Hurdle Racing 235 



laugh. We were about a hundred yards 

 behind the post as the starter kept fuming 

 at us to " Go back ; turn round, all the lot 

 of you, and go back ! " and all but one — I 

 fancy it was old Dick Shepherd — did go back. 

 That one, however, was standing stock still 

 up at the post, and the starter, being short- 

 sighted, never noticed him. We were " all 

 over the place," and naturally thought the 

 wrathful official would call the " advance 

 guard " back, but suddenly we were electrified 

 by hearing him scream out " Go ! " and seeing 

 his flag drop. Away went the man in front 

 like lio;htning, and no one ever o;ot near him 

 throughout the race ! 



One of the dangers of hurdle racing — 

 especially when there are a lot of runners, 

 and not too much room at the obstacles — 

 is that your horse's view is obscured, and he 

 consequently takes off a l)it late, or, perhaps, 

 too soon. Again, if a refuser suddenly comes 

 right across you, you will be lucky to escape 

 coming down. And here let me pause for a 

 moment to assure my readers that however 



