COUNTEY SPORTS AND LIFE IN CHILE. 175 



When the horse does come down, the rider is almost 

 invariably seriously injured, through getting entangled 

 and mauled in the struggles of the animal. They are 

 good riders, as far as sticking on goes ; but of pace 

 and of nursing a horse they haven't the faintest notion. 

 The best rider in Chile — that is, among the natives — 

 couldn't take the best horse in England two miles over a 

 fair country; he would simply pound him in the first 

 half-mile. 



I should say in three years more that there will be no 

 more native racing horses for any distance over half a 

 mile, the English half-breeds, even of Fanfaron's first 

 cross, having beaten them already at any distance over 

 that. The Cuyanos are the best, but it may be safely 

 asserted that the commonest English selling plater at a 

 provincial meeting could give any number of stones and 

 a beating to the best native horse that was ever foaled 

 in South America, at any distance over half a mile. 

 Seven or eight years ago Melbourne could beat any 

 horse any distance, giving away lumps of weight — in 

 fact, any weight ; and two years ago Chieftain did the 

 same. These were two English geldings of the " honest 

 hunter'' class, which you can buy by the bushel at 

 'Tattersall's at 60Z. apiece — horses generally described 

 as having a turn of speed. The natives are exces- 

 sively fond of racing. As horse-chaunters and blacklegs 

 they are far beyond their brethren in England — in fact, 

 what they won't do to win a race I don't know j and if 

 you bet with a native, even a well-to -do -one, and don't 

 have your money posted, you will never see it even 

 if you win. This is of course their ^^ human natur'" — 

 they can't help cheating. It is not so much for the 

 money, as they are liberal enough in some things ; but 



