172 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



an active part in the management of the stud. 

 She was, as usual, wearing a short skirt and 

 leggings. The two brothers were corn merchants 

 in Birmingham, and acted as agents for Messrs. 

 Bass in the purchase of barley in their locality. 

 I saw about twenty yearlings in one paddock we 

 entered, and after looking them over, was par- 

 ticularly impressed by the smallest of them all, a 

 bay colt by Sterling out of Isola Bella. His size 

 was partly accounted for by his being a May foal. 

 And here let me state that I have never known 

 or heard of a May foal that became a roarer. 



The Grahams made the colts gallop round 

 the paddock by rattling sticks in their hats, and I 

 noticed the little fellow to whom I had taken a 

 fancy threading his way through the others as 

 if determined to get to the front. There and then 

 I made up my mind I would buy him at Doncaster. 

 While we were returning to Birmingham the 

 question of a suitable name for the youngster 

 was discussed. When we reached the Grahams* 

 house a dictionary was consulted. In it we found 

 the name Isonomy, which means " an equal 

 distribution of rights and privileges." That, we 

 thought, exactly fitted the colt, for he had given 

 us the impression that, small though he was, he 

 felt he was quite equal to the others and entitled 

 to the same respect. 



In due course Isonomy went to Doncaster 

 and was bought on behalf of Mr. Grctton for 



