SECRETARY'S REPORT. 199 



tural liorses, consisting as they did of three great divisions, the 

 SutTolks, the Clydesdales, and the miscellaneous hreeds, were 

 sufficient in themselves to wrest the laurels from every previous 

 show, and materially conduced to the prevailing impression, that 

 the Battersea Show of 1862 stands out in bold relief as the 

 most successful in the annals of the society." 



Two prizes were offered for Thoroughbreds — the first of $500, 

 the second of 8125. They called out but thirteen entries. The 

 first was won by the Derby winner six years ago. It was amusing 

 to see the interest awakened by this class, small as it was, among 

 the gentlemen of the turf. I could not see why nearly five 

 times as much should be offered and awarded for the best 

 Thoroughbred as for the best pure bred Shorthorn, or the best 

 pure bred Hereford. 



If the design had been to select the best Thoroughbred as a 

 getter of hunters, a class of horses possessing many useful 

 practical qualities, it would have seemed more in keeping with 

 the objects of the society. But the judges were expressly 

 directed to award the prize to the horse best calculated to get 

 stout racers. The prize therefore went to a perfect greyhound, 

 though a large-headed one. He was long and low, with good 

 shoulders, and good fore legs. No doubt he could run well ; 

 he couldn't otherwise have won the Derby. I do not pretend 

 to be a judge of Thoroughbred horses ; but after examining all 

 the horses in that class, it struck me that some of the less 

 fortunate competitors would serve their country better in the 

 way of getting good hunters than " Ellington," who bore off the 

 $500, — for, judging from what I saw of the hunters in those 

 entered in that class in the show, and subsequently in War- 

 wickshire, where I rode, like Tarn O'Shanter, over ditches 

 and fences, a powerful hunting Rosinante, wholly unable to 

 curb his young energies, it seemed to me to require a horse 

 deep in the ribs, powerful in the chest, strong legs and flat fset, 

 good shoulders and quarters, good in the loins and hocks, to 

 get that most desirable class of horses. 



In the class of Hunters there were but seven entries. They 

 consisted both of Thoroughbreds and half-breds, but both the 

 prizes were borne off by half-breds. The first prize animal, 

 British Statesman, was a beautiful dark bay of five years, .of 



