1 6 COURSING 



he met the puppy Pretender in the final he crowned a very 

 smartly run trial with one of those dashing kills which went so 

 far to uphold his fame. In this Cup, Bed of Stone had the bad 

 luck to run no less than three undecideds with Bendimere, which 

 of course destroyed her chance ; but she came out like a giantess 

 refreshed, and polished off her opponents in the Plate in grand 

 style. This was the last course that the great dog ran in public, 

 and, as we have said before, his name became a household word. 

 Even Her Majesty the Queen commanded him to appear at 

 Windsor Castle, and expressed a lively interest in his perform- 

 ances. He did not long survive his retirement, for he died 

 of heart-disease two years after. In the chapter of this volume 

 entitled ' Famous Greyhounds of the Past ' will be found the 

 measurements of this remarkable greyhound, whose running 

 weight was 54 Ibs. 



1872 found Bed of Stone victorious. She was a sterling 

 bitch, and had previously won the Purse in 1870 and the Plate 

 in 1871, so that this last performance set a seal on her fame, 

 and as a matron she was a decided success (see chapter on 

 ' Celebrated Greyhounds '). The runner-up was Peasant Boy, 

 who occupied the same berth the following year (1873), when 

 Muriel was successful. On this occasion there was a dis- 

 graceful demonstration against the judge, Mr. Warwick. It 

 having got wind that he had judged a private trial of Peasant 

 Boy, an idea prevailed that he meant pulling that dog through 

 at all hazards ; consequently, when he went to the slips with 

 Muriel for the final, Mr. Warwick was literally mobbed, and 

 although Muriel fairly won at the finish, there were not wanting 

 those who declared that the judge had been intimidated ; these 

 were probably the disappointed backers of Peasant Boy. Mr. 

 Warwick had judged the Waterloo Cup thirteen years, and 

 had given every satisfaction ; but this was the last time he 

 officiated. 



1874 was remarkable for being the first year in which Mr. 

 Hedley acted as judge ; he had every qualification for the post, 

 which he has held up to the present time. Magnano, the winner, 



