24 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap. i. 



had scarcely a rival as a gentleman-jockey. In tlie 

 •*^old^^ Sporting Magazine for March, 1838^ an amusing 

 account is given of a match for 50^., which came off 

 at the Pytchley Hunt Eaces on March 28th of that 

 year, between Mr. Hungerford's " Brilliant '^ and Mr. 

 (Billy) Russell's " Valentine/' ten stone each. Colonel 

 Bouverie rode the former^ and the latter was steered by 

 a Mr. Curwen, an Irishman, who at that time was hunt- 

 ing from Abington Abbey. The betting on the race 

 seems to have fluctuated from 2bl. to Is. to lOOZ. to 2^. 6c?.. 

 on the winner : a bet which was offered by Mr. George 

 Payne when the horses were within the distance. 

 ''Valentine," who had been last for the Tally Ho stakes, 

 made the running, the mare hanging on his quarters and 

 scarcely being able to go slow enough. Thus they kept 

 to the distance-post, where all the wind seemed to have 

 left poor '' Valentine's '' body. His jockey, however, 

 appeared bent upon reaching the winning-post; but 

 not content with flogging him for 200 yards before 

 attaining the desired point, he gave him two or three, 

 just for friendship's sake, after passing the chair ! Bursts 

 of laughter greeted Mr. Cur wen on his return to the 

 winning-post, who explained his action by saying that 

 ''he was actually obliged to whip him to keep him mov- 

 ing." A postscript is added to this effect : " N.B. — Mr. 

 Curwen would be a perfect treasure to any one in want 

 of a portable threshing-machine. " 



" True Blue," a famous horse at that time as a steeple- 

 chaser — the property of a well-known liquor-merchant of 

 Northampton, Mr. John Stevenson — won the Farmers' Cup 

 of fifty sovereigns on the same day ; Mr. S. Harris of 

 Wootten being second with his bay mare "Adelaide." 



