Walker's manly exercises: Containing rowing, sailing, riding, driving, racing, hunting, shooting, and other manly sportsWalker, Donald
Science
Walker's manly exercises: Containing rowing, sailing, riding, driving, racing, hunting, shooting, and other manly sports
Walker, Donald
Athletics; Sports
But if the Turf be thus restricted in further profiting, save as matter
of hazard, by the means which securely ministered to the success of its
first speculators, it furnishes materials from which may be moulded
other distinct races, as valuable, each in its province, as the flying
family of the modern race-course, now the sole representatives of our
thorough-blood. The ragged regiment of cock-tails will, it is devoutly
to be hoped, speedily be disbanded; the day soon arrive when no
gentleman shall be seen bestriding the mongrel of a base-bred hackney,
scarce worthy the shafts of a costermonger’s trap. And first, as is
befitting, such reform must commence with its next of kin--THE FIELD.
Shall this, assuredly the second--nay, the twin-sport of racing, in the
esteem of Englishmen, long continue dependent upon chance for a supply
of horses for its service? Impossible; the period cannot be far distant
in which the British thorough-bred hunter will be as distinct a race,
and of as high renown, as his progenitors were the pride of the Turf.
[Illustration]
HUNTING.
As the whole object of the Manly Exercises is not accomplished in the
attainment and practice of them, it was thought convenient that the
business of their details should be succeeded by a partial notice of
some of those sports of which they form the elementary process, and
which may be regarded as their ultimate “end and aim.” It has been well
said by my talented friend, Nimrod, that all the writing in the world
will not make a sportsman. The pen of Pindar, and the pencil of Grant,
indeed, exhibit him in all perfection to our admiration; but, could
they both write for the education of the student whose ambition is
Olympic fame, they would not insure success. Like the poet, he must be
born, in a manner, to his cunning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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