167 



He was fond of shooting, and was a good shot, and had at Moore 

 Abbey battues once or twice a year. But while requiring his keepers 

 to show good sport for the guns, he took care that they always had 

 foxes when the hounds drew his coverts. 



For many years he spent the summers yachting, but he preferred 

 the practical to the racing part. He was a member of the Royal 

 Yacht Squadron, and for many years was Commodore of our St. 

 George's Club. He owned the Fancy, 120 tons, the Cecile, 190 tons, 

 and the Ferida, 180 tons, all fore and aft schooners. 



Lord Drogheda was also fond of coursing, and in former days 

 owned good greyhounds. The Leinster Coursing Club always enjoyed 

 his permission to hold its meetings over the meadows of Boherbawn, 

 and except Lord Lurgan's in the North, no Irish coursing club of its 

 day held higher position. 



I have already in my chapter on Punchestown related what his 

 lordship did for steeplechasing. I now state that he did quite as much 

 for flat-racing in general and the Curragh meetings in particular. 



He was our head and leading light of both branches for the past 

 thirty years. Others he had working with him in the formation of 

 our chasing and racing laws, in the reformation of them according as 

 such became advisable, and in their administration, but not one of his 

 colleagues ever did nearly as good work. 



It is not always that a man's worth is estimated at its full value 

 during his lifetime, but every man in Ireland who knew even the first 

 rudiments of our sport, has for many a year looked upon Lord Drogheda 

 as the Lycurgus of Irish racing whether across country or on the flat. 



He was pre-eminently fitted by nature to govern — no man could 

 have five minutes' conversation with him without being impressed 

 with that fact, while his eye, peculiarly penetrating as it was, 

 evidenced the determination which lay within. 



Although tall, his physique did not portray that " presence " which 

 perhaps a heavier frame might have done, but he had that unimpas- 

 sionable hauteur^ combined with the bearing of an aristocrat and the 

 courtesy of a gentleman, which intuitively calls for and is invariably 

 accorded respect. 



In addition to assuming the leading part in the legislation of the 

 Irish Turf, he took a front place in watching over some of those for 

 whom that legislation was framed. 



Malpractice could seldom be carried out at any race meeting which 

 he attended without his detecting it. His eagle sight, assisted by the 

 powerfully strong race-glasses which he was wont to carry, readily 

 discerned untrue running, and whenever a delinquency was proved 

 against a man, be he owner, trainer, or rider. Lord Drogheda visited 

 him with punishment fully commensurate with the oftence. 



The consequence of this strict supervision and stern administration 

 of justice was, that upon the Irish Turf within the past thirty years 

 malpractices have been comparatively few. Scandals there were 



