Report upon the Exhibition of Horses at Kilburn. 587 
" Blacklock ;" but in such competitive trials, the man in the 
saddle is more qualified than on-lookers to deliver judgment. 
The " Hunter Mare and Foal class " was, with the exception 
of the faultless " Snowflake," hardly up to Royal form, and has 
often been surpassed at similar shows in the north of England ; 
and the light-weight hunters were even more disappointing, 
although the entry was large. Yorkshire was again to the fore 
in this last-named class, with Mr. Brown's " Cockney," from 
Pontefract, which was first, and Mr. Rose's " His Majesty," from 
Malton, which was second, although it is but justice to add that he 
was bred in Cumberland. But, notwithstanding the average merit 
of the hunter classes, it is open to question whether more might not 
be done by the Royal Agricultural Society to teach farmers how 
to utilize their half-bred mares, so as to raise hunters from them 
capable of being sold at from 100/. to 150/. a-piece when rising 
four years old. An estimate of the expense to be incurred in 
breeding such an animal, together with the best markets to which, 
according to his qualifications, he ought to be sent, might well 
be furnished for the guidance of tenant-farmers by experienced 
heads ; and this suggestion leads me to inquire whether the 
Judges appointed to pick out the four or five best animals in a 
class, adequately fulfil their functions when they decide how and 
where the red, blue, and orange ribands are to be bestowed, and 
do nothing further. In fact, is the principle of a race or com- 
petitive trial between the horses in each class the best system to 
be adopted under the circumstances ? Take, for instance, the 
class for thoroughbred stallions capable of getting hunters, for 
which sixteen horses were entered. These sixteen specimens 
are sure to be used for getting hunters in one or other district, 
with the exception of those which, from the costliness of their 
fees, will naturally be confined to thoroughbred mares. Now, 
the number of farmers for whose use the three or four first-prize 
winners will be available is necessarily limited ; which con- 
sideration leads naturally to the inquiry whether the reports of 
the Judges would not be much more valuable if, after awarding 
the prizes and the Champion cup, and distributing their com- 
mendations, they were to mention by name every horse that 
possesses merit as likely to get good foals, and were to omit all 
notice of others, which by implication would be branded as 
mischievous. At present, one of the results secured by the 
existing system is, that horses are reared and trained by expe- 
rienced riders solely with a view to catching the eye, so as to 
win prizes. We are all of us familiar with many instances in 
which professional exhibitors travel the round of the shows ; 
and although there is nothing censurable about the victories 
of these veteran champions of the show-yard, whether in the 
