399 



All through liis long life he has had singularly good health, and was 

 exceptionally energetic, while his countenance, ever beaming with 

 heartiness, evinces clearly that the mind is as healthy as the body. 

 Long may he still live to enjoy the combination, and be to all a 

 living example of what an " honest man" is, and how the vitality of 

 youth may be preserved to age by leading an active outdoor life, 

 keeping early hours, and living well without indulging to excess in 

 anything. Like Scott, unfortunately, he has no children. 



Numerous instances are to be found of men who served their 

 apprenticeship to Mr. Dawson, and through his recommendation have 

 filled high positions as trainers and jockeys. At present William 

 Haywood is the Johnnie Osborne of America. Webb, for some years 

 head lad to Dawson, now trains at Chantilly for Baron Schickler. 

 John Reeves is a leading trainer in Germany, while Richard Waugh 

 trains for the Emperor of that country ; and Kendal, one of the finest 

 jockeys in India, graduated under Mat. George Blackwell, a rising 

 young trainer now at Newmarket, also owes to "The Master" his 

 proficiency. 



Since putting together this history, I am pleased to know that Mat 

 Dawson has under his care for Lord Rosebery a two-year-old colt 

 which is likely to add still to his fame as a trainer. It is Ladas, by 

 Hampton— Illuminata. Now, in the month of September, 1893, he is 

 favourite at 4 to 1 for the Derby, the shortest price that any horse 

 has at this season stood at for many years. What an explosion of 

 applause will greet the veteran trainer and the most popular owner 

 in England if he wins ! Curious enough, I was at Melton House a few 

 days after this colt and two others arrived as yearlings from Lord 

 Rosebery's breeding stud. When showing them to me Mat pointed to 

 the Illuminata colt as the one he would win his next Derby with. — So 

 may it be ! 



Having treated with two trainers, each paragons in their day, I 

 shall now say a few words about two of our greatest jockeys, they also 

 representing difi"erent epochs. 



As a horseman the name of plain-polished but honest 

 George Fordham 

 will be handed down to posterity through many a succeeding genera- 

 tion in the same manner that the Chifneys, Robinsons, Templemans, 

 Flatmans, Buckles, and Days of bygone eras have been received by us. 



Fordham was born at Cambridge on September 11, 1837. At 

 the age of ten he was apprenticed to Drewitt, who then trained at 

 Mickleham, and subsequently at Lewes. Like many another great man, 

 George as a boy was very unruly, but Drewitt's ash plant soon brought 

 him to hand. 



His first mount in public was on Isabella, at the Brighton Autumn 

 Meeting of 1850, when his bodily weight was 3st. 8lb., and he was a bad 

 last in the race. His first win was at the same meeting the following 



