102 The Horse-hreeding Industrjj in Yorkshire. 



the trotting track in his native country. He was imported into 

 England in the sixties, and in 1869 was brought into Yorkshire 

 and put to the stud, having passed into the possession of Major 

 Stapylton, of Myton Hall, Boroughbridge, a prominent breeder, 

 and the owner of a notable prize-Avinning hunter of that period 

 named Sprig of Nohility. Shepherd F. Knapp, Avho possessed 

 wonderful action as well as tremendous pace, won many prizes 

 in harness at the Yorkshire shows, and was freely used as a 

 sire in the county until his death in 1881, but for one season 

 (1870) he stood in Norfolk. He proved a very impressive 

 stallion, and got many valuable harness horses, being in 

 numerous instances mated Avith roadster or Hackney mares. 

 Among the original foundation mares at Mr. Burdett-Coutts' 

 Brookfield stud there was a daughter of Shepherd F. Knapp, 

 Primrose by name, bred by Aquila Kirby, of Market Weighton, 

 Avhicli Avas A^ery successful in the shoAv-ring in the harness and 

 roadster classes round about 1880. Mr. Burdett-Coutts became 

 a strong supporter of the Yorkshire Hackney in the early 

 eighties, Avhen he established his famous stud, and the brood 

 mares he brought together there Avere mostly Yorkshire-bred, 

 among them lieing such historic mares as Lady Lyons, bred by 

 Mr. N. S. Brough, a leading old-time Hackney breeder in the 

 Market Weighton district ; Polly Horsley, the dam of Wreg- 

 hitt's Wildfire, and therefore granddam of Poloniits ; and 

 Lady F ireaivay , one of the best mares sired by old Triffit's 

 Fireaway. "While Mr. Burdett-Coutts in some cases very 

 successfully blended the Yorkshire and Norfolk strains of 

 blood — as has been so generally done by breeders of recent 

 times — the former always remained the predominant element 

 at his stud. After the original Brookfield stud had been 

 reduced, the remainder of the breeding stock AAas even- 

 tually transferred to Yorkshire, the stud noAv being located 

 at Metham Hall Farm, near HoAvden, in the East Riding, Avhere 

 some forty or fifty Hackney brood mares are kept. The stallions 

 standing here are Last Fashion, by Brown Fashion out of 

 Lady Fireaway, and Bellissimo, a son of Polonius, both bred 

 by Mr. Burdett-Coutts. Brown Fashion, Avho Avas sold to go to 

 America, AA^as sired by D'Oyly's Confidence, a classic Norfolk 

 Hackney stallion of the seventies and eighties, Avhile his dam 

 Avas a thoroughbred mare. 



The Hackney-breeding industry in Yorkshire entered upon 

 its most prosperous epoch tOAvards the eighties of last century, 

 just Avhen the breeding of hunters declined among farmers. 

 Then began the great reA'iA^al in the fortunes of the breed 

 Avhicli led to the foundation of the Hackney Horse Society in 

 1884, together Avith the establishment of the stud-book and the 

 institution of the London Hackney ShoAv. Hackney-breeding 



