Stories of the Order - Horse racing

Sammy Bell wanted to join the order for a few years.  He knew a few people in the order and thought that he could enhance their esteem if they would let him enter their ranks.  However the Order was giving him the cold shoulder and no matter how much he passed out brown envelopes (usually used by the Irish for bribing positions) he could make no impression on them at all.  What he didn't know was that it was Sammy's name that was the problem.

You see the order was full of only the most precious fellows and with a name like Sammy they were not going to lower their standards.   Eventually Sammy discovered what the problem was.  It was his wife actually that first unearthed Sammy's persona non grata situation.  She herself hated the name Sammy and always insisted on calling her husband Samuel.  It was in the fishmongers one day that the truth came out.  She was talking to Leonora Upton wife of Clarence Upton about her husband Samuel and how he had just purchased the finest steep in Europe.  Two things happened to advance Sammy's cause.  Firstly Mrs. Leonra Upton mentioned that the name Samuel was much more acceptable to the Order and she wondered why Sammy's wife hadn't thought of it before now.

The other was that Leonora every the proud show off mentioned that her husband, head of the local branch of the order had himself just purchased the best horse in Europe.  Lenora was sure that Sammy's horse must be inferior.  When Sammy heard the tale he was furious.  Round he went straight away to the overbearing Clarence Upton to take issue with him - not about as you might think about his name being unwelcome in the higher ranks of the order. No Sammy was very angry that Clarence would consider his horse better than Sammy’s.

Anyway between the gigs and the reels (Irish saying meaning a lot of talk and goings on in which people discuss stuff, usually over a drink or tea and scone)  they decided to pit one horse against the other.  Sammy bet that his horse could outrun Clarence’s horse and if he did they would have to accept the superior owner to the order.  They decided to race the horses on Thursday.  On Friday Sammy was accepted in the Dublin branch of the order. This was the beginning of an annual event that the order never really got the credit and recognition for.