If you think of Surtees you should think of the huntin' shootin' fishin' classes. Jorrocks (qv) is a case in point. Whilst Ask Mamma involves a certain ammount of equestrianism, it is much more a satirical look at Victorian society, their manners, mores and class rigidity. The son of the family, the central character of the book, hazs many hurdles to overcome in pusuit of a happy ending. The writing suffers from a lack of verbosity found in many of his peers and is as pacey as the horses he describes so avidly.