-»» Institution and Early Growth 



They were gay times those, when our forefathers 

 "backed the winner" in the good old days of the Georges. 

 Besides the sport of kings, there were the charms of Terpsi- 

 chore at Windsor, Egham, and Sunninghill ; gaming tables 

 on the course and card tables in most of the private 

 mansions, and further there was that popular sport of those 

 days — cock-fighting. It was the proper thing then to go 

 in for the whole round of attractions offered, and the 

 announcement that during the Ascot Races, at the old Cock 

 Pit at the " Marquis of Granby's Head, at Windsor, in the 

 county of Berks," a leading match was to be fought, was 

 sure to bring a large and appreciative audience. " A main 

 of cocks between the gentlemen of Oxfordshire and the 

 gentlemen of Berkshire, to show thirty-one cocks on each 

 side in the main for 5 guineas a battle and 100 guineas the 

 odd battle, and to show twenty cocks each in the byes for 

 2 guineas a battle. To weigh on Monday, June 2nd, 1877, 

 and to fight the four following days." 



Not content with these excitements, wrestling matches 

 and prize fights were got up, and there are records that 

 an exciting contest took place on the course on the last 

 day of the 1777 races, between one Woods, a weaver, 

 and Selway, the sawyer (who beat the noted Cochran), 

 for 500 guineas, when, after a severe conflict, victory was 

 declared in favour of the former, the sawyer leaving the 

 ring with the loss of an eye. 



Of the races in 1777, the sport would appear to have 

 been remarkably good, and the attendance, no doubt 

 owing to the very many additional attractions offered, was 

 more representative of the nobility and gentry and more 

 numerous in point of numbers than had been the case for 



35 



