TOD SLOAN 



not much grieved for. What must be admired there 

 was the quietness with which the majority took the 

 advent of the German scouts. They had been warned 

 before of the near approach of the enemy and many 

 of the lads went away, but others of them stuck to 

 tlieir yards quite fearlessly despite the gloomy stories 

 which had been sent down from day to day. 



With regard to the taking of good horses by the 

 Government at a nominal price, of course war is war, 

 but it was heart-breaking for owners to lose valuable 

 animals. They would gladly have paid the price of 

 ten horses. For instance. Lord Loris, who won the big 

 steeplechase at Auteuil in 1914, was taken for sixty 

 pounds I think it was. Still that wasn't the point : 

 the horse languished away under entirely changed 

 conditions, never doing any work at all to speak of, 

 and dying. There were others too which began to 

 droop the moment they were stabled uncomfortably, 

 had changed diet, and lost all the care which had been 

 bestowed on them. 



Speaking of steeplechasing, one of the saddest events 

 in the early stage of the war was the death of Alec 

 Carter. Many may remember that from serving his 

 two years in a cavalry regiment he was given a com- 

 mission in an infantry battalion and was killed very 

 shortly after that. It seems almost a pity that many 

 of the greatest in their various lines should be wiped 

 out when they could perhaps have been used to better 

 advantage. Several of those I have known cannot 

 be replaced, and various sports and games must lose 

 the benefit of such fine teachers. Still again, war is 

 war, and because one man happens to be the best lawn- 

 tennis player in the world he cannot be excepted, but 

 must take the same chance as others. 



During those trying times what was there to do ? 



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