How We Beat The Favourite - A Lay Of The Loamshire Hunt Cup Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCB CDCD EFDF GHIJ CDCD KLEL MNEN OIEI PDOD QRSR PBTB PUCU PPDP CVPV CWHW CDPD CECE DOPO CKSK DPCP CXPX DHOH COIO BYIY PZA2Z

Aye squire said Stevens they back him at evensA
The race is all over bar shouting they sayB
The Clown ought to beat her Dick Neville is sweeterC
Than ever he swears he can win all the wayB
-
A gentleman rider well I'm an outsiderC
But if he's a gent who the mischief's a jockD
You swells mostly blunder Dick rides for the plunderC
He rides too like thunder he sits like a rockD
-
He calls 'hunted fairly' a horse that has barelyE
Been stripp'd for a trot within sight of the houndsF
A horse that at Warwick beat Birdlime and YorickD
And gave Abdelkader at Aintree nine poundsF
-
They say we have no test to warrant a protestG
Dick rides for a lord and stands in with a stewardH
The light of their faces they show him his case isI
Prejudged and his verdict already securedJ
-
But none can outlast her and few travel fasterC
She strides in her work clean away from The DragD
You hold her and sit her she couldn't be fitterC
Whenever you hit her she'll spring like a stagD
-
And p'rhaps the green jacket at odds though they back itK
May fall or there's no knowing what may turn upL
The mare is quite ready sit still and ride steadyE
Keep cool and I think you may just win the CupL
-
Dark brown with tan muzzle just stripped for the tussleM
Stood Iseult arching her neck to the curbN
A lean head and fiery strong quarters and wiryE
A loin rather light but a shoulder superbN
-
Some parting injunction bestowed with great unctionO
I tried to recall but forgot like a dunceI
When Reginald Murray full tilt on White SurreyE
Came down in a hurry to start us at onceI
-
Keep back in the yellow Come up on OthelloP
Hold hard on the chestnut Turn round on The DragD
Keep back there on Spartan Back you sir in tartanO
So steady there easy and down went the flagD
-
We started and Kerr made strong running on MermaidQ
Through furrows that led to the first stake and boundR
The crack half extended look'd bloodlike and splendidS
Held wide on the right where the headland was soundR
-
I pulled hard to baffle her rush with the snaffleP
Before her two thirds of the field got awayB
All through the wet pasture where floods of the last yearT
Still loitered they clotted my crimson with clayB
-
The fourth fence a wattle floor'd Monk and BluebottleP
The Drag came to grief at the blackthorn and ditchU
The rails toppled over Redoubt and Red RoverC
The lane stopped Lycurgus and Leicestershire WitchU
-
She passed like an arrow Kildare and Cock SparrowP
And Mantrap and Mermaid refused the stone wallP
And Giles on The Greyling came down at the palingD
And I was left sailing in front of them allP
-
I took them a burster nor eased her nor nursed herC
Until the Black Bullfinch led into the ploughV
And through the strong bramble we bored with a scrambleP
My cap was knock'd off by the hazel tree boughV
-
Where furrows looked lighter I drew the rein tighterC
Her dark chest all dappled with flakes of white foamW
Her flanks mud bespattered a weak rail she shatteredH
We landed on turf with our heads turn'd for homeW
-
Then crash'd a low binder and then close behind herC
The sward to the strokes of the favourite shookD
His rush roused her mettle yet ever so littleP
She shortened her stride as we raced at the brookD
-
She rose when I hit her I saw the stream glitterC
A wide scarlet nostril flashed close to my kneeE
Between sky and water The Clown came and caught herC
The space that he cleared was a caution to seeE
-
And forcing the running discarding all cunningD
A length to the front went the rider in greenO
A long strip of stubble and then the big doubleP
Two stiff flights of rails with a quickset betweenO
-
She raced at the rasper I felt my knees grasp herC
I found my hands give to her strain on the bitK
She rose when The Clown did our silks as we boundedS
Brush'd lightly our stirrups clash'd loud as we litK
-
A rise steeply sloping a fence with stone copingD
The last we diverged round the base of the hillP
His path was the nearer his leap was the clearerC
I flogg'd up the straight and he led sitting stillP
-
She came to his quarter and on still I brought herC
And up to his girth to his breastplate she drewX
A short prayer from Neville just reach'd me The devilP
He mutter'd lock'd level the hurdles we flewX
-
A hum of hoarse cheering a dense crowd careeringD
All sights seen obscurely all shouts vaguely heardH
The green wins The crimson The multitude swims onO
And figures are blended and features are blurr'dH
-
The horse is her master The green forges past herC
The Clown will outlast her The Clown wins The ClownO
The white railing races with all the white facesI
The chestnut outpaces outstretches the brownO
-
On still past the gateway she strains in the straightwayB
Still struggles The Clown by a short neck at mostY
He swerves the green scourges the stand rocks and surgesI
And flashes and verges and flits the white postY
-
Aye so ends the tussle I knew the tan muzzleP
Was first though the ring men were yelling Dead heatZ
A nose I could swear by but Clarke said The mare byA2
A short head And that's how the favourite was beatZ

Adam Lindsay Gordon



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