The Sporting Dictionary and Rural Repository, Volume 2 (of 2) / Of General Information upon Every Subject Appertaining to the Sports of the Field

by William Taplin

MATCH in RACING

—is a BET made between the OWNERS where only two horses are concerned, one of which must become the winner. For explanatory particulars, see Horse Racing. Horses are said to MATCH (for a carriage) when they correspond, and constitute a similitude in height, marks, action, and color. A HUNTING MATCH (generally termed a steeple chase) is made by parties, to ride their own horses across a country to some point agreed on, encountering all difficulties, and taking the LEAPS in stroke: this kind of match is, upon most occasions, run with a few couple of hounds; a person going forward with a DRAG to the spot appointed where the match is to be decided.