72 England's horses, 



and ability is concerned, it is, unhappily, axiomatically true 

 that the system and its contingencies for which they cater 

 have too much of the miserable plating business about them 

 to afford encouragement to the sustenance of that class of 

 animal the Turf was inaugurated to foster and maintain ; 

 but, upon the contrary, opens up a channel for emolument to 

 the owners of miserable quadrupeds, fit for nothing else 

 but scrambling in such an arena. 



No author having the subject before us at heart, ought to 

 glance at the probable effect of steeplechasing proper upon 

 the production of desirable horses, without, at least, paying 

 his humble meed of praise to Kildare Hunt Steeple 

 Chase Meeting — better known as Punchestown — so 

 largely indebted to that thorough practical expert, the pre- 

 sent Earl of Howth, more familiar in conjunction with this 

 great institution as Viscount St. Lawrence. Here may 

 be seen a line of big, fair hunting country unequalled in 

 the world, and a munificence in prizes and completeness of 

 arrangement beyond all praise. And, just look at the con- 

 sequence — except that you may, rarely, see a "weedy blood" 

 in the "Light Weight Military," the general competitors 

 are remarkable for those qualities which can alone insure 

 victory in such an ordeal, viz., blood, size, bone, and stout- 

 ness. Here is an example worthy to be followed. Here 

 we have the happy results of salutary effects from judicious 

 cause. 



I have before said that at the present day we have exam- 

 ples of the highest quality and excellence in some of the 

 stallions who, at heavy prices for their favours, are reserved 

 for the Belgravian mothers of our 'pur sang horses. But 

 their very excellence negatives to the country the immediate 

 benefit to be derived from their service at the stud. And 

 the desire to breed mainly for speed now-a-days causes to 

 be kept for the purpose of brood-mares many mis-shapen 



