50 Sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



pace. On the whole, he was fairly successful, but soon made the 

 discovery that so many others have also made — that it was an 

 expensive amusement, and well calculated to lead to financial 

 difficulties ; so he gave up his stud with many regrets. 



Anyhow, it was a courageous effort and just like the man, 

 for all through his life one finds this tough spirit that always 

 refused to turn from a project without a tenacious struggle. 



Here is an instance of determination that even advancing 

 years could not weaken. One day, when well into his 78th year, 

 he rode a half -broken colt to Kibworth station, intending to 

 send it by rail to his eldest son at Grendon, in Northampton- 

 shire. The colt gave him a very rough ride over the five miles 

 to the station, and when the porters tried to make it enter the 

 box the^ was a considerable commotion. Mr. Costobadie 

 threw himself into the struggle with enthusiasm, but without 

 success, and after a long tussle they were forced to the 

 conclusion that it was impossible to send the colt by rail at all. 

 However, he had made up his mind that it should go to Grendon 

 that day, so he remounted without further ado, and set off to 

 ride the whole forty miles — no small undertaking at his age, even 

 on a pleasant hack, let alone on a trying brute like that, that had 

 not yet exhausted all its tricks, by any means. About half-way 

 to Grendon they came to a brook that crossed the road in the 

 form of a shallow ford, with a plank footbridge at the side for 

 foot people. At the time the brook was in flood, and nothing 

 would induce the colt to face it ; more tussles followed, without 

 success, but again the old Vicar was not to be denied, and, sur- 

 prising as it sounds, he succeeded in getting the colt across the 

 narrow plank bridge, that was not more than eighteen inches 

 wide and only protected by a wobbly handrail at one side. 

 Being about four feet above the water, it was one of those feats 

 that sound so easy when contemplated from an armchair, but 

 really provide some rather grim moments in practice. It was 

 all in keeping that when the undauntable Vicar arrived at Gren- 

 don he stoutly declared that he was conscious of no undue 

 fatigue whatever. 



There is another story about him in the same vein, but this 

 time in connection with a dogcart. While out driving one day, 

 he sought to discover a short cut between Hallerton and Bowden 

 by leaving the high road and plunging boldly down a bridle-path. 



