In 1866, for the first time in its history, the National Hunt Steeplechase was run in Scotland at the Bogside meeting and was won by Lord Marcus Beresford riding Mr G. Ballard's Burford, carrying 12 st 1 lb.
He won by two lengths from eight others; Flying Birdcatcher, ridden by Billy Baldwin, came second ahead of third-placed Boyne Water, the favourite ridden by Mr E P Wilson.
The race requires little description: Bellringer, the mount of Captain Smith, made the early running before coming to grief, breaking its rider's collar-bone. Burford, left in the lead, then had matters all his own way.
The three Beresford brothers - Lord Marcus on the bay gelding The Weasel, Lord Charles on the black Nightwalker and Lord William on the grey mare Woodlark - raced against each other in a three-horse sweepstake run over the Williamstown Course at the annual steeplechase meeting at the Curraghmore Hunt in 1874. They all rode in the Beresford blue colours with distinguishing caps.
The race was run at a strong pace with all three brothers level as they approached the last. Here, Lord Charles's mount, Nightwalker, hung out signs of distress before dropping away, leaving Marcus and Billy to fight out the finish. Billy, on Woodlark, prevailed by a short head.
On giving up riding in public, Marcus was appointed starter to the Jockey Club, a post he held for but a short time, resigning to become, in 1890, Master of the Horse to King Edward (then Prince of Wales).
Lord Marcus Talbot de la Poer Beresford was born on Christmas Day, 1848. He died on 16 December 1922.
