Breeding of Hunters. 311 



knees, and was sold, we believe, for something under 

 ioo/. to Mr. James Mason, at Tattersall's. 



Of the breed of Spangle, the darling of Jem Hills' 

 heart, we have no trace, but simply know that he 

 was purchased from Mr. Tilbury. Jem afterwards 

 rode Sailor and Betsy Baker, both fine sixteen- 

 handers, but not so far bred, and decidedly not up to 

 Spangle's mark. Blood Royal has never had a rival 

 in the Berkeley stud, although he was in his prime 

 as far back as 1815. He was purchased from the 

 Rev. R. Winniatt, of Guiting Grange, Gloucester- 

 shire, and was a very superior horse to Imperial 

 Tom, although tradition has somehow or other invo- 

 luntarily connected the two. Long head, thin neck, 

 great shoulders, very deep back ribs and immense 

 quarters, on a dark bay sixteen-hand frame, were his 

 leading features ; and Gloucestershire hunting men 

 still say that they never hope to see such a model 

 again. Besides these, the Earl has ridden Lunatic, 

 Manchester, and Harkaway, a very smart Irish horse, 

 but with hardly the power of the other two, Meg (a 

 grey mare), Pedestrian, and The Farmer. The last- 

 named, who always ranked in his noble owner's esti- 

 mation next to Blood Royal, was purchased from 

 Captain Marriott, of Avon Bank, near Pershore, and 

 was a fifteen-two hunter model, remarkably beautiful 

 in every part except his ears. A powerful, dark-chest- 

 nut gelding, Radical, by Polygar, who stood over at the 

 knee from four years old, was the apple of Harry 

 Ayris's eye, and carried him for ten seasons. Among 

 this noted huntsman's other first-class horses were 

 Vizor, by Smuggler ; Queen of Diamonds, by the King 

 of Diamonds ; Downright, by Bobadil, the very type 

 of a bay hunter, with nothing white about him, but a 

 few odd hairs in his tail; his half-sister Drawing Room, 

 by Maresfield ; Michael Wood, by The Sailor out of 

 a hackney mare ; and Sapphaddin, by Saracen, who 

 stood in 1856 at Berkeley. 



