Henry T. Alken was born in London, 1785, the son of Samuel Alken, an ornamental designer and engraver. He trained under J.T. Barber and was employed by Henry Clay to paint sporting subjects on papier - mache trays. Alken’s princippal media was watercolor. He engraved most of his own plates and frequently used the name Ben Tally- Ho! He enjoyed portraying the imbalance between “Qualified Horses and Unqualified Horsemanship”. Fifty of his plates were published in National Sports of Great Britian, 1821. Queen Victoria even studied his style of etching on soft ground.