Report on the Exhibition of Live Stock at Cardiff. 383 
comprehensive, and tlie argument over every class so fully 
entered upon, that it might be left to speak for itself Never- 
theless, the Report opens, as it were, with an apology for 
the award in the first class brought out, that is of thorough-bred 
stallions — " the three Judges simultaneously expressed their 
dislike to Laughing Stock.'.' Remarkably enough, when this 
same horse took the first prize in the same class at Newcastle- 
on-Tvne in 1864, the decision in his favour was also accom- 
panied by some disparaging commentary on the part of the 
judges, who declared that, " with the exception of Gamester, 
the class was a bad one." — Gamester being put third from a 
Jack of showv action. Since then Laughing Stock's career at 
the Societv's Meetings has been somewhat chequered : he was 
third in 1862 to Carbineer first and Motley second; he was 
second in 1870 to Knowsley first, and with Sincerity third ; and 
in 1871 he was the reserve number, or fourth, to Sincerity first, 
Blinkhoolie second, and Suffolk third : while Suffolk was never 
noticed at Cardiff. Like Sincerity, who was also from the Carlisle 
district, Laughing Stock has hosts of friends and foes, and, 
although he now stands on the lists as the only horse who has 
twice won the thorough-bred premium of the Society, it is 
admitted that on both these occasions the competition was 
indifferent. In truth, with the exception of Christmas Carol, a 
really nice bloodlike horse, with his hind legs beautifully placed, 
and his old opponent Suffolk, there was nothing to " take much 
account of" at Cardiff. 
The Judges, indeed, report pretty generally against the quality 
of what they found here ; although it sounds odd to hear them say 
that, so indifferent were all the other heavy-weight hunters that 
' " Iris had to be put second." I have seen in a really great show 
of h^inters in Yorkshire Iris placed not only first in his class, 
but further proclaimed to be the winner oi' the Champion Cup — 
that is, to be the best of all the hunting-horses on the ground. 
Again, it is not so long since that I saw him knocked down at 
, Tattersall's for, if I remember right, over 400 guineas, in itself 
i " something of a character," particularly for so well known and 
used a horse. But a resolute nag like Iris to show properly 
requires a resolute man on his back, and when before the Judges 
he did not look to be half ridden. It will be seen, moreover, 
that a number of objections are urged against him ; but, after 
all he has done, to be forced, as it were, into a second place in 
such a class, is, at least, a very remarkable illustration of how 
Judges differ. They have been some time in finding out " his 
bad forelegs, his harness forehand, and his hard mouth." 
The Report embodies, if not a suggestion, a question for 
further consideration, as touching the award in the class of brood 
