mr Rice's 

 box at one time had three stallions and a zebra in it, 

 braying and neighing against each other in their desire 

 for a general engagement. When the King of Oude had 

 fairly capitulated, and would give a leg for the asking, 

 Rarey offered to give him to several people; but as the 

 animal was lame it was difficult to find a new owner, and I 

 do not know what became of him. 



An attack of paralysis seized Rarey in 1865 ; but he 

 lingered on for twelve months, and he had practically re- 

 covered from it when another sudden seizure killed him. 



Another and earlier horse-tamer hailed from the Emerald 

 Isle, and made his reputation through a horse called 

 King Pippin which was brought to the Curragh for the 

 Spring Meeting of 1 864 — a most savage brute. He would 

 worry any person within his reach ; and, if he had an 

 opportunity, would seize his rider by the leg with his teeth 

 and drag him from his back. For this reason he was 

 always ridden in what is called a "sword" — a strong flat 

 stick, having one end attached to the cheek of the bridle 

 and the other to the girth of the saddle. On this particular 

 occasion, nobody could get near enough to him to put the 

 bridle upon his head. It being Easter Monday, a large 

 crowd had assembled at the Curragh, and one countryman 

 volunteered to bridle the horse; but no sooner had he 

 attempted to do so than King Pippin seized him by the 

 shoulder and shook him as a terrier will a rat. Fortun- 

 ately, on such occasions an Irishman of this class is fond of 

 displaying his wardrobe, and if he has three coats at all in 

 the world he will put them all on. This circumstance 

 saved the man's life, and he escaped with little injury 

 beyond the total ruin of his holiday clothes. 



At this time there was living near Dublin a man from 

 County Cork, known as Con Sullivan, " The Whisperer," 



