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most ardent supporter it ever boasted among 
our sovereigns, though the unfortunate 
Escape affair caused him to renounce the 
sport altogether for many years (1791-1810): 
The King was passionately fond of horses, 
and never wearied of trying hacks and 
hunters ; he got together a splendid breeding 
stud at Hampton Court. In the last year of 
his reign he increased the number of Royal 
Plates to 43, of which 27 were run for in 
England, Scotland and Wales, and 16 
in Ireland: he was also instrumental in 
bringing about vast improvements in the 
royal buckhounds. The legislative measures 
of George IV. were a bill to entirely relieve 
agricultural horses from taxation, the duties 
thereon having been reduced by George III. 
in the last year of his reign; and a bill to 
relieve horses let for travelling of the duties 
that had been imposed upon them by his 
father. 
WILLIAM IV _ (1830-1837). 
William IV. had no great love of racing, 
and his personal attitude towards the sport 
is well reflected in his oft-quoted order to 
“start the whole fleet” for the Goodwood 
Cup of 1830. He was, however, fully alive 
to the national importance of racing, and did 
