The Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes : Racing and Steeplechasing

Finely bound in half leather, brown morocco spine and corners with five raised gilt ruled bands on the spine, gilt title lettering, top edge gilt.Marbled papered boards, and marbled endpapers. xii, 439 pages. The section on racing is by the Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, and Mr W. G. Craven: chapters headings are: History of Horse Racing; Horses of Ancient Britain; The Progress of the Sport; History of the Jockey Club; Racing Officials: Clerk of the Course; The Starter; The Judge; The Clerk of the Scales; The Handicapper; The Stakeholder; The Stewards; Newmarket; Racing in the Provinces; Racing Servants: Old Style and New; Breeding; Treatment of Yearlings; Early Trials; Three Year Olds; Over a Distance of Ground; Upon Trainers; Upon Jockeys; and Betting. The cestion on steeplechasing is by Arthur Coventry and Alfred E. T. Watson: the chapters headings are: The Origin and Development of Steeple Chasing; The Selection of the Chaser; Schooling; Fences and Fencing; Riding the Race; Hurdle Racing; Local Meetings; and Famous Chasers and Their Riders; followed by an appendix entitled : Original Strain of Our Horses with Tabulated Pedigress; and an index. Illustrated with line drawings by John Sturgess. Full page engraved coloured frotispiece with tissue guard with numerous illustrations throughout. 5.5 X 7.5 inches. The leather shoulder on the front board is stamped "Vancroft Farm" in gilt. and the original owner's name stamp is across the top of the fly leaf, also again across a page within the book.There are some very few scuffs and rubbing here and there to the leather.Very good, and very clean throughout, with a very sound and solid binding.…