ALTHORP, GREY, AND RENNIE 59 



The Druid's ' Saddle and Sirloin.' Lord Althorp, 

 afterwards Earl Spencer, was one of the great Short- 

 horn enthusiasts of his period, and when he took 

 up official residence in Downing Street his private 

 herd-book was always on his desk. Mr John Grey of 

 Dilston stepped in one day. His lordship gave a 

 little dry laugh, " You've called about cows, sir, so 

 you'll not have to wait long." The herd-book formed 

 the text for the next half-hour. Then he handed Mr 

 Grey a letter, "There's a letter," he said, "from 

 Carnegie. He admires my political course, and he 

 writes from the Lothians to say that I shall have the 

 first refusal of his bull. I've written to thank him 

 for his political confidence, but I've told him there is 

 a flaw in his bull's pedigree. He traces him back 

 to Red Rose, but Red Rose never had a heifer 

 calf." 



In a practical sense Mr John Rennie, son of Mr 

 George Rennie of Phantassie, was one of the strongest 

 of Shorthorn propagandists. He demonstrated that 

 the breed was fit to lead the way in the paying sense. 

 In 1818 he made his first selections from Lady kirk, 

 and in November 1821 he suggested to the Directors 

 of the Highland Society that a fat stock show should 

 be established at Edinburgh. His suggestion was 

 adopted, and the first show was held in Edinburgh in 

 December 1822. Mr Rennie was well prepared for it. 

 He won three first prizes for Shorthorns, and showed 

 23 steers of the breed as extra stock. In his collection 

 he had a two-year-old Ladykirk-bred bull sired by 

 Sirius. The following year he was the most success- 



