GOOD GREY HUNTERS 85 



summer of 1890 this fact was particularly notice- 

 able, and in a show of 1027 exhibits there was hardly 

 a grey horse to be found, or any that had conspicuous 

 white markings. 



Perhaps the verdict of popular opinion — and it 

 may generally be accepted as the right one — is in 

 favour of the grey horse. The dapple-grey is uni- 

 versally admired, inspiring many a poet to sing his 

 praises in tuneful metre, and their eastern origin lends 

 itself to romance, besides enduing them with excep- 

 tional brain power, constitution, and endurance. 

 In an old book of anecdotes we stumbled across 

 a curious pedigree of a grey Arabian horse, well 

 known in Nottinghamshire many years ago. The 

 following is a literal translation of the pedigree : 

 " In the name of God, the merciful ! The cause of 

 the present writing is, that we witness that the grey 

 horse Dervish, of Mahomet Bey, is the first breed 

 of Nedgdee horses, whose mother is the grey mare 

 Hadba the famous, and whose father is the bay 

 horse Dahrouge, of the horses of the Benhibaled. 

 We testify in our conscience and fortune that he is 

 of the breed concerning which the Prophet has said, 

 ' The true runners when they run strike fire : they 

 grant prosperity until the day of judgment.' We 

 have testified what we know ; and ' God knows who 

 are the true witnesses.' " Followed by six signa- 

 tures — a formidable warranty with a new purchase, 

 in all conscience ! 



Although grey horses can be numbered by the 

 score amongst the best that go hunting, yet there 

 are very few thoroughbreds of this colour, the Derby 

 having been won but twice by grey horses — Gustavus 

 in 1821 and Frederick in 1829. Amongst cele- 

 brities in turf history, Gimcrack, a Httle dapple-grey 

 horse, bred in 1760, and so much admired by 



