286 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



occupied by horses belonging to the Prince. 

 Unfortunately there is not much to be said about 

 any of them. The big years were to come after 

 his Royal Highness left Kingsclere for New- 

 market. While I trained for him the Prince's 

 best year was 1891, when four of his horses won 

 seven races worth ;^4i48. The chief con- 

 tributors to this total were Pierrette, The Imp, 

 and Barracouta. 



In the autumn of 1886 the Prince informed 

 me that he proposed to found a breeding stud 

 at Sandringham. He asked me to give my 

 advice concerning the best way of laying out the 

 paddocks. I saw the paddocks it was intended 

 to use, and offered suggestions with regard to 

 them. The plans then made were afterwards 

 considerably developed. At that time the Prince 

 was breeding hackneys at Wolverton, near 

 Sandringham, but the land so employed was 

 eventually devoted to thoroughbred mares visit- 

 ing the Sandringham stallions. 



A stud groom was wanted. I recommended 

 Edmund Walker, who had had charge of Archer *s 

 mares at Falmouth House, Newmarket. I had 

 made Walker's acquaintance at Archer's, and 

 knew him to be a trustworthy man. Archer 

 died in November 1886. Walker, therefore, at 

 the moment, was in want of another situation. 

 He was engaged to go to Sandringham, and 

 there he has remained to this day, having 



