214 



During the Harkaway era Ferguson suffered a great deal from gout 

 which tended to make him all the more violent, and may, perhaps, 

 to some extent account for the outrageous manner he behaved and 

 ran his horse. 



Harkaway was at times treated very unjustly in weights, and this 

 immensely riled his owner, but knowing how great were his horse's 

 powers he felt on nearly all occasions disposed to back him. If, 

 however, he found himself forestalled, he would bet against him, and 

 then either scratch him or have him pulled. This he made no secret of 

 but warned the public both by stentorian voice in the ring, and through 

 the press, that Harkaway's running did not depend upon the horse's 

 condition nearly as much as upon the condition of his owner's book. 

 Nor were these tactics confined to England At the Curragh and other 

 places in Ireland Ferguson ran Harkaway and other horses in a most 

 scandalous manner. On one occasion on Blackrock Strand, not many 

 miles from his own home^ when everyone in Newry, then a town of 

 more importance than Belfast, bad backed his horse Barkston, he 

 rode him into the sea, having laid heavily against him ! 



That Ferguson should have in the end of his career acted as he did 

 is'the more to be regretted by reason of his being possessed of many 

 estimable qualities, and having started as a Turfite under such favour- 

 able auspices. It is in the interest of this extraordinary horte that I 

 relate the malpractice of his owner, which, however, is simple history. 



From an old cutting I copy a description given of Harkaway 

 when he was at the stud. In colour he was a dark chestnut of beauteous 

 and unc :)mmon brilliancy, indicative of the highest breeding. He was 

 very highly topped, and had a large lean head, broad forehead, listening 

 ears, full, good-tempered and soft eye, a blazed face and very large 

 nostril, the more remarkable as being bald on the near side. His lips 

 were very thin and firm, his crest was peacocky with a long and powerful 

 neck, which even in training could never^ be got lean. He had grand 

 shoulders thrown well into the back, exceptionally high wither, great 

 but long back, giant forearm, capital rib, bringing in an altogether 

 splendid forehand to a hindquarters equally so. The quarters were 

 deep, with broad ragged hips, tail set high, from a great dock carried 

 out in a way that implied vigour ; remarkably sunken anus^ close 

 sheath, powerful gaskins, hocks a trifle " cow-fashioned," which brought 

 them closer together than the hoofs, great flat swordy legs, pasterns 

 rather long, with good sound large feet. His girth measurement was 

 extraordinary, but he always stood a little over his forelegs. Though his 

 tail was set high, he was a trifle goose-rumped ; and, standing nearly 

 16.2, he was not in the least split up. He was longer from his hip 

 to his stifle and from his hip to his hock than any ordinary horse, and 

 measured more from the point of the shoulder to the rump than any 

 horse of the day. The formation of his hocks, as with many other 

 clinkers, gave him wide spreading action in his gallop. 



This description coincides entirely with what was told me of Hark- 



