SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



the Jockey Club in 1877 made an end of 

 small race gatherings, and henceforth, in Sussex 

 only Lewes, Brighton, and Goodwood held the 

 field. 



In cross-country racing Plumpton Steeplechases 

 have, in more recent years, attracted fair fields and 

 attendances, and have been productive of fairly 

 good racing. The Eridge Hunt Races have for 

 some years enjoyed deserved support from hunt- 

 ing people. 



Among Sussex training grounds, some of 

 which have been in use for many years, the best 

 known are Lewes, Alfriston, Jevington, Findon, 

 and Michel Grove. The later Dukes of Rich- 

 mond have given up racing, and the famous 

 Goodwood training-grounds are no longer used. 

 One of the principal establishments in Sussex for 

 the breeding of thorough-bred stock is that of the 

 Duke of Devonshire at Polegate, where a very 



complete stud farm was laid out and opened 

 about eight years since. Other breeding studs 

 in Sussex are those of Mr. Buchanan, at Pet- 

 worth ; of Mr. Bass, at Rotherfield ; and of Mr. 

 H. Bottomley, at Dicker. The most celebrated 

 Sussex owner and breeder of thorough-bred 

 stock was the third Earl of Egremont, whose esta- 

 blishment at Petworth included at one time 

 close on seventy brood mares. Lord Egremont, 

 who died in 1837 at the age of eighty-six, was 

 for fifty years an owner of racehorses. He won 

 the Derby in 1782, 1804, 1805, 1807, and 1826 

 with Assassin, Hannibal, Cardinal Beaufort, 

 Election, and Lapdog ; and the Oaks in 1788, 

 1789, 1795, 1800, and 1820 with Nightshade, 

 Tag, Platina, Ephemera, and Caroline. His 

 stock were renowned for their stoutness, and he 

 was extremely partial to the blood of his favour- 

 ite sire Gohanna. 



POLO 



The Sussex Club was founded about 1875 or 

 1876 ; and during the days of its prosperity 

 the team representing this club carried all before 

 it. Captain Philip Green, the Earl of Lewes, 

 and the Messrs. Murietta were instrumental in 

 establishing it, and the ground was at Bayham 

 Abbey, on the borders of Sussex and Kent, the 

 property of the Lady Camden, wife of Captain 

 Green. There were about fifty playing mem- 

 bers on the club books, and these included some 

 of the finest players of their time in England. 

 They were among the earliest to recognize the 

 supreme importance of combined play, and for 

 many years the Sussex team was the most for- 

 midable in the Hurlingham tournaments. The 

 Hurlingham Champion Cup was first won by 

 the club team in 1880, when five men formed 

 the team. The Earl of Lewes, Messrs. A. 

 Peyton, J. E. Peat, A. E. Peat, and A. Peat repre- 

 sented Sussex on this occasion, and the same 

 team was successful in the following year. In 

 1882 Messrs. J. Peat, Kenyon Stow, A. Peyton, 

 A. Peat, and J. Babington formed the winning 

 team in the championship tournament. In 1883 

 the new rules had come into force, and the 



Sussex team of four, Messrs. Phipps Hornby and 

 the three brothers Peat, found none to dispute 

 their possession of the cup. In 1885 Mr. F. 

 Mildmay and the three brothers were again suc- 

 cessful, and three years later these four players 

 won the first of the remarkable series of victories 

 at Hurlingham which gave Sussex the foremost 

 place among the clubs of the kingdom. Four 

 years consecutively 1888-1891 the same team 

 carried off the championship. In 1892, Lord 

 Harrington taking the place of Mr. A. Peat, 

 Sussex was again successful, and in 1893 the 

 team, consisting as in the years 1888-91 in- 

 clusive, once more ' walked over ' for this the 

 chief event of the polo year. With the retire- 

 ment of the invincible brothers Peat from active 

 part in the game the prowess of the Sussex club 

 waned ; it ceased to be represented in the great 

 tournaments, and was soon afterwards dissolved. 

 In the spring of 1 907 the Brighton and County 

 Club was formed, the ground on which it plays 

 is that in Preston Park, placed at its disposal by 

 the mayor and corporation. The Inniskilling 

 Dragoons and 2Oth Hussars played polo on this 

 ground. 



SHOOTING 



No counties can compare with Norfolk and 

 Suffolk for shooting, but probably no county can 

 command the rent for shooting which is obtain- 

 able in Sussex, namely from y. to 51. per acre. 

 This is a result not only of the great improve- 

 ments that have been made in the shootings 

 themselves, but because of the accessibility of 

 the country from London. It is quite an easy 

 matter for a dweller in the metropolis to break- 



fast in London at eight o'clock, look through his 

 letters, and begin shooting on his Sussex ground 

 at 10.30. 



Shooting in this county was held of little value 

 one hundred years ago. There is an authentic 

 anecdote of two sportsmen from the neighbour- 

 hood of Horsham who, wanting to do some 

 business in Chichester, shot their way to that 

 town, taking two days over the journey. After 



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