THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



129 



character of The Hero, however, does not quite rest 

 now oil his own personal foibles, for he is fast filliag 

 the neighbourhood with sonic of the best stock ever 

 seen liere. Indeed, about the best animal that the 

 Barthropps ever bred is the two-year old colt, which 

 took the first prize, by The Hero, dam by Newcastle 

 Captain. Amongst the other aged horses Jlr. Barnes 

 stood second, with a good compact powciful animal, 

 qualified by a plain head, and more noticeable for one 

 black leg— a distinguishing trait, it is saiJ, of the Catlin 

 blood. But The Emperor, on the other hand, was too 

 small and too pretty, and altogether too good-looking 

 for the judges to dwell upon, and they altogether passed 

 him over. We know full well that many Suffolk men 

 have a prejudice against this horse, that we cannot 

 share. He has quality, symmetry, and appearance ; 

 while if there be any palpable failing, it is that he has 

 improved too much on the standard points of a Suf- 

 folk Punch's excellence. None but those educated in 

 the school could have ventured to ignore him. Mr. 

 Crisp's two three-year old colts stood precisely as they 

 did at Norwich ; as did Mr. Barthropp's three-year-old 

 and two-year-old fillies, although it was a nice 

 question between the broken-kneed one, and 

 Sir Jidward Kerrison's, a prize mare from " the 

 Royal," and purchased of Mr. VVrinch. Mr. 

 Crisp showed a good-lo:>king fine-sized yearling 

 colt, but not standing very M'ell before j while, as we 

 have already intimated, by far the first of all the young 

 things was Mr. Barthropp's colt. The Crctingham 

 stable, in fact, came out in great force, and ctirried 

 away four first prizes with only four entries. The 

 Woodbridge and Wickham Market district is certainly 

 the stronghold of the Sutfolks, and this may have been 

 one great reason for making the fixture where it was. 

 Mr. Crisp went further to prove this with one of the 

 great features of the meeting— a team of four beautiful 

 mares, wonderfully well matched, and all of one look 

 and character, with kind cheerful heads, clean legs, and 

 good wholesome colours. They were shown in really 

 working condition, and on every consideration to be 

 admired; save, perhaps^ by friends and neighbours, 

 who said, " It's Crisp, you know; and of course he 

 ought to be able t-j do it I" — Just as the stranger at 

 Astley's refused to ajiplaud the man who was riding 

 half-a-dozcn horses at once, when he found out it was 

 Ducrow. " Oh, if it is Ducrow, you see it is nothing 

 extraordinary for him !" Anil so the Framlingham 

 folks declared of Mr. Crisp's team of horses, good as 

 they were, it wiis nothing extraordinary for him. Mr. 

 Gobbitt's four shown against him were made up of two 

 geldings and two horses. One of the latter was a hay 

 Suffolk, and this spoilt the uniformity of tlie thing. 

 But they were all to bo commended, and the outsi'ic 

 gelding was one of tlie handsomest cart-horses we ever 

 saw. It is seldom such a head or a forehund is to be 

 found on a Suffolk. Of a verity they are crossing out 

 of much of the orthodox plainness of points, notwith- 

 standing that Emperor does not go down quite so well 

 with them as he should do. The two prize Gast mares, 

 both by Royal Duke, were in their way, even in such 

 company, quite as good as anything ; but it was hard 

 to say whicii of the two should have the preference, 

 although we hung over tlieia no longer when wc heard 

 that tiio Judges had been almost equally puzzled. 

 Defects tell against virtues, or had j\lr. Hodgson's mare 

 been as perfect in her hocks as she was almost every- 

 where else, she would surely Iiave justified the original 

 decree, and have stood first of the two. i\Iany of the 

 mares and foals — a large entry — were voiy superior. 

 Mr. Crisp's second prize was one out of the team, and 

 Mr, Gobbitt's gelding had also the order of merit on 

 his own account as the best of any age. Mr. Badbam 



was quite out of luck ; and JIatchet, too, attracted no 

 attention from the autliorities. But, as with the youth 

 who had a passion for high society, if Mr. Badham was 

 ruined at Framlingham it was in very good company. 



Mr. Holmes, a Yorkshircman, and of course a judge 

 of a horse, complained justly enough of the confusion 

 that prevailed in the classification and general arrange- 

 ment of the classes that came before him — some of the 

 riding and coaching horses. Placed, indeed, as they 

 were on the hill-side, it is seldom this always attrac- 

 tive section of the show was seen to less advantage; and 

 we back the suggestion that "your intelligent Secretary 

 should come and see how we do this in the North," 

 with rings railed in for the horses to walk round, while 

 the judges stand in the centre, and the public, who can 

 watch the awards, on the outside of the circle. We have 

 ourselves recommendel this plan, from the success with 

 which wa have seen it practised at Yoi-k, Malton, and 

 elsewhere; and two or three years since it was tried 

 with every success in Mr. Fonnereau's park at Ips- 

 wich. The competition for some of the premiums here 

 offered was not great. Captain Barlow's neat nag, a 

 little less lusty than at Norwich, was allowed to walk 

 over for the thorough-bred hunter stallion prize, while 

 the next, somewhat curiously worded, resulted in no 

 entry. This was the best stallion for coaching purposes, 

 also to be thoroiKjh-bred ; but the general body of 

 members would not have it in this wise, and the framers 

 of the bill had to draw out another for coaching 

 stallions 7iot' thorough-bred ; although this, too, 

 brought nothing of an entry. Saving the foals, 

 and there were two or three wonderfully fine 

 ones by Middlesex, the riding and driving young- 

 stock was in no ways extraordinary for its excellence. 



Some of the cobs, however, were far better. Captain 

 Barlow sent the Yorkshire horse, North Star again, that 

 we spoke of so favourably at Norwich; and with him a 

 bay hack that also took a first prize for the best hackney 

 mare or gelding, though they would not have him in 

 Norfolk. Oddly enough, too, the second hack — Mr. 

 Brown's black cob — was entered in vain in his own 

 county, notwithstanding he has a deal of the right 

 character about him ; where, too, Mr. Kersey 

 Cooper's sweet little bay mare was also drafted 

 out. But she was duly honoured at Framlingham, 

 while Mr. Cooper backed her with another tracing 

 to the Norfolk Shales, that was quite worthy of 

 such companionship. The hunting prize mare was but 

 in reality another hack, or Norfolk cob; as clever as 

 could be, but a hunter on no sliowing whatever but that 

 of the Suffolk Society, that, let a mare be what she 

 may, only have her served by a thorough-bred horse, 

 and she at once becomes eligible for cross-country pur- 

 poses. Mr. Burch's entry certainly went some way to 

 substantiate this doctrine, by throwing a great fine big- 

 boned colt to MicUUeses, that hns only to grow on to 

 his present promise to make a deal of money — and, 

 moreover, for a hunter as the statute declares. But 

 there are many different readings of what will make a 

 hunter ; and Messrs. Aylraer and Parsons selected one 

 rather curious illustration of this very comprehensive 

 theory. HowcTcr, it was next to impossible to see a 

 nag stand comfortably or go freely at Framlingham ; 

 and there might so be, according to the old dealer's 

 adage, some a good deal better than they looked to be. 

 But bear ia niiud the Yorkshircman and his rings, Mr. 

 Bond ; and the county may trciu on to make the riding- 

 horses quite worthy of the draught-horses. It would 

 bj c''lii;;'.i!t to offer the Society a higher meed of praise. 



The cattle, most inconveniently grouped, or rather 

 scattered over the wliow-grounrl, included some nice 

 kindly-looking Suffolks, better both to handle and 

 otherwise examine than we ever yet saw ihem. Another 



