Colonel Blantyre

Colonel Blantyre is Lady Anne’s cousin, a guest at the hall, and an accomplished horseman who responds decisively when a ride turns dangerous. His part in the episode begins with a warning about Lizzie’s nervousness and ends with practical arrangements for Lady Anne’s care. Later, as he prepares to return to his regiment, his concern for Black Beauty is evident in the instructions he gives Reuben Smith.

Identity and Background

Colonel Blantyre is staying at the hall while Lady Anne remains there. He regularly rides Lizzie, a lively mare whom he considers too nervous to be a safe mount for a lady. Lady Anne’s confidence in her own riding does not persuade him to withdraw that judgment: when she proposes riding Lizzie, he urges her not to mount and offers to have the saddles changed. His unease is specific to the risk he sees in the mare, rather than a general objection to Lady Anne riding.

The Colonel is himself a practiced rider. When the emergency comes, he can take Black Beauty across uneven ground at speed without losing control of the chase. The episode thus establishes both his caution in assessing another horse and his competence when action becomes necessary. He does not treat a warning as a substitute for responsibility: once Lizzie has bolted, he immediately takes part in trying to reach Lady Anne.

Warning and the Runaway

Lady Anne chooses to exchange mounts, riding Lizzie while the Colonel mounts Black Beauty, whom she had named Black Auster. The Colonel carefully settles Lady Anne in the saddle, checks the bit and curb, and gives her the reins. His care at the start of the ride contrasts with the suddenness of the danger that follows. While he is away carrying a message for Lady Harriet, a group of cart horses and young colts comes out of a meadow. One colt blunders against Lizzie, and the mare bolts with Lady Anne.

Black Beauty alerts the Colonel by neighing repeatedly, pawing, and tossing his head in an effort to free his rein. The Colonel runs back, sees the fleeing rider, and mounts at once. He gives Black Beauty a free rein and leans forward as they set off in pursuit; the horse needs neither whip nor spur. Their progress depends on both the Colonel’s decisions and the horse’s willing response.

The chase first follows a straight road, then passes bends and a fork where the fugitives disappear from sight. The Colonel asks people along the way for directions: a woman points him onto the right-hand road, and an old road-mender directs him toward the common. Those brief encounters turn the pursuit into a series of urgent choices about which route to take. Across the rough heath, the Colonel guides Black Beauty with a light hand and practiced judgment, and they begin to gain ground.

Finding Lady Anne and Securing Help

A wide, recently cut ditch lies across the common, with excavated earth piled on the far side. Lizzie clears it, stumbles among the clods, and falls. Black Beauty follows over both ditch and bank at the Colonel’s urging. They find Lady Anne lying motionless in the heather. The Colonel kneels beside her, calls her name, turns her face upward, loosens her clothing, and checks her hands and wrist. When she does not respond, he looks around for help.

Two men cutting turf have seen Lizzie running loose and come over. The Colonel asks one of them to ride Black Beauty first to the doctor and then to the hall, where he is to report what has happened and request the carriage, Lady Anne’s maid, and further assistance. The man agrees, saying Lady Anne had been exceptionally kind to his wife during the winter. The Colonel stays with Lady Anne while the messenger rides; he also directs the second man, Joe, to fetch water and tell his wife to come quickly. His response combines immediate care at the scene with clear instructions for bringing medical and household help.

Departure and Concern for Black Beauty

In early April, as the family’s return from London is expected in May, arrangements are made for Colonel Blantyre to leave for his regiment. He is to be driven to town in the light brougham, which is being refurbished, and Reuben Smith is assigned to drive him and ride back. Black Beauty is chosen for that return journey. At the station, the Colonel gives Smith money and asks him to take care of Lady Anne and not let an inexperienced young rider hack Black Beauty about. He wants the horse kept for her.

This instruction makes explicit the concern already suggested by the Colonel’s careful handling of the horses during the runaway episode. His attention extends beyond the immediate emergency: before leaving, he tries to ensure that Black Beauty will be reserved for Lady Anne rather than casually used by other riders. The episode does not follow the Colonel after his departure, but his final recorded action is a practical request intended to protect the horse’s use and welfare.

Narrative Role

Colonel Blantyre’s role is concentrated in two situations that test his judgment and care. Before the runaway, he recognizes a risk in Lizzie that Lady Anne dismisses; once the risk becomes real, he acts without delay. The contrast makes his warning consequential without making him controlling: Lady Anne chooses her mount, while the Colonel’s response after the bolt is to pursue and help her.

Because the account is told by Black Beauty, the Colonel is shown through observable actions: his return at the horse’s call, his riding across the common, his examination of Lady Anne, and his instructions to the turf-cutters. The horse’s account also makes their cooperation part of the rescue: the Colonel guides, and Black Beauty answers the urgency without whip or spur. His later request to Reuben Smith carries that attentiveness into the quieter business of leaving, linking the dramatic rescue to his continuing regard for both Lady Anne and her horse.