Part 3

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The first year in which a House of Commons Steeplechase took place was in 1889, and this pleasant and sporting meeting, which then promised to become an annual one, was abandoned about 1893 in consequence of the sad end of Captain “Bay” Middleton the year before. In 1889, I entered an Irish mare, Peggy Dillon, but scratched her, and took no part in the race. This took place in the Bicester country, from the village of Hillesden to that of Chetwade, over a stiff course, but chiefly grass. I remember that the ground was soft and going heavy. The distance was three and three-quarter miles, and the conditions briefly--catchweight over 13 stone, all horses to be the property of, and ridden by, an M.P., and no horse to have previously won a steeplechase. Lord Chesham started a field of ten senators, and the result of the race was as follows:--

Mr. Cyril Flower’s Home Rule, 13 st. 8½ lb. 1 (afterwards disqualified).

Mr. Elliot Lees’ Damon, 13 st. 2

Mr. J. Fitzwilliam’s Marcellus, 13 st. 11 lb. 3

Mr. F. B. Mildmay’s horse, 13 st. 0

Mr. W. Long’s horse, 13 st. 8¼ lb. 0

Mr. Bromley-Davenport’s Berkshire, 13 st. 0

Mr. P. A. Muntz’s Dauntless, 15 st. 4¼ lb. 0

Lord Henry Bentinck’s Border Chief, 13 st. 10½ lb. 0

Mr. J. B. White’s horse, 13 st. 6¾ lb. 0

Mr. W. Jarvis’s Conjuror, 13 st. 0

Lord Newark’s horse, 13 st. 0

Colonel Heath’s horse, 13 st. 0

Mr. Muntz, in spite of his great weight, cut out the work to begin with in company with Mr. Bromley-Davenport. The latter fell early on, and Mr. Muntz was put back by the heavy going. Any chance of Mr. Jarvis’s winning was extinguished by his horse breaking a leg. Near home, Mr. Lees and Mr. Mildmay were leading, with Home Rule close behind. Lord Henry Bentinck, Colonel Heath, and others fell, as did Mr. Mildmay and Mr. Lees at the last brook, where Mr. Flower, passing them, pulled off the race; but his horse was afterwards disqualified, as it was discovered that many years previously he had won a race in Lincolnshire, before he had been purchased by Mr. Flower. It can be imagined that this success in disqualifying Home Rule was the subject of much chaff among the politicians interested in the race, and I hear party feeling rather got the better of the judgment of some two or three M.P.’s, as some nasty things were said about Mr. Flower, who is the last man living to do a “sharp” thing. He had acted in good faith, and made no secret that he had re-christened his old hunter, Sultan, Home Rule for the occasion. For a man of his weight and years, on an old hunter, to cut down a lot of young bloods over the Bicester country was a performance that is not often equalled.

The following year, 1890, we went down from Euston to Rugby, where I remember many of us changed, and were most hospitably entertained by Captain David Beatty before weighing out. The course was a beautiful one, on a horseshoe of grass, unbroken, save by the fences, which were a goodly size, but not more than a fair sample of the Warwickshire and Leicestershire countries. We were divided into two classes, a twelve-stone and a fourteen-stone class, and we who rode in the former were rather amused and surprised to find that Mr. Muntz’s great, yet beautiful mare, with about sixteen stone on her back, was entered in our lot. We all were to start together, and Mr. Ashton, M.F.H., sent on the way a field of thirteen. From this point I will attempt to describe what I was able to see of the race. Except that my grey mare was a good hunter, and had beaten another in a trial, I had no idea of what she could do in a race. She was, I believe, originally bought in Ireland for £17, and I purchased her for £85, with the simple character that she required riding, would face fire, wire, or water, and would not pass a Vet., as her eye was marked by a thorn-prick. I never dreamed of being in the running at all, but thought I would make it hot for the first mile or two, trusting that, at the pace I knew she could fence, I might cut out some of the competitors. I started off with a lead, closely followed by Mr. Mildmay, on the favourite, Discretion, who seemed determined to frustrate my intention to distance my field. By the time we reached the first brook, Sir Savile Crossley, as well as Mr. Mildmay, were close on my quarters. Discretion fell, and I kept an easy lead till about five fences from home. Here we were confronted by a very stiff bullfinch, with what appeared to be a gate in the middle of it. There is not much time for inspection on these occasions, and, seeing no daylight through the black fence, I kept on my course for the gate. As I approached it, I realised it was not a gate, but a high barrier beyond a drinking-place. It was too late to change my mind, and I held on, Nora Creina, my mare, carrying the rails into the next field and letting several others through the gap we made. I saw several falling at the bullfinch, and among them Mr. Jarvis, who got a nasty kick in the face, and displayed a thing like a concertina afterwards, which he alleged he had worn on his head. Two fences from home Mr. Elliott Lees caught me, and ere we got into the straight had me settled, as Nora could not get up the hill. This was the first and last time I ever resorted to the spur with her, and when I found she could not answer to it, we accepted our fate. The result of the race was--

TWELVE-STONE CLASS.

Mr. Elliott Lees’ b g Damon by Wild Charlie, owner 1 Mr. A. E. Pease’s gr m Nora Creina by Lord Gough, owner 2 Mr. Hermon Hodges’ b m Lady Evelyn, Lord E. Hamilton 3 Sir Savile Crossley’s ch g Chaff, owner 0 Mr. Hermon Hodges’ Hartlebury, owner 0 Mr. Muntz’s Duchess, owner 0 Mr. Mildmay’s Discretion, owner 0 Mr. Yerburgh’s Schoolboy, owner 0

FOURTEEN-STONE CLASS.

Mr. W. H. Long’s b g Crusader, owner 1 Hon. G. Wyndham’s ch m Daffodil, owner 2 Mr. Hermon Hodges’ ch g The Don, Mr. Jarvis 3 Mr. Cyril Flower’s b g No Name, owner 0 Mr. H. L. Lawson’s b g Hedgehog, owner 0

Mr. Long, Mr. Mildmay, Mr. Jarvis, Mr. Lawson, and Mr. Cyril Flower, fell.

I rode a very bad race, due to want of knowledge of my mare’s powers and the distance of the course, but these disadvantages I shared in common with my colleagues. I felt the justice of Captain “Bay” Middleton’s opinion, which I overheard, and these were the last words I ever heard him speak. Some one remarked that my mare went magnificently. “Yes,” said Bay; “but she was damned badly ridden,” and he knew something of what he was talking about. The following year, however, we did something to retrieve our character, as, with a turn of luck, we won over a bigger country, and defeated the winner of 1889 and 1890--coming in first with great ease.

I have found the following lines, written after the race, by Mr. W. Philpotts Williams:--

THE SENATORS’ RACE, 1891.

The Mace and the Speaker are left for to-day, Both Tories and Rads. come to witness the play. The laws of debate, and the questions and bills Are cast to the winds on the Staverton Hills, And Commons and Lords, with the men of the Chase, All join in the fun of the Senators’ Race.

In the place of the Speaker the man with the flag Gives the office to go with his piece of red rag; The gallery of ladies, no longer in trouble, Have freedom to talk, which they do at the double; And everyone comes with a smile on his face, To see senators ride in the Senators’ Race.

The “Heavies” in numbers are not very strong, But good in the choice of Muntz, Bentinck, and Long; The “Lights” have a favourite in Lees, who can show His Dorsetshire horse is a nailer to go. Two years in succession they fought for a place, And pulled off the Stakes in the Senators’ Race.

They’re off! is the cry; the shouting is loud; And Pease’s good grey leads the galloping crowd, A head like a lady’s, an eye like a deer-- A sweet combination of courage and fear, From the start to the finish it looks like “a case” For the man on the grey in the Senators’ Race.