work, before his limbs felt stiff, or any thing like chilliness should come over his frame. Few men, in the sporting world, that we have met with in our travels, can be trusted alone!' better than the gay, merry, late landlord of the Green Man! IKEY SOLOMONS had nearly proved a very disastrous horse to Mr. Osbaldeston ; and might have lost him the match. Ikey was going a slashing pace when he made a flounder, and Mr. O., standing in his stirrups, shot over his head. This, at all events, was going farther than he intended; and Ikey Solomons bolted for a hundred yards before he was again grabbed. To say that the above 'untoward circumstance' did not alter the complexion of things for a short period would be wrong; or that Mr. Osbaldeston was not put out of his way by it for a few minutes-would be equally untrue-but look to the result, Like a game cock of the highest breed, he was at the scratch in a twinkling; off like a shot; and finished the round well; though not so quickly as heretofore. It is true, Mr. Osbaldeston came in a little distressed-and his opponents were raised in hope a tiny bit;' but the game of Mr. O. is so good at all timesthat his motto appears to be "Death or Victory." On TAM O'SHANTER he became all right; and Ikey Solomons and the fall were completely obliterated from the tablet of his memory. EL DORADO came in very lame; but, nevertheless, the round was done in 9 minutes and 20 seconds. Keeping up the look of winning,' and nothing else! COVENTRY and RINGLEADER, kept the 'game alive; and TRANBY, for the third time, was swift indeed. One hundred and forty-four miles were completed in six hours and seventeen minutės. IPSALA, SKIRMISHER, GUILFORD, STREAMLET, DONEGANI, HASSAN, FILLY, RINGLEADER, TRANBY, and COVENTRY, all did their rounds in the most satisfactory manner to the backers of Mr. Osbaldeston. COVENTRY and IPSALA repeated their rounds so as to put the thing beyond all doubt -and success was completely within the reach of Mr. Osbaldeston-a SOVEREIGN to ninepence. STREAMLET had to encounter a violent squall of nine and wind; and, to prove the out-and-out game of Mr. Osbaldeston, he stood it like bricks and mortar, unmoved by the rude and overwhelming elements; but not so STREAMLET, the animal turned round from its violence near the fir-trees, and in all probability would not have faced it again for some time, but his master, like the pilot that weathered the storm,' steered STREAMLET through the round in nine minutes. Comparisons, it is said, are odious; but there was something rather ominous in the name for bolting. DONEGANI, although the longest except Ikey Solomons, performed his round quite time enough, to the satisfaction of the visitors. SKIRMISHER, the last horse required to give eclat to this wonderful match, finished the business at nine minutes before four o'clockor, in other words, this immense undertaking was completed in EIGHT HOURS AND THIRTY-NINE MINUTES, having one hour, and twenty-one minutes to the good! His reception by the Public, on winning the match, was of the most enthusiastic description; and numbers of sporting gentlemen were at a loss to show him the extent of their approbation. Some seized hold of his hands; others patted him on the back; and several shouted out "OSBALDESTON for ever! Osbaldeston against any man in the world! He wins FIVE points out of six, and let any person make the match," &c., &c. He came in like one of those Choice Spirits who think nothing impossible to achieve a match if he "wills it!" flourishing his whip over his head. A jolly venerable farmer was so delighted with the success of Mr. Osbaldeston, that, in the ecstacy of the moment he complimented him with the view-halloo in fine rattling style. Mr. Gully, Harry England, and Tom Oliver, three of the right sort of persons at such a time, rendered him some little assistance to dismount at the Stand; on ascending which, he was honored by the congratulations of Lady Chesterfield and her sister, Mrs. G. Anson, who had driven from the race-course to be in at the "winning" of this extraordinary match (to be recorded in the BOOK OF SPORTS), something after the manner, we suppose, "That none but the brave deserve the fair!" There was no nonsense-no affectationabout Mr. Osbaldeston, nor no Benjamin Bolus required to take him in tow, and prescribe for him with a face as long as my arm, under the impressive idea-to take great care of himself! Mr. Osbaldeston is his own physician -an excellent trainer-a soul above Buttons and a man who does not meet difficulties half-way. Harry England prescribed physic to Mr. O., as a cooler-a Throw the physic to the dogs; said Mr. Osbaldeston, with a smile upon his countenance, and, without further ceremony, he mounted Cannon Ball. He started at a tidy pace, followed by all the horsemen, to his lodgings at Perrin's in Newmarket, where he made his bow to those gentlemen who had done him the honor to attend him to the hotel. A warm bath removed, or rather prevented any thing like stiffness about his limbs, and a comfortable nap in Bed-fordshire not only composed his feelings, but, in the course of two hours, enabled him to meet his friends to partake of a good dinner and the pleasures of the festive board. Such was the climax to this unparalleled match in the Sporting World. Mr. Osbaldeston did not ride the exact round course, which is some furlongs under four miles; but by going outside of it, getting into the Beacon, about Choke Jade, touching on the Bunbury Mile, and coming home close to the ditch, he made it a four mile course; and at the end of each round he changed his horse. Mr. O. had a leg given him up each mount, in consequence of the impossibility of making the horses approach a wooden horseblock, turfed over, and erected in front of the Stand. He Previous to the above match, Mr. Osbaldeston had been in close training for a week, riding most of his horses; his constant exercise was of the severest description. hunted his hounds in Northamptonshire, and afterwards, with two hacks he rode sixty-one miles to dine at Newmarket. During the match, as might be expected, a variety of opinions were expressed upon the subject-some thought Mr. Osbaldeston, after he had done upwards of 100 miles, appeared rather weak; and that one of the horses was rather troublesome to him. Such might have been the case; but, upon the whole, his cool, game, high-spirited conduct as the theme of all the spectators, and the majority of persons present entertained the opinion, from the first moment of his starting, to the completion of the match-that he always looked like winning his countenance was a complete Mr. John Gully, not finger-post to his mind. only anxious to assist his friend, but likewise interested in the success of the match-generally met him at coming in towards the conclusion of it, and laid hold of his horse. It has been said, but we do not vouch for the truth of the assertion, that with all the horses possessed by the parties connected with the above great undertaking, that the stuble was not so well conducted as it might have been, where so much depended upon TIMEa few seconds a loss, but a minute or two positively dangerous; and at one period of the match there was something like uncertainty as to the arrival of horses; and also that some rounds had been accomplished by Mr. Osbaldeston before the "lookers out' for spare horses had made it all right. Be that as it may-one thing is decidedly clear, connected with this match, that Mr. Osbaldeston had perfectly satisfied himself (barring accidents) he could win it in TEN hours to the greatest certainty; that he could also win in NINE by taking 1000 sovereigns to 100; and also entering most fully into the spirit of the following motto, Forti et fideli nil difficile : It was the opinion of the best-informed upon the subject, that had the day have proved fine, the ground in a better state, and Mr. Osbaldeston had not been thrown off Ikey Solomons-he would have accomplished his great task in less time-say, from 12 to 15 minutes sooner than is recorded. Mr. Osbaldeston, at the close of the match, said he would give a plate of £50, to be run for by the above horses. The above plate was won by Lord Lowther's Smolensko Colt, three years old, 7st. 10lb. (Chapple), was the winner, and Donegani second (Conolly). In consequence of considerable chaffing (as it is termed in the slang of the day) having taken place respecting the above match"that any cripple, &c., could have done it with the same horses," Mr. Osbaldeston, to put a stopper on the matter, addressed the following letter to the Editor of Bell's Life, on the subject: the following is an extract : 66 Sir, there are men, I have no doubt," observes Mr, Osbaldeston, can do the match in the time I did, and in much less, who only ride 7 stone, if they are to be called men. Many fox-hunters, and even jockeys, before the performance, thought it impossible to do it in nine hours; but now, the very same men say any FOOL can do it! If they are correct, pray what can a wise man do? Double, at least: but, perhaps, no wise man will be fool enough to try!-400 miles in 17 successive hours and 12 minutes will puzzle all the wise men of the East! It is the pace which a man is obliged to maintain, with such short intervals between every four miles, that distresses him, from which the MUSCLES have not time to recover. Two hundred miles in 10 hours would be no performance to talk of-putting on the extra steam of six miles an hour tries the wind and strength. A man riding 14st. could do it in ten hours, if a good horseman, sound wind and limb, and with good pluck. Whoever accomplishes it in EIGHT HOURS and forty-two minutes, riding 11st. 3lbs., will find his stockings tied up tighter than he ever had them tied up before,' to make use of a waterman's phrase! Various rumours have gone abroad as to the sum I won, and great exaggeration exists; some say £10,000; some £20,000; and some even £36,000. After deducting all expenses, I shall not net more than £1800, owing to the supineness and bad advice of my friends. They would not exert themselves for me, nor would they allow me to back myself 'in the Ring; because, they said, I should spoil the betting; and if I would only be quiet they would get plenty on for me. I followed their advice; but they never bet a shilling for me, but kept humbugging me to the last. "It was all right!' They knew I would have betted 3, 4, and even 5 to 1 on the match, two nights before, and kept me quiet to fill their own pockets at 6 to 4, which they did pretty handsomely at my expense. I never was afraid of any thing but sudden indisposition, and at no one period of the match would I have taken Ten to One about the nine hours; I had time enough to dine with the Lord Mayor of London, and do it in ten. My friends' advice to keep quiet was something like the advice given to Dawson, who was executed for poisoning the horses at Newmarket. They persuaded him a pardon was close at hand, even up to the moment of his execution, merely to keep his mouth shut, as 'dead men tell no tales' they say. * "Having been pestered to death by so many inquiries about the match, and having been chaffed so much about the match, and a jockey doing it in eight hours, I thought it best to put a complete statement in the paper, and also to add the following challenges to the whole world, but of which one, at least, I should imagine, may be selected for their adoption. I have named large sums, because, in my attempting or accomplishing any of them, I should incur a great expense, and risk my health and stamina, and it is not worth my notice for less. I address myself to all the sporting men in England, and surely, as a body, they can stump the ready against me alone, if they think it a 'good catch.' Should no man, or body of men, come forward to take up any one of my offers, I trust I shall not be bothered with- it is nothing to do—AN OLD WOMAN can do it-and a jockey can do it in eight hours,' and so on. I merely back myself on my own stamina and determination; and a man of my age challenging all the world to back a man of any age against me, is unparalleled in the history of any sporting, and hardly to be believed. I will, however, appear at the scratch whenever called upon, both with the needful, and my own carcase ready for the fray. The following are my offers:: THE CHALLEnge. "I challenge any man in the world, of any age, weighing or carrying my weight, to ride any distance he prefers, from Two hundred to FIVE HUNDRED MILES, for TWENTY THOUSAND POUNDS! But if he will only ride 200, or 250 miles, I will ride for Ten Thousand Pounds. Or, I will ride against the Jockey of seven stone, whom they talk of backing to ride 200 miles in EIGHT hours, receiving 30 minutes for the difference between seven stone and eleven stone; or, I will take £10,000 to £3,000, or £20,000 to £6,000, that I ride Two hundred miles in EIGHT HOURS, which, it must be allowed, would be a wonderful performance for eleven stone odd; and, I THINK, ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE—at least, a single accident would lose the match; and I should scarcely have time to mount and dismount. I an always to be heard of at Pitsford, near Northampton. "GEORGE OSBALDESTON. "Pitsford, Wednesday, Nov. 16." Aquatic Sports; or Life on the Water. Anecdote of the late King George IV. and his A dialogue between two Costard-Mongers, respecting the Gentleman-Coachman Brighton Road. Anecdote of Abraham Cann... of King William IV., his remarks to a Nobleman at a Prize Fight... An impartial Review of the Sporting World.... An outline of Tom Moody, the Crack Huntsman 353 A thorough Sportsman, the happiest fellow in the World.. 383 3 on the Argufying the Topic; or, a word or two in favour of the persons who compose the Sporting World.... 76 A Picture of the interior of the King's Bench during its gaiety... An Apartment of an Author... 210 ib. Aha, the Fox, and after him they ran' 211 Archery, as a School ornament. 247 Archery was first introduced to the English in rather an unpleasant manner at the battle of Hastings... 122 261 At Wednesbury there was a Cocking. Ancient and Modern Coursing... Captain D, of Sporting notoriety.. Curious and expensive Wardrobe belonging to the late Mr. Howell............. Conversation at the Melton Mowbray Club, after a hard day's run.. Comparisons made on the Flash Language, inserted in a work of Mr. Moore's, the celebrated Poet, by the Editor of the Book of Sports, in justification of his own character.. Compliment paid to Mr. Jackson by the late Lord Byron... Cash, ready; its advantages in Society.. Cumberland and Westmoreland Wrestling for a Page. Climbing up a greasy pole for a leg of Mutton.. 265 Cherry Bounce; a Parody.. Characteristic account of a Fox Hunt....... Chalk Farm, a slang phrase; explanation of it.. 302 38 86 228 379 82 96 108 140 Cleopatra feasted by Mark Antony with eight Comparative use of the Bow and the Musket... 218 249 340 100 58 Bull-finch fence, in Leicestershire, a description of. 214 Baboons hunted with Dogs. Come, Sportsman, away, the morning how fair.. 313 376 292 292 Bees, description of.. 159 Cheer up, fill your glass, for while fortune is brewing... 26 Boxing Matches do not tend to debase, demoralize, or brutalize us as a Nation.. Coursing, its great antiquity... 385 171 Coursing clubs in various parts of the Kingdom. Curious Coursing Anecdote.... 39 39: Belvoir hounds, a very old established pack.. 216 Card of Admission to the Gallery of Lord Rivers Crossing the Greyhound with the English Bull 386 121 dog.... 391 Book for every body... 2 Buffalo: at the Cape of Good Hope.. 398 Black and White; or a shy how to win a Bet.... 400 Blood, in every sort animal, has a striking supe riority. 391 |