364 The Post and the Paddock. 



put your hands well down on his withers, and let him 

 come." It was a bit of a low staked hedge and a 

 ditch ; he got over as nice as possible, and he 

 gave quite a hurrah-like, and he says, " There, I'm 

 over my first fence — that's a blessing." Then I 

 got him over a great many little places, and he 

 quite took to it, and went on uncommon well. 

 He comes to Six Hills the day before Clinker 

 and Clasher ran their match, and he hailed me — 

 " Here's my old tutor ; I was never over a fence 

 till he showed me how :" and then he told the 

 gentlemen all about it. Whenever I saw him he 

 always joked me about it : he was a nice gentleman 

 to teach : he'd just do anything you told him — that's 

 the way to get on. 



The oddest hurdle races I ever had was with a 

 black horse of Lord Euston's. I'll tell you all about 

 him. Mr. Gilmour bought him afterwards. I was 

 to ride him at Ashby-de-la-Zouch. When I got on 

 to the ground I met Mr. John Story. *' Dick," he 

 says, " you ride the black horse to-day : do you see 

 that Stand i^ — he'll run you right against it, and kill 

 you : he always runs away when they're exercising 

 him." Well, we mounted, and Becher canters up — 

 " Dick, that's a fine horse you've got ; they say 

 he's a runaway devil, but we'll stop him." So 

 when we got to the post, I says, " You'd better let 

 me have the middle of the course, or I'll be on the 

 top of some of you." So I let him go, and devil a 

 soul comes near him to the distance : then True 

 Blue goes by me easy. I kept in the middle of 

 the course all the way, so I couldn't run against the 

 Stand. I told Mr. Story he'd better keep out of it, 

 he was so positive I should come there. The second 

 heat I puts on my spurs and takes off the martingale. 

 He went a bit placider that time ; but, blame me. 

 True Blue catches me just at the same place again : 1 

 was second twice. Then I went to Nottingham to ride 



