190 TALES AND TRAITS OF SPORTING LIFE. 



even the pro])erty of the Hunt, to stand at the kennel 

 stables ; and let him^ moreover, serve farmers' mares at a 

 certain moderate figure. Never, however, under any cir- 

 cumstances, let his favours be given gratis ; for people 

 are very apt to estimate that which they get for nothing 

 at what they pay for it, and such a practice would only 

 tend to make men more careless over a matter which they 

 are only too indifferent about as it is. The principle I 

 would here recommend has already been tried. It was 

 only within the last year or two that I was staying with 

 a friend on the borders of Shropshire, who was tlien look- 

 ing out for another such stud-horse for the country, as 

 they had just lost the one they had been using for some 

 seasons. Baron Rothschild, who hunts the Vale of Ayles- 

 bury so handsomely, takes especial care that a thorough- 

 bred one is ever within the gTaziers' reach at Mentmore ; 

 and the Duke of Beaufort has now always a stallion, 

 which serves mares within the boundaries of Badminton, 

 at a trifle over a merely nominal figure. I had the 

 honour last autumn of awarding his Grace's premiums 

 for the best yearlings by Kingstown, as well as for the 

 best mare with a foal at her foot by the same horse, when 

 the following suggestive incident occurred. The prize 

 for the yearling went to a really blood-like filly, with fine 

 free action to back her appearance. In the course of the 

 morning I was accosted by her owner, a perfect stranger, 

 who, after a word for the young one, added, ^* But you 

 would not give the old mare a prize, sir." I did not 

 know that I had ever had the opportunity of doing so, 

 until my new acquaintance explained to me that she was 

 in the brood mare class, acknowledging at the same time, 

 " I know why she did not get it — she is not quite well- 

 bred enough." And he was right, She was not well-bred 



