Hunting ReminiscencesPease, Alfred E. (Alfred Edward), Sir
General
Hunting Reminiscences
Pease, Alfred E. (Alfred Edward), Sir
Hunting
" 4. Stowe Fox. Finished my Mastership, getting my last fall
at the brook, and the only one Saucebox gave me with the
Drag. I handed over the horn to my brother.
Since then the Drag has flourished, and I understand things are done
in a style we never dreamed of. Amongst the Masters that carried the
horn after my time were my brother, Mr. J. A. Pease, the present Duke
of Leeds, Mr. Le Fleming, Mr. Ivor Guest, the Duke of Marlborough,
Mr. Beddington, Mr. Wiloughby, Mr. Macreary, Mr. F. M. Freake, Lord
Ronaldshay, and several others whose names do not occur to me at the
moment.
I heard of the followers of the red herring having two Drags in one day
in 1895, Stowe Fox in the morning, and Downing Arms after lunch. The
usual field was augmented by several jockeys from Newmarket (including
T. Loates, Woodburn, Barker and Rickaby). I heard that several fine
tosses were scored by Mr. T. Loates, and that Barker finally won the
drag after a punishing finish, in which he beat Rickaby by a neck.
* * * * *
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
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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