6 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



Once, when Miss Thompson was staying at Kirby Hall 

 with her father, before she married, I remember seeing 

 them mount at the hall door before going out hunting. 

 All the guests, who had been invited for the covert shoot- 

 ing, also came downstairs to see them start. The late 

 Duchess of Eoxburghe was amongst them, and not having 

 much knowledge of the capabilities of a horse, or, in fact, 

 of riding at all, exclaimed, " Oh, Miss Thompson, do show 

 us what you can do." This was rather a startling request, 

 as there was no fence of any sort to be seen, except an 

 iron railing, separating the large, circular gravel drive from 

 the park. After settling herself in the saddle, the girl 

 just looked round, started her thorough-bred horse into 

 a hand canter, and jumped the iron railings, much to the 

 satisfaction of the Duchess, who never for one moment 

 appreciated the nerve and skill required to do such a feat 

 in cold blood, but still felt that she had seen something 

 worth seeing. 



The brother of Mrs. Jenyns, the famous gentleman 

 rider Mr. O. S. Thompson, steered " Cambondo " in the 

 St. Leger, and was one of the very best jockeys of his 

 day. He could go to the scales quite easily at 7 st. 6 lb. 

 His determined finish at Doncaster, against Johnny 

 Osborne on " Holy Friar," who won a short half-length, 

 still lingers in the minds of those who saw it. It was a 

 representative field of jockeys, too, that it would be hard 

 indeed to equal at the present day. Fred Archer was 

 third, on Lord Falmouth's " Yorkshire Bride " ; Maidment 

 fourth, on Mr. Savile's colt by "Skirmisher"; Tom 

 Chaloner fifth, on Mr. Johnstone's " Perkin Warbeck " ; 

 while Lord Wilton's ch. f. by " Lord Clifden," was sixth, 

 ridden by Tom Cannon. It only required G. Fordham 



