The Neasham Hall Stud. 163 



night. The rest at noon for two hours is particularly 

 advantageous, as the mares are tied up and the foals 

 have the chance of eating their corn and lying down 

 when they have done so. They are thus refreshed and 

 able to enjoy the afternoon's turn-out. 



Mr. Cookson began with an old mare, Gadfly, by 

 Irish Mayfly, which once belonged to Colonel West- 

 enera. Then came the one-eyed Hybla by The 

 Provost, and the dam of Kettledrum, which was given 

 him by his uncle, Mr. John Cookson, as a four-year- 

 old. Marmalade (the dam of Dundee) was bred by 

 Mr. Wood of Aycliffe, and only cost 40/. The late John 

 Gill had her and trained her for two months, but could 

 not " report progress," and hence her price. Fan- 

 dango, Sweet Pea, The Gem, and Lady Macdonald — 

 all of them by Touchstone, after whose blood Mr 

 Cookson has sought most eagerly — were gradually 

 added to the Neasham store, as well as four mares at 

 the Sledmere Sale, three of them by Daniel O'Rourke. 

 The grey Eller came from Lord Londesborough's sale, 

 and Secret and Miss Julia became component parts 

 of the dozen, which has generally been the full strength 

 of the company. Miss Julia has been very unlucky, 

 and lost her three first foals. 



The Gem only cost 120 guineas at a York auction, 

 and was sold by Mr. Cookson to the Austrians. After 

 Regalia had won the Oaks, he sold Buccaneer to them, 

 and got The Gem in part payment with a two-year- 

 old Sister to Regalia, a whole-coloured brown mare. 

 He had always a great fancy for Buccaneer, but the 

 horse did not take with the public, and it was only by 

 skilful management that he secured his thirty mares, 

 the very least that a young sire should have for a real 

 chance of early success. Only half the foals on an 

 average come to the post, and the dams of many of 

 those may not " nick " with the horse in blood. Some 

 hold that half-a-dozen of good mares are more likely 

 to make a horse than twenty bad ones ; bu^ nvu' jvi- 



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