AT OSTEND 



personally between Sloan and the owner. I therefore 

 wired " T." this, and as he had expressed his intention 

 of going to Paris, and Sloan was going there too for the 

 International Week, it was the best thing for them to 

 meet. 



I had become closely acquainted that year with Mr 

 Theodore Myers, ex-Controller of New York City, who 

 had a stable of horses with the same trainer as Torring- 

 ton, Ross Adams. Sloan, of course, was only the ad- 

 viser, as he had no licence. Motoring to Paris through 

 the lovely valley of the Meuse, and stopping at Namur 

 and Reims, a day or two after our arrival in France, 

 "T." was married. Both Lord and Lady Torrington" 

 have pretty well the same tastes, are devoted to racing 

 and each other, and she being possessed of sound 

 common-sense, the family fortunes have certainly not 

 taken a set-back. During the last eighteen months, 

 through the death of the Dowager Lady Torrington, 

 "T." inherited the estate at Yotes Court, near Maid- 

 stone, and his racing establishment has been built up 

 from that solitary horse he bought from Mr de Neuter 

 at Ostend. 



Mr de Neuter is one of the leading trainers and 

 owners in Belgium and also writes fluently on racing 

 in the most prominent sporting journal published in 

 Brussels. He was always on the look-out for a nice 

 horse and goes to Paris or comes over to England to 

 pick up a bargain. I have a great belief in the future 

 of racing in Belgium. The Belgians are a sport- 

 loving people and each year brings more recruits to 

 owners and amateur riders. It is surprising to find 

 so many men in this country who are only acquainted 

 with Ostend and have never visited such a beautiful 

 course as Groenendael. I have often thought how 

 happy many men I see hanging about town perpetually 



306 



