147 



statement will astonish many, and few will credit it ; but let them go 

 and measure the fence — meanwhile don't bet I am wrong. 



I mention this to show how little is known about a steeplechase 

 course, even by those who would be expected to know. I need not say 

 my object is not to depreciate " the double" at Punchestown for testing 

 a horse's capability for jumping or a man's capability for riding, for we 

 all know it is fully equal to the task. Its dimensions are as nearly as 

 possible : — Grip on take-off, 6ft. 6in. wide, 3ft. deep. Height of fence from 

 take-off, 2ft. 9in. Width on top, 6ft. 6in. Drop, 4ft. Grip on landing 

 «ide, 4ft. wide. This I show more clearly by the annexed section. 



I have asked many people what the height was, and no one ever 

 said it was under four feet, while some said it was over six feet. The 

 fact is, an optical illusion is occasioned by men's eyes catching the 

 bottom of the grip as they approach the fence, and then taking the 

 height from that depth as they stand on the edge, oblivious of the 

 fact that the horses don't jump from out of the grip— at all events, 

 until they have first fallen into it. 



The fence is now j^recisely as it has been for the past twenty years. 

 In about 1870 it was lowered Sin. or 4in., as may still be seen by the 

 •cutting on the top. 



An artificial double should never be allowed on a steeplechase track, 

 for the simple reason that not one man in a thousand knows how to 

 construct it properly. 



In a natural double the great thing is to have the top slanting 

 upwards, so that a horse can see the width, and that he has to put his 

 feet on it. There should be a somewhat sharp incline for 4ft. or 5ft. 

 up to the edge of the taking off grip, so as to give the horse a better 

 purchase with his hind hoofs ; in fact, to enable him the readier to get 

 his hind legs under him. The width of the grip should never be less 

 than 6ft. to 6ft. 6in. ; while the top should be the same. Nothing like 

 making a horse take off well away from an up-jump when going fast. 

 If a double be less than 6ft. wide on top, horses will try to fly it, 

 ^hich generally creates an awkward complication of them and their 

 riders in the next field. If the grips of the Punchestown doubles were 

 •only 3ft. or 4ft. wide, half the men and horses would be killed over 

 ihem. About the best fence of the sort I ever saw was on the old 

 Fethard course in co. Tipperary. It was fully 7ft. wide on top, with a 

 grip before it of over 6ft., but it was not 2ft. high. Horses must change 

 on a fence like that, and then there is seldom a mistake made. 



It is only a matter of opinion whether horses go faster or slower over 

 a steeplechase course now than they did in former years ; for no man 

 can make a positive statement in the matter. I was always of opinion 

 they went as fast long ago as they do now. They were ridden as fast 

 as they could go then, and they are ridden as fasc as they can go now, 

 while no one can deny that steep'echase horses were bett r as a class in 

 former days than they are at present. 



To strengthen this argument I tabulated from the official returns a 

 .statement in 1881, soon a^ter the Grand National, and it appeared at 



