ON STEEPLE-CHASING. 305 



account of his small size as a boy's hunter ; 

 yet he won the Grand National twice ; 

 while two other winners of that great race, 

 Lord Coventry's famous mare Emblem, and 

 Casse Tete, were lean, light, wiry mares, 

 of mean appearance perhaps, bu.t all muscle 

 and quality, built high behind like grey- 

 hounds, with immense length from hip to 

 hock, giving them great stride and enormous 

 jumping power. 



The revival of the Point-to-point at hunt 

 meetings forms an interesting feature in 

 modern steeple-chasing. This form of racing 

 has, no doubt, afforded a great deal of 

 pleasure both from the competitor's and 

 spectator's point of view ; for though the 

 race is seldom, perhaps, exciting, there is 

 always the personal interest in some parti- 

 cular horse or rider to give it a zest. 

 Nevertheless, I have seen two or three 

 remarkably close finishes ; and one — in 

 -^^'hich a gallant captain, after turning a 



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