WHIM PLATE
,—in the language of the TURF, is where the horses who run carry weight for age, and weight for inches.
WHIP
.—Sporting whips are of two kinds; one of which, having a handle with a hook, and a long thong, is called a hunting-whip; being useful in assisting to manage the hounds. A light straight single-stem whip, is called a jockey whip, being the sort used on the turf.
WHIP
—is the name of a horse of some reputation as a racer, but was withdrawn from the turf, and announced as a stallion, at five years old. He was bred by Mr. Durand; foaled in 1794; got by Saltram, dam by King Herod, and was the favourite for the Derby in 1797, and expected to win it easy, had he been well enough to have started. He was tried to have so much speed, as to be able to give many colts of the same year from twenty to thirty pounds. The first time he started, he won a sweepstakes of 20 guineas each, the New Mile at Ascot, beating three others; and afterwards a 50l. plate for three year olds at Reading. In 1798 he won 50l. at Ascot Heath. In running for the gold cup at Oxford, against Diamond, Stickler, Johnny, and Oatlands, he ran out of the Course, when supposed to be winning to a certainty. At Brighton he won a 50l. plate, beating Combatant, who had the day before won a sweepstakes of 10 guineas each, (17 subscribers,) beating seven others. At Canterbury he won a sweepstakes of 20 guineas each, (five subscribers,) which was the last time he started; having since been advertised to cover at five guineas a mare, and five shillings the groom.
WHIPPER-IN
—is an assistant subordinate to the huntsman in every hunting establishment, which, if upon a well-regulated scale of any magnitude, is never considered complete with less than two. One of these has a shade of superiority, and is called the first; the other, the second, whipper-in. The first, upon all and every occasion, is considered as a second huntsman, empowered to act with his authority upon every emergency, and at all times during temporary separation in the chase, or unavoidable absence. Notwithstanding this delegation of power, it is his duty to remain strictly obedient to the huntsman, and to execute all his injunctions with the most cheerful alacrity; and however largely he may be qualified in other respects, it is impossible he can ever become a good whipper-in, if he is in possession of a bad temper. It is absolutely indispensible that he should be a natural philosopher in respect to patience and self-denial, as it is so peculiarly his province to act an inferior part, unless when circumstances occur to bring him more forward upon the canvass; the moment which cease, he must contentedly retire again from the front, to his former station in the background of the picture.
Mr. Beckford, after a profusion of the most observant experience, admitted an excellent whipper-in to be preferable to an excellent huntsman; and as the opinion he believed was entirely new, he felt himself in some degree called upon to explain it. He had no doubt but he should have better sport, and kill more foxes, with a moderate huntsman, and an excellent whipper-in, than with the best of huntsmen without such assistance. For he considered, that, in general sporting acceptation, it might probably be conceived, that a good huntsman might always make a good whipper-in; not such, however, as he meant; his talent must be born with him. His reasons were, that good hounds (and bad he would not keep) oftener need the one than the other; and genius, which, in a whipper-in, if attended by obedience, (his first distinguishing requisite,) can be productive of no ill, is, in a huntsman, a dangerous though a desirable quality; and if not accompanied with a large share of prudence, blended with humility, will oftentimes retard and spoil the sport, as well as tend materially to hurt the hounds.
It has been erroneously conceived, by some theoretic and newly-entered sportsmen, that it is the business of a whipper-in to attend closely upon the huntsman, to receive his commands, and execute his orders; which is by no means the case. If he is on the opposite side of the covert to the huntsman, he is in his proper place; and if within hearing of his halloo, he is near enough; for that is the signal it is the province of the whipper-in to obey. The second whipper-in may occasionally attend upon the huntsman, to act as a field aid de camp, when he is not required by circumstances to be active elsewhere. The first whipper-in should of course be qualified to hunt the hounds, if necessary: nothing can be better calculated to keep a huntsman within the bounds of decency and good manners; as they in general are by no means deficient in the assumption of imaginary consequence, when once they have imbibed an opinion of their own superiority.