172 RECORDS OF OLD TIMES 



it involved crossing the turnpike road to Bicester. I 

 may add, however, that in those days such an ob- 

 stacle was Httle cared for. Indeed, as the steeple-chases 

 then were practically from point to point, it would 

 have been difficult to find four miles of country any- 

 where without public roads of some sort occurring in 

 the selected line. I chose a line at my father's farm at 

 Broughton, which was about two miles from Ayles- 

 bury on the Tring road. The course was most 

 severe, the fences being uncut, the water jump was 

 the mill stream forming the mill-head, where it had 

 been carried about three feet above the adjoining 

 land, so that the horses had to jump it iiphill. The 

 water could not be seen till they galloped close up 

 to it ; the landing also was two feet below the stream ; 

 the banks were very unsound, and although the 

 water was not more than twelve feet wide, it was a 

 very formidable and dangerous obstruction. Many 

 horses came to grief at this unsportsmanlike obstacle, 

 but this was thought to be a afreat merit in a line of 

 steeple-chase in those days, it being considered to 

 be good sport to get a horse down. Two immense 

 doubles of whitethorn, nearly eight feet high, with 

 two wide ditches, had also to be negotiated, whilst 

 bullfinchers of great height and strength were the 

 order of the day. Rarely or ever did a horse get 

 over the course without a fall or accident of some 

 kind. It is needless to say that the four miles was 

 well done, if it took no more than from sixteen to 

 twenty minutes to cover the distance. 



I can remember many of the names of men who 



