The French Thoroughbred 



From 1823 to the French Jockey Club 



To say just when racing began in France is beyond the compass of so moderate a 

 chronicler of sport as myself, but certain it is that they had races on a small scale as 

 early as 1328, under the reign of Charles le Bel. All their racing, however, was purely 

 an imitation of the English races held during the corresponding period. It was not 

 until 1833 that racing in France assumed a definite shape through the formation of the 

 association known in its certificate of incorporation as "La Societe d'Encouragement 

 pour 1'Amelioration des Races de Chevaux en France," known now and more famil- 

 iarly as the "French Jockey Club." This is, by long odds, the most exclusive of all 

 clubs in France. 



This seems almost paradoxical when we reflect that England had been, in years 

 gone by, very largely indebted to France for the importation of four very valuable stal- 

 lions. These were the St. Victor Barb, the famous Curwen Bay Barb, sire of Brock- 

 elsby Betty; the almost equally famous Tholouse Barb; and last, but far from least, 

 the Godolphin Arabian, whom a benevolent English Quaker found working in the 

 shafts of a cart in Paris and rescued from a brutal master by purchasing him and send- 

 ing him over to England to his friend, Mr. Coke, who sold him to Lord Godolphin, 

 whence he, "Zenada," in Arabian acquired the name of which he is now known 

 through the brilliant pens of Mons. Eugene Sue, of France; Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, 

 of England ; and Mr. George Wilkes, in America. 



It does seem, however, that an earlier attempt was made, during the reign of Louis 

 Quatorze, by Colbert, who was that monarch's prime minister, to provide France with 

 a higher type of horses, but that monarch's administration paid no attention to racing 

 but contented itself with the importation of Oriental horses, probably in contemplation 

 of improving the cavalry mounts of the royal armies of France. It was merely to 

 place the services of these Eastern stallions within reach of people having but moderate 

 means, that such importations were" made. Nor was it till long after the decadence of 

 the First Empire and the Second Restoration that the royal stud at Mendon was estab- 

 lished by The Dauphin (son of Charles X) with the Duke of Guiche as Master of the 

 Horse ; with an English trainer named Corringham as superintendent of the concern ; 

 and with Rowlston, son of Camillus and he by the St. Leger (of 1795) winner Hamble- 

 tonian, as chief factor in the stud. This was in 1827. But there had been more or 

 less racing during the First Empire, say from 1806 till 1811, without anything that could 

 tend towards France becoming a great horse-producing nation. It was not till 1832 

 that Louis Phillipe promulgated an ordinance providing for the registration of the 

 Thoroughbred Horse, called "pur sang" in the French language. And in the follow- 

 ing year the "French Jockey Club," above referred to, was permanently established. 



"Le Grand Monarque" was so fond of sport, however, that he allowed the Honor- 

 able Bernard Howard, a younger brother of the Duke of Norfolk and a member of 

 Charles the Second's "Kitchen Cabinet," the privilege of driving into the sacred pre- 



