224 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HOKSE ! " 



Besides the home park and paddocks there were out- 

 lying boxes and land at both Ockham and Hatchford 

 Park, and the Stud Company owned as many as 100 

 brood mares. I often used to stay down there at Park 

 Cottage with the manager, and enjoyed every hour of the 

 time. There were some glorious foals that year. Madame 

 Eglentine and her daughter, Jocosa, both had chestnut 

 colts by Blair Athol, not to be surpassed. 



Mr Cartwright, owner of George Frederick, had one of 

 the best cellars in England, and he had sent, I do not 

 know how many dozen, of priceless Beycheville, to com- 

 memorate his Derby victory and in recognition of the 

 fact that Marsyas (sire of George Frederick) was at 

 Cobham. That Beycheville made the evenings when I 

 was there still more happy, and as for the purely business 

 aspect of the Stud, it did not worry me at all. 



Moreover, throughout that summer, I did my first and 

 only London season. That is to say, I went a full round 

 of At Homes and other functions two or three nearly 

 every evening dinners and goodness knows what. 

 How I was drawn into this vortex matters not, but I think 

 I began at Mrs Freke's and saw Mrs Monckton and other 

 amateur celebrities act. Mr Isidore de Lara was all the 

 rage during that season, and I rejoice to think he has 

 still retained his popularity. Personally, however, I had 

 no real liking for this sort of life, and though people were 

 kind and hospitable and I made many friends, I was 

 really glad to get away from it all, and to Whitby Dog 

 Show in the late summer. 



At that show was a novelty which remains in memory 

 much more clearly than the more pretentious details of 

 that London season. It was that the Whitby bellman 

 was employed to summon the various classes into the 

 ring, which he did in thoroughly orthodox fashion, 

 thus: 



Oyez, Oyez, Oyez ! 



Class 20 In the Ring immediately ! 



Every man to his dog 1 God save the Queen ! 



