FIRST VISIT TO COBHAM 215 



Stud Company ever disposed of, and the total they realised 

 was by far the lowest : but, even so, I had seen enough to 

 make me long to have a practical interest in this company, 

 and before we caught the coach on, its return journey 

 from Guildford I had resolved to secure shares in the 

 Stud Company Limited, if it were by any means possible. 

 Little did I know at that time how not merely possible 

 but easy it would be to secure any number of such shares 

 in the Company, whose nominal share capital was 100,000, 

 but whose principal cash supply had been provided by 

 Mr John Coupland (Master of the Quorn) on the security 

 of 10 per cent, debentures repayable in three years. 



This visit to Cobham was but the initial episode, and 

 I did not act on it at that time, but the seed was germinat- 

 ing. Meanwhile came the finish at Oxford as recorded 

 in the last chapter, and a good time at home for the rest 

 of the year. My sister had by that tune married our 

 good friend, Tom Scott, and we three went to live at 

 Kilvington, where I built new and excellent kennels on 

 the plans recommended by Beckfoid. 



Both Tom Scott and I were in considerable request 

 as judges of fox-terriers at dog shows about that tune, 

 and Mr Arrowmith was also quite keen about terriers, of 

 whom he bred some first-class ones, notably Satire, by 

 Jester, winner in a class of 109 competitors at Nottingham, 

 with the Hon. Tom Fitzwilliam judging. 



York August Meeting that year was a very interesting 

 one. Glenalmond (by Blair Athol out of Coimbra), who 

 had started favourite for the Derby, won the North of 

 England Biennial, two miles, very easily, and was again 

 fancied for the St Leger. 



He was a beautiful, medium-sized bay colt, with all 

 the Kingston quality of his dam. The Prince of Wales 

 Stakes was won by Holy Friar, a chestnut colt who in 

 the opinion of Mr Chaplin was the best of all Hermit's 

 sons. Earl of Dartrey, who was, I think, the only un- 

 questionable son of the Earl, won a two-year-old Biennial, 

 and Trent, an exquisitely moulded little bay son of 



