BREEDING OP HUNTERS. 309 



the Petworth paddocks in their turn, and whose de- 

 scendants have worked their way to the fore, like those 

 of their kennel brethren the Justices, and the Jaspers, 

 in many an English huntingfield. Whalebone was sold 

 at Tattersall's for 500 guineas to the Duke of Grafton 

 after Lord Egremont's death, and he was generally 

 thought a plainish-looking horse with decidedly small 

 feet. This was the great failing of Soothsayer, who had 

 one of the finest tops that ever fell to horse's lot, com- 

 bined with feet little bigger than a mule's. He was one 

 of the descendants of Sorcerer, who sadly poisoned the 

 breed of horses, as far as soundnessgoes. His stock had 

 very great speed, and he got many of the best racers 

 of the day ; but nearly all of them were infirm after 

 a certain time. He was upright in his pasterns and 

 light in his ankles, and never, that we heard of, got a 

 hunter worth a farthing. The Sorcerer mares threw 

 many very good foals, but they were chiefly put to 

 the horse at four or five years old. 



About a quarter of a century since, Norfolk had 

 an almost European fame for its strong-made, short- 

 legged hackneys, which ranged from fourteen- three 

 to fifteen -two, and could walk five miles an hour, and 

 trot at the rate of twenty. Fireaway, Marshland 

 Shales, and The Norfolk Cob were locomotive giants 

 in those days, and the latter was the sire of Pheno- 

 menon, who was sold into Scotland when he had seen 

 his twentieth summer, and astonished his " canny " 

 admirers by trotting two miles in six minutes. The 

 few now left are descended from these breeds, but as 

 they arrive at maturity they are sold to go abroad, 

 mostly to France, Four or five very good hackney 

 sires are still in the county, and among them a roan 

 of Mr. Baxter's, for which 500 guineas is said to 

 have been refused. The chesnut Prick willow reaches 

 about the same fifteen-two standnrd ; and a son of 

 his, out of, we believe, a very noted mare of Mr. 

 Cooke of Litcham's, which is said to have never been 

 "out-stepped," is also highly spoken of. Mr. Wright's 



