ENGLISH SPORTING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 194, 6 January 1882, Page 4

ENGLISH SPORTING.

With reference to a recent note about the chances of picking up a good horse at a cheap rate, a friend writes that during Osbaldiston's famous 200 mile ride, the second quickest run of four miles was done on a little horse called Oberon, which the Squire bought of a farmer for «£l4. Oberon went his four miles in Bmin 20sec. The beat time was made on Tranby, who went the four miles in precisely •eight minutes. In 1792 the wall of Hyde Park was jumped for a bet of 500 guineas. A Royal personage laid this sum that an Irish-bred mare belonging to a Mr Bingham would not clear the wall opposite Grosvenor Place, the height "being 6| feet inside with a drop of 8 feet. Before the bet was made, however, Mr. Bingham had sold his mare, but he took the wager that he would find a horse to do it, and at the appointed time arrived with the steed selected. By reason of the drop on the hard road the ground was prepared on the landing side, and the horse did handsomely all that was required of him. A question constantly asked by correspondents is the precise measurement of the highest jump that ahorse has cleared. I do not fancy that a leap made in the Phoenix Park a good many — forty or fifty — years ago, by a son of that stupidly named but good horse Pot Boos has ever been surpassed. The animal in question was called Turnip, and belonged to Sir E. Croften, who had accepted a bet of ,£SOO, offered by the Duke of Richmond, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, that Turnip would not jump eeven feet in fair Irish sporting style — just touching with the hind hoofs. A gate and wall of the requisite height were built up, Turnip meantime being walked quietly about. When all was ready the horse was a short distance from the wall, but as soon as the hint was given him he went for the jump and cleared it. So quickly was this accomplished that the Duke, who was looking round to speak to someone at the moment (imagining that the horse would be turned and taken at it with a longer run) missed the sight, and Turnip therefore repeated the performance. Walking, trotting, cantering and galloping we know, but the rahwan will be a new sort of pace to Englishman, though as old as the hills in Syria. A writer in the "Saturday Review, " discussing Damascus, speaks thus of the young horses :—: — *' Their education begins often with learning the rahwan pace, which is much esteemed. It is generally ttiught by tying the feet on the right and left side together each to each — the right front to the right hind, and so with the left An animal who excels in this kind of amble is worth a large sum, be he ever so ill-bred or poor in appearance. The value of the accomplishment lies in its comfort to rider and ridden, for so smooth is the pace that a brimming cup of water may be held at full speed without spilling, and so easy is it for the horse*that a well-trained one is supposed to cover the distance betwen Damascus aud Beyrout in eight or nine hours. When we consider that the actual length of road is seventytwo miles, twice ascending and decending several thousand feet in crossing the ranges of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, the performance is certainly creditable." Paces are after all, mainly matters of habit to the rider. Many Englishmen will certainly think that a smooth and easy trot is as comfortable a rate and method of conveyance as could be named.