142 TALES AND TRAITS OF SPORTING LIFE. 



Half an lioiir is now supposed to elapse for tlie judges 

 to savage tlieir well-earned sandwich, and then half a 

 dozen of the elect are summoned for a second trial. 

 These are — 5. Lord Fauconberg-, 6. Voltig-eur, 7. Fan- 

 dango, 13. De Clare, 16. Saunterer, and 19. The Cure. 

 De Clare and Saunterer are then drafted back to their 

 boxes, and Voltigeur put on one side by himself The 

 public see in a moment what this means, and Mr. Booth 

 begins to collect all the even half crowns he has been 

 laying. Lord Fauconberg, Fandango, and The Cure 

 thus stand in for second, and common opinion seems to 

 rank them as they are here named. But a heavy storm, 

 always due sooner or later at Middlesbro', breaks over the 

 town, when the horses are ordered in, and the note of a 

 hound from an adjoining tent seems all at once to remind 

 people how much they have been neglecting that part of 

 the entertainment. When it clears a little the horse 

 judges are found to have left the ground, solemnly sworn 

 not to divulge their award until after the committee 

 dinner — the only mistake in this otherwise well-managed 

 meeting. Hundreds who have paid the highest price on 

 the best day are thus sent home again without being able 

 to say what has won. The crowning excitement of the 

 thing is utterly spoilt, and all to tempt one to what 

 turned out to be a terribly slow, badly-served dinner. It 

 was not until after another walk through the boxes on 

 the next morning that we were enabled to fashion our list 

 into a really ship-shape return, and here it is : — 



A Plate of 100 sovs., with 20 for the second, given by the Cleveland 

 Agricultural Society for the best thoroughbred stud horse, having served 

 mares during the season 1860, best calculated to improve and perpetuate 

 the breed of the sound and stout thorough-bred horse, not only for 

 racing, but also for general purposes ; entrance 5 sovs. each, 2 of which 

 were returned to every one but the winner ; 21 entries. 



