'^ PlenipoJ' " Colonist,'' and '' Kinc^ George'' 197 



accosted me with, " We are the Spanish Jockey Club. We 

 wish to shake hands with the English jockey." Each of 

 them in turn then took off his hat, and shook hands with 

 me. It really was very complimentary of them to pay 

 me so much honour ! There were just thirty of them. 



There was a much coveted race run for at Gibraltar, 

 the Omnium, for all breeds of horses, and for all ages, 

 special allowances of weight being made for Barbs, 

 Arabs, thoroughbreds, and the different half-breeds. Five 

 Omniums were run whilst I was quartered there ; I rode 

 in four of them and won every time, and very curiously 

 the same horse ran second to me on each occasion. No 

 horse could win it twice, so it was especially unlucky for 

 that horse to be so often beaten, more especially as twice 

 he was better than my mount, but each time a mistake on 

 the part of his jockey gave me the race. Once I won it 

 on " Plenipo," but then he was undoubtedly the better 

 horse of the two. The next day, however, " Plenipo " 

 won probably the best race of his life. The race was a 

 mile and a quarter, and he was handicapped to carry 

 13 St. 7 lb., and to give 3 st., all but 2 lb., to the second 

 top- weight ! Five started, all winners, and I should have 

 been puzzled how to ride the race, if the initiative had not 

 been taken by the others. Two very light weights started 

 off at the very top of their speed, and I quickly saw that 

 they were going too fast to last, and need not be reckoned 

 with. The other two, who were good horses, were pulled 

 back behind me, and it instantly flashed across my mind 

 that their jockeys intended to wait upon me for some 

 time. I therefore steadied " Plenipo " gradually, so that 

 they should not guess my intentions, and still they kept 

 about twenty yards in the rear, directly in my track. 



