Читать книгу Lord William Beresford, V.C., Some Memories of a Famous Sportsman, Soldier and Wit онлайн

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Everyone was anxious to see the Royal colours win the Challenge Cup for bona-fide hunters; distance about three miles.

The entries for this race were:—

H.R.H. the Prince of Wales’s Champion, b.g. Captain Rivers Bulkeley. Lord Valentia’s Wellington, ch.g. Captain Wood. Hon. P. W. FitzWilliam’s Punkah, b.g. Owner. Lord Valentia’s Vent Piece, bn.m. Mr. Woods. Mr. Smith-Dorrien’s Marquis, ro.g. Owner. Major St. Quinten’s Crusader, b.g. Owner.

The Prince drove down from town with Colonel Kingscote in attendance. Captain Rivers Bulkeley and that popular old sportsman, Major Chaine, were the stewards, while Mr. Smith-Dorrien, whose name as a general is so intimately connected with the War, was the most courteous of secretaries. The idol of the hour after the Prince was Captain Rivers Bulkeley, as being the first to wear the famous Royal purple and gold braided jacket with gold and black cap. He must have felt a very proud man, but unfortunately like Humpty Dumpty he had a great fall. At the brook Champion, the Prince’s horse, came to grief, he and the favourite Vent Piece fell together, the riders remounting, and in at the finish. Champion managed to regain so much ground that hopes were raised once more of a Royal victory, but in the last half-mile he showed distinct signs of having taken too much out of himself at the brook, so was overtaken by Wellington, who won for Lord Valentia by ten lengths. Champion second, Punkah third.