“Horses were not yet kept exclusively for the purpose of running races, but gentlemen matched their hunters or hacknies, and usually rode the race themselves.

“The most fashionable trial, however, of the speed and goodness of their horses, was hunting red herrings, or ‘the train scent,’ as it was then called, from the body of some animal, which had been previously drawn across hedge and ditch.  Here the scent was certain and strong, and the hounds would run upon it to the end, with their utmost speed.  The matched horses followed these hounds, and to be in with them, was generally accounted a very satisfactory proof of goodness.

“Markham, and that celebrated riding master, Michael Baret, describe, also, another mode of running matches across the country in those days denominated the wild goose chase; an imitation of which has continued in occasional use, to the present time, under the name of steeple hunting; that is to say, two horsemen, drunk or sober, in or out of their wits, fix upon a steeple or some other conspicuous distant object, to which they make a straight cut over hedge, ditch, and gate.  We think our readers will do any thing but smile, at this rational pastime for reasonable creatures.

“The wild goose chase, however, at last became more regular and better conducted.  It was prescribed, that after the horse had run twelve score yards, he was to be followed wherever he went by the others, within a certain distance agreed upon, as twice or thrice his length.  A horse being left behind twelve score, or any limited number of yards, was deemed beaten, and lost the match.

“These rude and barbarous modes of horse-racing gave way, in the reign of James I., to the more scientific, accurate, and satisfactory trials, of the horses carrying stated weights, over measured and even ground.

“That monarch, as has before been intimated, brought with him from Scotland, a strong predilection for the turf, which must have prevailed to a considerable degree in that country, for we find, that during his reign there, and before his accession to the crown of England, it was deemed necessary to restrain, by an express law, the passion of the Scots for horse-racing, and laying large bets on the events.

“The reign of James I. may be fairly stated, as the period when horse-racing first became a general and national amusement.  The races appear to have been at that time conducted nearly in the same style, as to essentials, as in the present day.

“They were then called bell courses, the prize being a silver bell; the winner was said to bear or carry the bell.

“Regular prizes were now run for in various parts of England.  The king and his court, frequently attended races at Croydon and Enfield, in the vicinity of London.

“The first match, upon record, in this country, was one against time, which occurred in the year 1604, when John Lepton,[6] a groom, in the service of King James I., undertook to ride five times between London and York, from Monday morning until Saturday night, and actually performed the task within five days.