176 RAMBLES AFTER SPORT. 



to pay a bet merely because tbey have lost it ! the ideals 

 absurd. Any animal in Cbile wliich stands on four legs, 

 and whicb can go rather faster than a cab-horse, has 

 a feed of barley given him now and then, and is forth- 

 with designated a racer. Horses being so cheap, 

 of course almost anyone can buy one, and the keep 

 costs next to nothing. Every horse has its own tiro or 

 distance; some being half-milers (six cuadras), others 

 three-cuadra horses, down even to twenty-five yards ; 

 and they are not often matched at other distances. 

 Although there is no stud book in Chile, yet every good 

 racehorse is perfectly well known all through the country, 

 and the distance or tiro that he is best at. Horses are 

 sent from incredible distances, even from St. Fe, in the 

 Argentine Republic, to run races, and more excitement 

 and fuss is caused by a two-cuadra Chile race than would 

 be caused by one between Cremorne and Ecossais, half 

 a mile, weight for age. Everything is fair in a Chile 

 race, the object being to win somehow. Generally 

 speaking, four or five hours are wasted at the start, 

 each jockey trying to knock the other one ofi", or upset 

 his horse, or something; when they do get off, the 

 one that has the best of the start shoves his horse's 

 head in front of the other, and so prevents his getting ' 

 in front, or else runs him out of the course altogether. 

 I have frequently seen a horse who is quick on his legs 

 and gets the best of the start, curl as it were his head 

 and neck round the other, and win the race with his 

 head on one side, preventing the other, who may be 

 a good deal faster, from passing him. A real Chile race, 

 however, is one of the prettiest sights I know ; they are 

 not so frequent now as formerly, but still they cause 

 immense excitement, and certainly show a vast amount 



