Novel Game at Billiards

Yorkshire Gazette, Saturday 28 July 1838

The Paris Jockey Club, it seems, has lately invented a singular amusement. Two amateurs made a bet that they would play a game at billiards on horseback! The grand difficulty, however, appeared to be that of getting the horses up stairs to the billiard room. A resent attempt had quite failed to make the horses walk up the staircase of the Theatre Francais, in order to draw the car of Caligula on the stage. The horses of the Jockey Club were, however, lighter and better trained, and they succeeded accordingly. In the anti-room, they bad worsted stockings put on, to deaden the noise of their iron shoes. The players then mounted, cane in baud, and the game commenced. The time allotted was four hours, and the game (12 points) was won at 20 minutes within the limited period, the loser marking 10 points. Considering the numerous difficulties, this was certainly a great effort of skill. The horses jumped, danced, jibbed, and took every advantage of their riders having both hands engaged while trying to strike the ball.