"G. S. L." ON THE TRENTHAM STUD. 149 



are provided for Dickins and his whips— well bred all of them, and weight- 

 carriers in many cases. Lord Staftbrd is fond of little horses for his owi riding, 

 and several very shapely ones up to fourteen stone had been kept in condition 

 for his lordship, though he had not been at home to ride them. Mr. Norman 

 corroborated what I had heard before, that North Staffordshire is not a horse- 

 breeding country, and he could only show me one that liad been bought from a 

 tenant farmer in the Hunt. The majority came from Ireland, and I was shown 

 several by Haymaker, some by Victor, one by Blood Royal, and perhaps the best- 

 shaped one of all by M.D. Outfit, the Blankncy stallion, is represented by several 

 that have a good hunting cut about them, and three in one stable — a bay, a 

 chestnut, and a grey — gi-eat favourites with Dickins, and well up to his weight, 

 were bought without ascertained pedigrees, though evidently by thoroughbred 

 sires. The stables, which are of somewhat ancient consti'uction, though com- 

 fortable, formed part of the old hotel at Trentham, where noble feasts have taken 

 place in olden days ; but now the hotel of the place is a little- nearer Stoke, and 

 to this place of public accommodation I next bent my steps, to see the host, well 

 known in the country as Peter Taylor, an old racing man, and the owner of a 

 thoroughbred stallion. En route I met a young friend who was most desirous to 

 show me everything in the North Staffordshire country, and on nearing Peter 

 Taylor's domain, I was introduced also to a most worthy divine, who knew a 

 great deal more about stud-book lore than I know about Hebrew. I was in good 

 company now to hear all about the North Statfordshire hunting sires past and 

 l)resent. I was told that the number of sires had been greater a few years 

 back, as a breeder at Newcastle, two miles ofj', had recently gone over to the 

 majority, and he had kept Balquhidar, by Blair Athol out of Phantom Sail, 

 etc., etc. . . . An adjournment was now made to see Mr. Peter Taylor's horse 

 Zeltinger, quite the home sire of the Hunt, as he is within half a mile of the 

 kennels. Zeltinger will be remembered on the turf as the property of Lord 

 Anglesey, who purchased him at one of the Yardley yearling sales. George 

 Fordham won a good race on him as a two-year-old in 1879, the event being a 

 nursery handicap at Newmarket, in which our hero can-ied eight stone. Alter 

 a fine finish with Despotism, to whom he gave eleven pounds, Zeltinger won b}' a 

 head, the field (numbering eleven) comprising such good runners as Scots Guard 

 and Silverstreak." 



Then follows a detailed account of Zeltinger's per- 

 formances and pedigree, too long for quotation here, and 

 " G. S. L." concludes by giving a description of Figaro, 

 another sire in the North Staffordshire country, then the 

 property of Mr. John Bebbington, of the Boar's Head Inn, 

 Walgherton, near Doddington, and Nantwich, but as 

 Figaro has no doubt long ago joined the majority, we 

 may be forgiven for not quoting any further from 

 "G. S. L.'s" chatty article. 



We may take this opportunity of saying that Norman, 

 who is above alluded to by " G. S. L.," has lately retired 

 from the post of stud groom, after more than thirty years' 



