82 The Post and the Paddock, 



was, however, far from being confined to the saddle, 

 and hence while he ceaselessly initiated his son Sam 

 into all its mysteries, he took equal pains to instruct 

 the elder brother William in the minutest details of 

 training and stable practice. His own knowledge on 

 these points was so great, that calumny soon marked 

 him for her own ; and the under-current of jealousy 

 which was always steadily flowing against the Prince 

 was not likely to spare his jockey. Hence it was that 

 the very year after he left Mr. Panton's service, and 

 engaged himself to the Prince at a 200/. salary, the 

 Yorkshiremen made their venomous attacks upon him 

 for his riding of Traveller and Creeper. This was 

 followed up by the Escape affair in the autumn of 

 that year (179 1) ; but Chifney, conscious of his inno- 

 cence, bore these attacks and their consequences with 

 the utmost calmness ; and when some eight years 

 after, the far-seeing tykes again blamed his riding of 

 Mr. Cookson's Sir Harry, he requested that gentleman 

 to put up Singleton on the following day, and had the 

 quiet satisfaction of seeing the horse beaten off again 

 in a very much worse field. The malice of his perse- 

 cutors tempted him in after-years to speak with his 

 pen, through the pages of " Genius Genuine," the very 

 same remarks as to condition, &c., which he had pri- 

 vately tendered to his employers after each of these 

 races. His great theory of slack-rein riding, for which 

 the Duke of Bedford had been so unmercifully teased 

 at the Club parties, that he very nearly requested 

 him to send in his jacket, was copiously treated of in 

 this work, and the few following sentences may be 

 said to comprise the kernel of his sentiments on the 

 subject : — 



** The first fine part in ridirg a race is to command your horse to run 

 light in his mouth : it is done with manner ; it keeps him the better 

 together, his legs are the more under him, his sinews less extended, less 

 exertion, his wind less locked ; the horse running thus to order, feeling 

 light for his rider's wants ; his parts are more at ease and ready, and 

 can run considerably faster when called upon than when he has been 



