53 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF. 



in his irrave. The Yorkshire baronet was a keen 

 turfite ; in his early days in London he walked down 

 to Epsom to see Eager win the Derby in 1791 ; and up 

 to 1861 Caller Ou's St. Leger was the seventy-sixth he 

 had seen, with only one exception. Sir Tatton was 

 one of the greatest breeders of blood stock of his day ; 

 in 1863, at the period of his death, he possessed a stud 

 of 200 horses ; and he bred, among others, Grey 

 Momus, St. Giles, Dally, and Lecturer. The famous 

 Yorkshire baronet was an excellent judge of horse- 

 flesh, and was a frequent buyer at ]\Iessrs. Tattersall's 

 northern sales ; the very best blood of the English 

 thoroughbreds was concentrated in some of his brood- 

 mares. As an amateur jockey he was well known in 

 the saddle, and won a good many races. Sir Tatton 

 was a model landlord, and took a continuous interest 

 in the breeding of cattle and sheep, of all of which he 

 was an excellent judge. He was the idol of his county, 

 and died universally regretted. 



The owner of the far-famed Voltigcur, the second 

 Earl of Zetland, deserves a passing record. He was 

 by no means an enthusiastic turfite, although a liberal 

 pation of the tine sport of racing. The grand horse 

 Avhich has just been named cost only £350 — not much 

 to give for an animal which was destined to win the 

 great double event of his year (1850), the Derby and 

 St. Leger. The splendid match of 1851, ' the race of 

 the century,' between Flying Dutchman and Voltigeur, 

 and which, after a keen battle, was won by the Earl of 

 Eglinton's horse, will long live in the annals of horse- 

 racing. His lordship died in his seventy-ninth year; 

 and his great horse only survived him nine months. 



