146 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



from Mrs Langtry for 500 guineas and took him back 

 to his native land, where he did worse still. The 

 tantalising experience of his stud career in England 

 was largely due to his siring really good stock, when 

 he ever sired anything at all. Aurina may be men- 

 tioned in this connection, for she was probably the 

 best three-year-old filly of her year, and she beat 

 Polymelus for the Prince Edward Handicap. 



One of the most notable men in the Continental 

 market for British blood stock was the late M. Cheri 

 Halbronn, of the Etablissement Cheri. He came 

 into that position through marrying the daughter of 

 M. Cheri, the founder of the Etablissement, and he 

 was one of the most capable men I have ever come 

 across. Shortly after a sale of British blood stock 

 which I arranged with Tattersalls of New York in 

 1891 M. Halbronn suggested to me that similar sales 

 might be arranged in France, and we made a sort of 

 treaty that he should sell twenty-five approved English 

 brood mares at the Deauville sales, and twenty-five in 

 Paris in the autumn, all to be selected and passed by 

 me, and we were to divide commission ; nor could he 

 sell in France any other English brood mares without 

 accounting to me and vice versa as between me and 

 him. 



This arrangement worked out with an extraordinary 

 success, for I never let any mare go over that was 

 not without reproach, and presumably certain in foal. 

 The opportunity of combining business with pleasure 

 was quite unique, and our party at Deauville used to 

 be a very happy one. Alas ! they are all dead now, 

 save myself and Major Mortlock. There were Messrs 

 R. A. and W. H. Brice, Mr Taylor Sharpe, Mr W. 



