The Washington herald., 1915-02-07

4, 4. test Of horsemanshIp. pluck dar-
iu- and STAYING power-bOth human and
ruulme- thcr" j. no race in the calendar
10 equal that Of the Grand National at
Aintrce. says London Tit Bits. The
course is the most difficult in the world
-four and a half miles of hard going,
with thirty formidable obstacles which
have on more than one occasion, re-
suited in tho death of both rider and
horse Tho wonder is that more serious
accidents do not occur.
In one year-viz. lS9-three horses.
The Curate. Equinon and Kilfane, were
killed I'm running. while six years later
that good mare Miss Mowbray, hit the
edge Of the ditch on landing over the
famous Becher's Brook-One Of the worst
Of the obstacles. for it necessitates a
jump Of twcnty-four feet If the animal
is to clear it-with such tremendous force
that both her neck and back were broken
This was the first mare to win the Grand
National-iu 1Sl2-after being returned 10
h,r owner from Newmarket as unsOund
and worthless for racing.
Miss Nuwbrdy reminds the writer OF the
amazing history of Rubio. who won the
race in 1905. after starting at 66 to l
Ruhio had failed to find a purchaser at
tho reserve price of 50 guineas, and
VA ultimately lent to the proprietor of
one Of the hotels at Towcaster, North
amptonshirr. where for some months he
took the hotel omnibus to and from the
station. Then he was tried again, won
two or three minor races and, TO the
amazemeut Of everybody, was steered TO
victory at Aintree six years ago. by II.
b. Bletsoe. At the odds mentioned.
Won With One Stirrup.
Neither must one forget the wonderful
feat OF Newey, the jockey who brought
EremOn first past the post the previous
year, after riding almost the whole of
the course with one stirrup-the other
having broken at the beginning Of the
race-and beating of with his whip
Prince Hatzfeldt's Rathvale, who. al
though he had thrown his jockey. insist
ed on running along side EremOn, and
finished pOckeyless. with the winner.
Newey's performance was regarded as
one Of the most remarkable in the his
tory OF hOrsemanship. and he deserved
all the cheers which greeted his pluck.
The history of the Grand National
teens with such incidents. 1t is seventy
five years ago since the first Grand
National was run, it being in 1893 that
a syndicate of sportsmen, who wanted
to inauEuratc a steepleChase on a grand
er scale than had hitherto been attempt
ed, drew up the conditions of THE
Grand Liverpool Steeplechase." as II was
termed, for gentlemen riders-profes-
sionals being admitted later-the race TO
he twice round a two-mile course, for
sweepstakes of twenty sovereigns. five
forfeit with 100 added"
Capt. Becher's Feat.
Twenty-nine fairly easy jumps were
provided. with the exception OF the for
mIdabIe Becher's Brook. so named be-
cause in the first Grand National Capt.
Becher, a renowned Jockey, who was
riding a horse named Conrad, was
thrown bodily into Il over his horses
head when leading. In spite OF this,
however. and although while lying on
the ground he was jumped over by Lot
terry the winner, and 1--WE or six others,
he remounted and continued.
The course has been made more diff
suit since these days. Lottery. however,