The story of the race was told in _The York Herald_: "About four o'clock Mrs. Thornton appeared on the ground, full of spirits, her horse led by Colonel Thornton, and followed by Mr. Baker and Mr. H. Boynton; afterwards appeared Mr. Flint. They started a little past four o'clock. The lady took the lead for upwards of three miles in most capital style. Her horse, however, had much the shorter stroke of the two. When within a mile of being home Mr. Flint pushed forward and got the lead, which he kept. Mrs. Thornton used every exertion, but finding it impossible to win the race, she drew up in sportsman-like style, when within about two distances. The course was four miles." The riding of the lady excited admiration, and it was difficult to say whether her horsemanship, her dress, or her beauty was most admired, the _tout ensemble_ being considered unique. The sympathy extended to Mrs. Thornton because of her defeat was universal, and there seemed to be a feeling on the part of all that Mr. Flint acted most ungallantly in not allowing her to take the honours of the race; in plainer language, he should have made her a present of the stake--£1,000! That some bad blood resulted over the affair was soon known. The lady herself, who is reputed to have been as clever at her desk as she was in the saddle, wrote a letter on the subject complaining of having been ungallantly used in various ways on the course, and concluding by challenging Mr. Flint to ride the same match in all its terms over the same course next year. The appetite of Mrs. Colonel Thornton appears to have been whetted by what had taken place for further exploits of a similar kind; at all events, in the next year, 1805, her name crops up in two matches, one for 2,000 gs. and four hogsheads of Cote Roti, as also a bet of 600 gs. p.p. Mr. Bromford, her opponent, however, declined to ride, and Mrs. Thornton, after doing the usual perfunctory walk over, bagged £1,000 of forfeit, the bet of 600 gs. p.p., and presumably contributed to her stock of wine half of the supply of the Cote Roti. No sooner had the walk, or rather canter over taken place, than the lady, "dressed in a purple cap and waistcoat, nankeen-coloured skirts, purple shoes, and embroidered stockings," appeared to ride against Buckle, the famous jockey, a match of two miles. The start for this contest was made at half-past three o'clock, when the lady went off with the lead and managed to keep in front for some distance, when Buckle forged to the front and kept there for a dozen paces, "when Mrs. Thornton, by the most excellent, we may truly say horsemanship, pushed forward and came in in a style far superior to anything of the kind we have witnessed, gaining the race by half a neck; her bold and steady jockeyship, indeed, amazed one of the most crowded courses ever witnessed. On her winning she was hailed with the most reiterated shouts of congratulation."