Manual of British Rural Sports by Stonehenge 17th Edition

628 PEDESTRIANISM. SECT. 8.—AMATEUR HURDLE-RACING AND FOOT-STEEPLECHASING. Description of Contest. Time. Name. §) Weight. Height. Date and Placo. Hurdle-race, 120yds., 10 flights. H. M. s. 0 0 16 C. N. Jackson, 1 Oxford University, A.C. 19 st. lb. 10 7 ft. in. 5 10 November 14, 1865, Cowley Cricket Ground, Oxford. Rugby School Crick Run, about 13 miles. 1 17 21 C. W. L. Bulpett, 2 Rugby School. 18 10 12 5 9} December 8,1870, Rugby. F URTHER D ETAILS OF ABOVE-NAMED P ERFORMANCES. 1 Jackson made his time in the final heat of Magdalen Hall handicap, wherein he was scratchman, and defeated D. Morgan and L. E. Newnham, both at ten yards.Timekeeper, H.J. Turner, Oxford. 2 Bulpett won in the Rugby School Crick Run, 1870, beating J. G. Adamson, H. B. Lefroy, T. F. Sqnarey, G. S. Bigg, S. H. Lomax, and J. H. Beck (Old Rugbeian).Course : fair hunting country. CHAPTER ITT. TRAINING FOR PEDESTRIAN AND OTHER PURPOSES. SECT. 1.—PREPARATORY TREATMENT. GENERAL REMARKS .—It is an indis­ putable fact, that no animal is somuch improved by training as man—none stands such long and severe preparation with advantage—and none displays the difference between condition and its absence in so great a degree. But it is not only that man may be enabled to do certain feats of activity and strength that training is desirable, but that he maydo them with pleasure to himself, and even with advantage to his general health ; and this marks the grand principle which every man who values health should constantly keep in view, namely, that no one should attempt tocompete in any contest re­ quiring agility or strength, unless he has had such apreparation ashall enable him to perform his task without feeling any ill effect from it. For instance, the man incondition can row through u race of three or four miles,in which his whole powers are taxed to their very utmost, and shall, at the end of it, be almost blind from the exertions lie has made ; and yet before he gets out of the boat heis " all right,"and could go throughthe same in half an hour without injury—whilstthe man out of condition lies nearly fainting, or per­ haps quite insensible for many minutes or even stilllonger, and is only revived by stimuli toan extent which will not allow any further liberty to be taken with his naturally strong constitution. Pluck will do much in place of condi­ tion ; but numberless are the instances of ruined health from the excessive drafts which have been made upon this valuable quality,whilst a little care and abstinence would have prevented any such irreparablemisfortune. To enable the man who is of sound constitution— but, from mismanagement, out of health—to restore himself to such a state as will allow him to go into train­ ing without mischief., is rather a difficult