BIOGRAPHIES IN A NUTSHELL 123 



Warwick Races. This he stopped at the request of 

 the Jockey Club, owing to the numerous disputes 

 which arose in regard to qualifications. Those of my 

 readers who are students of Turf history know that 

 in the first half of the century it was necessary for 

 an owner to get a certificate from an M.F.H. that , 

 his horse had been ridden regularly to hounds before 

 he could run in a hunters' flat race, with the result 

 that young horses were shown off at covert-side, and 

 taken home immediately after they had come under 

 the eye of the M.F.H. Owing to his good nature, 

 Lord Middleton often fell a victim to unscrupulous 

 owners, so that he was compelled to abolish the 

 race which he had organised for the benefit of the 

 farmers. 



But, in addition to his well-deserved popularity 

 with the farmers, Lord Middleton was supported 

 by men whose names are household words in every 

 fox-hunting establishment. Most prominent amongst 

 these names are those of Lord Willoughby de Broke, 

 Earl of Aylesford, of Packington Hall, Earl of 

 Warwick, Sir John Mordaunt, Sir E. Smythe, Sir 

 J. Shelley, Lord Villiers, Mr, Holbeck, of Farn- 

 borough. General Williams, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Feather- 

 stone, Mr. Cattell, Mr. H. Robins, Mr. T. Handley, 

 Lord Alvanley, Sir Grey Skipwith, Mr. Stubbs, of 

 Beckbury, Shropshire, Mr. Boycott, of Rudge, Shrop- 

 shire (afterwards M.F.H. of the Albrighton from 

 1825 to 1830), and Mr. Edward Goulburn. 



I have placed Mr. Goulburn last on my list on 



