Title page for "Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders". (Primary Title)

Henry Thomas Alken, English, 1785–1851 (Artist)

1815
English
Works On Paper
Prints
Etching on wove paper
Sheet: 10 7/8 × 15 3/16 in. (27.62 × 38.58 cm)
Plate: 9 × 11 13/16 in. (22.86 × 30 cm)
85.1300a
Not on view
Printed in center: QUALIFIED HORSES AND UNQUALIFIED RIDERS, / or the reverse of Sporting Phrases taken from the Work entitled Indispensable Accomplishments:/ [poem] Every species of Rider every Horse does not suit / What's a good London Rider may here prove a Brute / For he must face danger without loosing Breath / Or give up all hope of enjoying the Death / A Death he may meet with ere he returns Home / And he stands a good chance for its being his own. / [author's introduction] In looking over that very amusing Work call'd Indispensable Accomplishments / sign'd BILLESDON COPLOW with which I was very much delighted but could not / forbear remarking that he consider'd it only necessary that the HORSE should be well qualified to GO ALONG A SLAPPING PACE; TOP A FLIGHT OF RAILS and / COME WELL INTO THE NEXT FIELD, CHARGE AN OX FENCE, GO IN AND OUT CLEVER, / FACE A BROOK & SWISH AT A RASPER he does not mention that to DO ALL THAT / KIND OF THING it is necessary he should be mounted by a RIDER of Judgment and / Courage. / I have undertaken beging his Pardon to mount well qualified HORSES with / unqualified RIDERS and to shew the Figure those Horses are likely to cut during / the day. / BEN TALLY HO, / an occasional Visitor in Leicestershire. / London Published 1st. Septr.1815, by S & J. Fuller, 34, Rathbone Place. Inscribed in graphite on verso, upper left: "HRH 12 / 2A"; in center: "3."
Paul Mellon Collection
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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