3 6 Breeds of Horses 



out of the thirty quarterings Coach Horse, whilst the other twenty- 

 six were Cleveland Bay, whilst with the three top crosses it was 

 possible for only twenty-one of the quarterings to be Cleveland 

 Bay, whilst nine might be alien blood — even Cart Horse. But the 

 committee stuck to the three top crosses, with the result that some 

 hundred horses were rejected, very (ew of whose descendants would 

 have interfered with the Cleveland Bay Stud Book. A compromise, 

 even after the Yorkshire Coach Horse Society was formed, might 

 have been effected if it had been gone about in the right way, but 

 nothing was done. The Coach Horse Society took a wider area 

 than the Cleveland Bay, and admitted direct crosses of Thorough- 

 bred blood, which of course was a policy which Cleveland Bay 

 breeders could not adhere to. And so a golden opportunity was 

 lost, which perhaps would have been seized upon if everyone had 

 not thought the good times were going to last for ever. 



In giving the history of this curious position I would point out 

 that there is not and never has been any animosity between the 

 two societies. Many men are members of both. But there is 

 reason to think that a mistaken policy was pursued. 



There was a big slump a few years ago, and for some time 

 prices were bad, but the demand for both breeds has been improv- 

 ing. There seems to be every reason to think that the improvement 

 will continue. Some of the Development Fund money has been 

 allotted to Cleveland Bay and Yorkshire Coach Horse stallions, 

 and this has done a great deal of good. For one thing it has made 

 men register their mares, and the whereabouts of some good mares 

 have been discovered which would probably have been lost sight 

 of altogether if it had not been for this grant. Then the grant if 

 not a large one, will tend to keep a young stallion at home a year 

 or two longer. He will be all the better to sell for having won a 

 prize of this sort. Then Lord Hollenden has taken to driving a 

 team of Cleveland Bays in the Park, and these have been much 

 admired, so that it is by no means unlikely that others may follow 

 his example. 



But the most important incident in connection with the breed 

 which has taken place in recent years is the formation of a stud of 

 Yorkshire Coach Horses and Cleveland Bays by His Majesty at 

 Hampton Court. It is well known that the King is a great admirer 

 of the breed, and his gift of a Challenge Cup to be competed for at 

 some district shows in Yorkshire has given a direct impetus to 

 breeding. 



It seems a paradox, perhaps, but a man who would lay himself 

 out for breeding geldings of these breeds would do well to buy hi? 



