184 REMINISCENCES, ETC. 



" Altliougli the country around Ted worth was mostly so 

 open, that an old woman on a broom might ride across it, 

 still there were times and parts of it tlmt showed oflf good 

 riding, particularly in the Pewsey vale. On such occasions 

 as these, when fine horsemanship was required, there was no 

 man who rode better and straighter than Mr. John Rowden, 

 of Derrington, a wealthy yeoman, with a hand as light as a 

 lady's, a heart as bold as a lion, and a frame fit to contend 

 for the championship. 



" He was invariably selected by Mr. Smith to purchase his 

 horses, generally at that time bought of Mr. Smart, of 

 Swindon ; or in case any horse was heard of at a distance, 

 Mr. Eowden was requested to pass his judgment on it, and 

 many hundred miles has he ridden for that purpose. Nor 

 did his labours end here ; for if ever there happened, as was 

 often the case, to be a violent fractious animal that required 

 hand and temper, he was also requested to be the private 

 tutor ; and so highly did Mr. Smith think of his riding and 

 judgment, that I have often heard him say, he would rather 

 trust a young horse to Eowden than any man he knew. I 

 shall never forget his coming down a steep plantation on a 

 violent bay horse who had broken away with him, crying, 

 * Tahe ca-are, ge-entlemen, take co-are, I don't know v)he-ere 

 Pm coming ' (he had a little hitch in his speech, like Dick 

 Burton), as his horse bounded through and over the young 

 trees. ' No,' said a farmer, ' I don't much think you do, 

 for it appears to me you be out a bird's nesting.' On 

 another occasion, when his horse reared up bolt on end, 

 and there stood, he coolly remarked, '/ suppose he will 

 come down again once today' He was our Dick Christian." 



A member of the Tedworth Hunt, describing a meet 

 after Mr. Smith's death, says : " The finest run I ever wit- 

 nessed last season (1858-1859) was from Collingbourne 

 Woods on the last day of March. * The wind in the east for- 

 biddingly keen,' and the sun scalding hot, promised anything 

 but such an event. Jack Flicker, the first whip, who has 



