Some Steeplechase Horses 95 



catch weights, two miles on the flat, at the Donington 

 Hunt Meeting, on 6th December 1866. What is more, 

 he won by twenty lengths, and upset a tremendous " pot," 

 for his opponent, " Shooting Star," started a very hot 

 favourite, 3 to 1 being betted on him, the famous gentle- 

 man-rider, Mr. H. Coventry, being his jockey. The Duke 

 rode the same horse again in another match at the Warwick 

 Spring Meeting in the same year, but this time he was not 

 so fortunate, "The Guide," carrying 14 st., and ridden by 

 Mr. F. Eowlands, beating " The Vet," 1 5 st., in a race for 

 two miles. The following spring the poor " Vet " came to 

 an untimely end. I had gone to Aldershot to ride him at 

 the Steeplechase Meeting, but was prevented from doing so 

 — fortunately, perhaps, for myself — on the ground that I 

 did not then belong to the Aldershot Division. The 

 steeplechase course was not quite the same at that time 

 as it is now, and there was an awkward fence at the top 

 of the hill, after passing the grand stand which was near 

 Cocked Hat Wood. Captain Papillon had the mount, and 

 being interested in the running of the horse, I watched 

 them very closely. The fence mentioned above was exactly 

 on the sky line, so that persons below saw the horses 

 clearly defined against the horizon when they rose at the 

 jump. As " The Vet " did so, I saw his head and limbs 

 collapse, and he fell a helpless mass on the ground. We 

 rushed up as fast as we could, and found his jockey lying 

 under him in a most dangerous position. His head was 

 exactly between the four-hoofs of the horse, and the 

 slightest struggle on the part of " The Vet " must have 

 resulted in very serious injury to his rider, who was in 

 such a position under the carcase that he could neither 

 move hand nor foot. " The Vet " had burst the main 



