362 



Lord Frederick Beauclerc and Mr. Ward, no amateurs of his day were 

 nearly his equal, nor were many professionals. He was most noted 

 for his tremendous-paced bowling, requiring always two longstops, while 

 at single wicket he was almost invincible. He was also one of the 

 best billiard players in England. 



Steeplechasing in those days, compared with now, was little prac- 

 tised, but The Squire was the best man then in England to ride one, 

 and it is recorded of him that he won every such race he rode. I 

 doubt, however, he was as good in silk as were our Irishmen — the 

 brothers Allan and William McDonagh— who rode about the same 

 time. Amongst his most celebrated matches was that on Clinker 

 against Dick Christian on Clasher. It was for 1,000 guineas, and the 

 line chosen was about four miles in the Quorn country, from Dal by 

 Windmill to Lipton. Christian, as a horseman, was then in his prime^ 

 and, with a view to frightening The Squire, the Clashers told Dick to 

 follow close in his track. These tactics were adopted, but had only 

 the effect of making him the more determined to get away. A 

 desperate race this was, and both horses jumped the last fence to- 

 gether, but Clasher here came down a purler, leaving Clinker and The 

 Squire to win in a walk. 



It is interesting to inspect the exact ground over which some of the 

 great races of old were run, so I shall tell of a course which can easily 

 be looked over, and at the same time describe another match of 

 historic fame. In March, 1832, Mr. Elmore and Mr. Evans made a 

 match for £500 a-side, between their horses Grimaldi and Moonraker. 

 It came off on Tuesday, the 13th of that month, and was from a field on 

 Mr. Copeland's farm near the seventh milestone on the Edgware 

 Road, down the gradual descent and across the flat country to the foot 

 of Harrow Hill, where in front of Mr. Hawkins' farmhouse on Harrow 

 Weald a drain across the meadow marked the goal — distance four miles. 

 Grimaldi was a grey gelding, then twelve years old, and was by 

 Grimaldi out of Miss Bab, by Highland Fling out of Lady Bab, and 

 was bred by Mr. Clifford of Gloucestershire. Moonraker was a bay, 

 his age or pedigree was not known, but he was then in his prime 

 and must have been well bred, for he with Grimaldi, Vivian, and Lord 

 Waterford's Lancet and Cock Robin were then about the best steeple- 

 chase horses in England. The Harrow course was not as stiff as those 

 of St. Albans and Leicestershire, but it was trappy and brought to 

 grief a great many of those who rode over it with the two jockeys before 

 the start. That ladies could ride well across country in those days is 

 shown by the fact that no one rode better than " a young and beiutiful 

 lady" who accompanied them, and she did so without a fall. Her 

 name, unfortunately, is not recorded in BeWs Life of March 18, 1832, 

 from which I am now taking these particulars. Mr. Osbaldeston rode 

 Grimaldi for Mr. Elmore, while Mr. Dan Seffert rode Moonraker for Mr. 

 Evans. Colonel Charritc was umpire for the latter and Mr. Meyrick 

 acted for the former. 



