The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-01 00:00:00

MILITARY STEEPLECHASES.

On Saturday last the 14th Hussars and Farmers' Steeple-
chases, which last year were held at Old Windsor, came off
at Chippenham, on Mr. Aldridge's farm, near Eton College.
The arrangements were judiciously made, so as to exclude
roughs and bookmakers, consequently the company in-
cluded only the elect portion of the residents of the sur-
rounding neighbourhood, including the officers of the
Royal Horse Guards from the Spittal Barracks, the officers
of the 2d Battalion of Scots Fusiliers from Windsor Bar-
racks, and the officer of the 14th Hussars, from Houns-
low ; Lord Colville, Major-General Hood, Dr. Herman,
and Mr. Greville (stewards), and a number of elegantly-
dressed ladies, for whose special accommodation tents and
refreshments were provided. The weather was not so
favourable as could have been wished, but the ground was
in good running order.

The first race, a Sweepstakes, for horses bona fide the
property of the officers of the 14th Hussars, ridden by offi-
cers of the regiment, distance about 21 miles, was cleverly
won by Mr. Staunton's Foreigner, by a short head.
The Farmers' Plate, a cup, value 30 guineas, given by
the officers of the 14th Hussars, for horses bona fide the
property of farmers residing within the limits of the Queen's
Hunt, was easily won by Mr. Aldridge's horse.
The third and last race was the 14th Hussar Challenge
Cup, value 100 guineas, added to a sweekpstakes of 5 sous
each, for horses bona fide the property of officers of the
14th Hussars that have been in their possession and regu-
larly hunted or ridden as chargers prior to the day of no-
mination ; 12st each ; to be ridden by officers of the regi-
ment; won by Mr. Ashton's Palermo. Capt. Baskerville's
Dragoon, the first favourite, fell and broke its neck four
fences from home.

The rest of the races did not come off in consequence of
;he entries not filling.

Worcester Summer Meeting, of which a full programme
appears in our front page, will take place on Thu -sday
and Friday, June 27 and 28. The entries for the diffe-
rent stakes can bo made to Messrs. Weatherby. or Mr.
Webb, Bell Hotel, Worcester. The Worcestershire
Stakes entries will close on or before Tuesday, May 28
The stewards are the Earls of Coventry and Stamford, W.
G. Craven, and J. It. Cookes, Esquires.

Newark Races will take place on Thursday, May 30.
Watehbox, after winning a Selling Stakes at Lewes on
Thursday, was bought in for 57 guineas.

The Ward Unio❑ Hunt Steeplechases will take place on
April 8, the day originally fixed.

Messrs. Valentine and Wright have the letting of the
lists at tho Northampton and Bedford Grand National
Meetings.

The following name has been given :—Mr. C. Vickers's
colt by Defender, out of Consort—Dexterous.

PARIS.—This horse changed hands twice during the
Epsom Spring Meeting. On the first day, after winning
the United Railway Stakes, ho was knocked down to Mr.
J. Wood for 135 guineas, being 55 guineas over hisentered
price; but Mr. Ten Broeck protested against the sale, on
the ground that the horse was sold before tho objection
(which was overruled) had been gone into. Paris was
consequently entered by both Mr. J. Wood and Mr. Ten
Broeck in the Durdans Stakes on the following day, his
name appearing twice on the cards. On Wednesday the
stewards decided that the previous day's sale was valid,
and Paris ran and won in Mr. Wood's colours. After the
race ho was again put up to auction, and sold to Mr.

f auy reasonable doubt were entertained of the increas
ing popularity of this event, such an assemblage as that at
Putney on Saturday afternoon would dispel it. Both
crews are there this year much earlier than heretofore, and
although this was but the first day that both crews ap-
peared there was a vast crowd of equestrians and pedes-
trians of every grade, including many of the fair sex, and
many were the speculations upon the probable result
the contest.

At a little after eleven the Oxford crew took their seats,
and paddled up over the nearly half-spent ebb to Mortlake,
where they turned, and commenced their work down to
Putney. They varied from 33 to 33 strokes per minute, well
pulled through the water, with a slight pause at the cud of
every pull, or before their oar blades " clipped" the water
again. 'l' lieycontinued steady at this throughout, and finished
in 22 min. 14 sec., without any apparent heat, although the
men, prodigious in size for a University crew, aro said by
some to have an abundance of flesh upon them. This por-
tion of the work was witnessed by but few compared with
the after assemblage to which we have alluded. At three
o'clock, with scarcely an hour's rest after their arrival, the
Cambridge went, out. They started as indifferently as the
Oxonians had on the previous afternoon, and as every crew
does when it makes its debut on the Thames. They
went over nearly the last o "•,1*„ UHT,
-And thencainaersint

34 and 35 strokes per minute, without any pause, finishing
in 20 mins. 30 secs.—very fast, as everybody acquainted
with rowing must admit—but some of them showed symp-
toms of the effect of the labour and spoed. After this the
Oxonians had a paddle up to above the Ciab Tree, and
still rowed with great care and ease.