244 TJie Pest and the Paddock. 



carried the huntsman to the last. The Strephons 

 were generally thick, stout-hearted, weight-carrying 

 nags, with magnificent backs and shoulders, first-rate 

 in the field, but vile as hackneys, always knocking their 

 toes against the ground, and inheriting a beautiful 

 head, the outline of which may still be traced at many 

 a cover side. Stapleton, a contemporary of Pilking- 

 ton, was one of his principal sons, and stood at Fryatt's 

 of Melton for a time. The Champions were of a 

 bigger stamp altogether, and with legs like waggon- 

 horses, but they were rather loosely built, and seemed 

 as if they had just one joint too many in their backs. 

 In his hind-quarters their sire somewhat resembled 

 Camel, though his tail was not hung so low ; his face 

 bore a huge white blaze, and his character in the coun- 

 try was to the effect that he was *' a very determined 

 devil." The county and the kennel stables were full 

 of Jupiters, when Sir Bellingham Graham gave up 

 Shropshire, and the triad of masters succeeded. 

 This sire was the Belzoni of Shropshire, as his stock 

 were great sprawling, high-tempered horses to begin 

 with, and never at perfection till they were rising 

 eight or nine. Lord Stamford bred him, and Will 

 Staples, who had Jack Wiglesworth and Tom Flint 

 (who died with the Duke of Cleveland), as his 

 whips, adored him like a heathen of old. Poor 

 Tom used occasionally to go like his old Shrop- 

 shire self in Durham, and a more perfect horseman 

 never rode at a fence. Originally he was articled 

 to Page the trainer of Epsom, and had such a little 

 notion of his business when he began, that he acceded 

 to the other lads' proposition to wax him on to his 

 saddle. When Tom's after leats reached him, Page 

 used often to tell the story, how he stuck so tight that 

 he was obliged to lift him and the saddle off the colt 

 together, and then cut him clean out of his corduroys 

 and his difficulties. Among more modern Shropshire 

 horses, we may note The Steamer, by Emilius, out of 



