412 
STEEPLE-CHASING. 
and his collar-bone were broken, and his head was severely 
bruised. On the following day no hopes were entertained of his 
recovery, and we see in the report in Bell's Life that it was 
rumoured in Lincoln that he is since dead. He was a married 
man with a family. 
The story of the proceedings at Liverpool appears to us far 
more disgusting, although no life was sacrificed. At one fence, a 
flight of rails placed on a bank, a horse called “ Kilfane” struck 
the fence and fell into the next field. His thigh w T as broken, and 
his throat was cut. At another fence, a small bank of earth, a 
horse named “ Equinox” fell, and rolled into the next field; his 
back was broken; his throat too was cut. At another fence, a 
little farther on, “ Curate” stumbled, and rolled into the next field, 
where another horse jumped upon him. His back, too, was 
broken, and his throat was cut also. 
The following extract from a report describes the aspect of the 
course when the race was over ; — 
“ When the races were over Equinox was found lying in a pool 
of his own blood. At the next fence, scarcely a hundred yards 
beyond, lay The Curate, in exactly the same situation ; and at the 
next, Kilfane. The knife having put an end to the sufferings of 
each.” 
These are the results of the Liverpool and Lincoln steeple 
chases, which happened within a week of each other. 
As a people, we pride ourselves upon our humanity. There is 
a society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Their emis¬ 
saries are dispatched about in every direction through the metro¬ 
polis, to take note if an omnibus horse or a donkey be overdriven 
or cruelly flogged. We have had a law to forbid the harnessing 
of dogs to carts within the precincts of the town. But the persons 
guilty of these acts of cruelty might have had some faint shadow 
of, we are unwilling to call it an excuse, for their barbarity. In 
the case of these steeple chases no such palliation can be urged. 
The horses belong to gentlemen. They are not run from neces¬ 
sity, but for sport. If it be impossible that this kind of racing 
should exist without constant accidents—accidents, too, of so ter¬ 
rible a nature—it should be expunged altogether from the catalogue 
of English sports. Prize-fighting was bad enough, when two 
blockheads were induced to stand up and pommel each other to 
death’s door for so much money. If they stepped into the ring, 
however, it was their own act, and by their own choice. This is 
not so in steeple chasing ; the poor horses, who are spurred and 
whipped on over the artificial fences, when their strength is spent, 
have no option in the matter. Go they must; they stumble, roll 
over, their backs are broken, and their throats cut. And this is 
sport! The Times. 
