THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



401 



ion as crowded last year round the ring at Alnwick 

 when Maid of Athelstane met Duchess 77th, and the 

 hapless Queen of Athelstane wa j in her heyday. 



As regards judges, the committee had experienced 

 some difficulty. Mr. Stratton, who judged last year, 

 was obliged to decline in consequence of a fall from his 

 pony, and Mr. Unthank had so recently fractured a rib 

 by making a false step on entering his cow-house, that 

 he did not like to risk a voyage by sea. All the Judges j 

 except Mr. Doig, were thus placed hors cle combat, 

 but the vacancies were supplied by bringing Mr. Robert 

 James AVileyfrom the sheep and pig section, and press- 

 ing Mr. Robert Holmes into the service at the eleventh 

 hour. The breeders were pretty nearly all up to a half- 

 past six o'clock breakfast, and a goodly number of them 

 were present, when, at a quarter past seven, the judges 

 commenced their inspection of the yearling bulls. Mlth, 

 however, the exception of Mr. Torr and Mr. Dodds, 

 and two of the judges, we hardly met a single visitor 

 from the other side of the Channel. Mr. Tallant and 

 the Bushey Grove lot were nowhere to be seen ; Mr. 

 Eastwood's Rosette has exhausted her Irish honours j Col. 

 Towneley did not show his hand ; and if it had not been 

 for Lady Pigot and Mr. Ambler (who was in the 

 building on the second day), the great herds of 

 England would have been almost unrepresented. Still 

 her ladyship sent four, and Mr. Ambler six ; and four 

 first prizes and a gold medal were the joint results of 

 their Saxon foray. 



One of the galleries has this year been dedicated to 

 the fowls, which kept up a very shrill and wearisome 

 version of " Hail, smiling morn !" with cackling and 

 gobbling accompaniments throughout the entire day; 

 but the other, which is nearly above the stalls of the young 

 bulls, was capitally adapted for anxious owners, as by 

 looking over one side, among the Irish cloth and frieze 

 stalls, they could watch the judges in their first "run 

 through " the ranks, and command an avenue view 

 from the other. The pristine array of young bulls was 

 not very imposing ; but when they had been sifted down 

 to twenty-two, and re-formed in a long platoon, ex- 

 tending right down the avenue, the hidden strength of 

 the class began to come out, and Ireland had no reason 

 to be ashamed of her 61 hopes. Still we did not consider 

 it to be a great year. Mr. Jonathan Richardson's Lord 

 Harris and Red Knight, both by Prince of Warlaby, 

 headed the rank ; then came Mr. Barnes' Friar Tuck, 

 a son of Dr. McHale and Ruby by Royal Buck. Two 

 grandsons of Hopewell, to wit, Ambrose and Bagatelle, 

 carried the fortunes of Mr. J. W. Naper ; Prince 

 George, by Prince, a son of Emperor (12835), was 

 there to speak for Mr. G. Bomford and the pastures of 

 Kells ; Prince Charlie, by Bridegroom (15687), for 

 Mr. C. Seaton, of Co. Tyrone; and Lord of Athel- 

 stane, to support the prestige of his sire. Lamp of 

 Lothian, who was sold by Mr. Douglas to Mr. W. T. 

 Crosbie, after winning this very prize four years ago. 

 Lueknotv, by Havelock, of Mr, Christy's breeding, was 

 Col. Leslie's representative, along with Victor Emanuel, 

 by Prince Duke 2nd. Prince Roland by Prince 

 Arthur, and Gamester by Prince Talleyrand, both put 



in their English claim for Branches Park and Halifax ; 

 while Adam Bcde by Paul Potter (16688) stepped out 

 boldly for Viscount Monck, and Garibaldi by a son of 

 Emperor (12835) for Mr. W. S. Garnett, of Kells. 

 Then there came Young Mogul, a grandson of I'rince 

 of Warlaby, from Mr. Patteson's, of Dundalk ; Knight 

 of Slraffan, a grandson of The J.Ionk, to do battle for 

 Mr. N. Barton, of Straffan ; and Young Pam and Wood 

 Ranger, both by Lord Palmerstou, to " keep up the 

 ball" for Adare, Co. Limerick. Curraghmore had 

 only one entry, but that one turned out to be rightly 

 named Kiiig of Hearts, by Foundation (1456o) from 

 a Velvet Jacket dam. Next to him stood Sir Robert 

 Paul's Star of the East, by Sunrise, with Baronet, by a 

 son of Crystal Palace, the chosen one of Cabinteely ; 

 and then Welcome Guest, by Volunteer (15476) from 

 Mr. J. Doran's, of Castlebelliogham, and Master 

 Jones, by Lord Monk (14829), brought up the rear for 

 Mr. F. Morice, of Springfield, Co. Clare. 



Prince George and Prince Charlie soon had their 

 chilling return orders, and then his herdsman " remote, 

 unfriended, melancholy, slow," led off Adam Bede. 

 Young Pam and Baronet became invisible in their 

 turn, and so the drafting went on, till only thirteen re- 

 mained. Another quarter of an hour, and Lord Harris 

 and Ambrose had disappeared from the sides of their 

 respective herd chums, Red Knight and Bagatelle ; and 

 these two, with King of Hearts, Friar Tuck, Victor 

 Emmanuel, and, we think, Garibaldi, came right away 

 at the judge's command, from the ruck, which now 

 consisted of Gamester, Lord of Athelstane, Wood- 

 ranger, and Master Jones. Garibaldi could not live the 

 pace much longer ; and it was evident that Bagatelle, 

 with his nice Royal Butterfly head and colour, had no 

 charms for the judges. It was a close race between the 

 other four, first Red Knight for choice, and then Friar 

 Tuck, while one of the judges seemed strongly disinclined 

 to be shaken ofl' Victor Emmanuel. Again and again 

 the four walked up the avenue, the sturdy Red Knight 

 exciting endless admiration by his close compact frame ; 

 but still his legs were not quite right, and his friends 

 rather lost heart as they saw the judges point each 

 other's attention especially to him on that point, and 

 rather take exception to his tendency to be narrow behind. 

 We also learnt afterwards that they were in some little 

 doubt as to whether he would " strip" very well. Friar 

 Tuck was very gay, but short of hair, and a little on leg, 

 and " Gerty," kept his pupil's head up as proudly, as 

 when he had Dr. McHale in hand last year. Perhaps 

 he a little over-did it, as it brought out more promi- 

 nently a slight thinness on the top of his chine. 

 Victor Emmanuel was very little more than ten months, 

 but still he was small for that age, and gave no promise 

 of ever having quite size enough. His levelness and 

 ric mess of coat were great points in him, but he had 

 no breast worth speaking of. The staring colour of 

 Kit g of Hearts put him out of favour with the gallery ; 

 and besides that, he had hardly the style and quality 

 of s first-class bull, although he was large, level, and 

 true ; in fact, it seemed to the majority to be a 

 verj desperate finish between Red Knight and Friar 



