their  Breeding  and  Management. 
39 
Magazine,’  * my  friend  is  thus  and  worthily  described  : — Mr. 
Sawrey-Cookson  is  a graduate  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge 
[1839]  : he  has  been,  and  is,  keen  to  hounds,  good  with  his 
gun,  and  a M.F.H.  of  long  standing.  Mr.  Cookson  has  not 
only  followed  his  own  bent,  but  as  well  he  has  done  the  state 
good  service : he  is  one  of  the  few  Englishmen  who  have  made 
breeding  their  study,  and,  by  bringing  to  bear  on  the  subject  a 
practical  knowledge  and  judgment  second  to  none,  he  has  done 
much,  no  man  perhaps  more,  to  improve  the  breed  of  the 
English  thoroughbred  horse. 
The  list  of  winners  in  the  famous  Ne'asham  Stud  is  indeed 
a lengthy  one.  “ Mincemeat,”  the  Oaks  winner  in  1854. 
“ Kettledrum”  and  “Dundee”  first  and  second  for  the  Derby  in 
1861.  “ Formosa  ” and  “ Paul  Jones,”  first  and  second  for  the 
St.  Leger,  the  former  also  dividing  the  Two  Thousand  Guineas, 
winning  the  One  Thousand  Guineas  and  the  Oaks.  Among 
other  numerous  winners  are  “ Regalia,”  winner  of  the  Oaks, 
and  second  for  the  St.  Leger  to  that  great  horse,  “ Gladia- 
teur;”  “Brigantine,”  winner  of  the  Oaks  and  Ascot  Cup; 
“Pilgrimage,”  of  the  Dewhurst  Plate,  Two  Thousand  Guineas 
and  One  Thousand  Guineas,  and  second  for  the  Oaks,  on  three 
legs  ; “ Jenny  Howlett,”  winner  of  the  Oaks  ; and  “ St.  Louis,” 
of  the  Middle  Park  Plate,  sold  for  2200  guineas  as  a yearling. 
The  sum  of  public  money  won  reaches,  if  it  does  not  exceed, 
90,000Z.  The  writer  in  ‘ Baily  ’ adds : “ There  is  no  better- 
known  man  in  the  North  of  England,  and  very  few  so  popular.” 
. Neasham  Hall  Stud  Farm,  Darlington, 
Aurjust  1,  1882. 
In  dealing  with  the  subject  of  breeding  from  country  mares 
and  a thoroughbred  horse,  I address  myself  in  particular  to  the 
tenant-farmer,  who  expects  that  horse-breeding  will  help  him  to 
pay  his  rent.  I do  not  say,  if  he  does  me  the  favour  to  read 
and  to  carry  out  in  practice  what  I am  putting  on  paper,  that 
he  will  necessarily  breed  a hunter ; but  I hope  to  show  him 
how  he  may  breed  one  with  more  than  the  ordinary  degree  ol 
certainty,  or,  at  any  rate,  a short-legged  horse  with  substance 
and  symmetry  enough  to  find  a market. 
That  horses  are  bred  a good  deal  by  accident  and  in  every 
sort  of  way,  there  can  be  no  question,  and  it  will  always  be  so. 
At  the  same  time  it  is  the  uncertainty  attaching  to  this  “ every 
sort  of  way  ” which  is  too  fluky  for  the  farmer,  and  which  must  be 
very  considerably  discounted  if  horse-breeding  is  to  do  him  any 
good.  In  regard,  then,  to  the  mare : if  the  tenant  has  the  money 
* ‘ Baily’s  Magazine; ’ December  1882,  which  see. 
