Ever since the days of Bourgelat the study of proportions in respect to
the various regions of the horse has been vigorously pursued, especially
by French hippotomists, and it is to the founder of veterinary schools
we owe the first serious attempt to “establish the relation of the
dimension which should exist between the parts of the body,” or, in
other words, a law of proportion. As a result of numerous measurements,
Bourgelat selected the head as a basis of proportion for all other
parts, and the more recent researches of the distinguished _savant_,
Colonel Duhousset, led him also to adopt this, and give it as a unit of
measure.
The results of his observations are recorded by Goubaux and Barrier,
from whose able work on “The Exterior of the Horse,” we extract the
following list of proportions:—
_The length of the head almost exactly equals the distance_—
1st.—From the back to the abdomen N O, fig. 73 (thickness of the
body).
2nd.—From the top of the withers to the point of the arm H E
(shoulder.)
3rd.—From the superior fold of the stifle joint to the point of the
hock J J.
4th.—From the point of the hock to the ground J K.
5th.—From the dorsal angle of the scapula to the point of the haunch
D D.
6th.—From the xiphoid region to the fetlock joint M I; above this
latter in large horses and race horses, below it in small horses and
in those of medium size.
7th.—From the superior fold of the stifle joint to the summit of the
croup in subjects whose coxofemoral angle is large; this distance is
always less in other cases (G and B).
_Two and one-half times the head gives_—
1st.—The height of the withers H, above the ground.
2nd.—The height of the top of the croup above the ground.
3rd.—Very often the length of the body from the point of the arm to
that of the buttock, E F.
The length of the croup from the point of the haunch to that of the
buttock D F is always less than that of the head; this varies from 5
to 10 centimetres. As to its width from one haunch to another, it
often exceeds only very little its length (often it is equal to the
latter), G and B.
The croup, D F, exists quite accurately in length four times in the
same horse.
1st.—From the point of the buttock to the inferior part of the
stifle joint F P.
2nd.—In the width of the neck at its inferior attachment, from its
insertion into the chest to the origin of the withers S X.
3rd.—From the insertion of the neck into the chest to the angle of
the lower jaw X Q, when the head is held parallel to the shoulder.
4th.—Finally, from the nape of the neck to the nostril _n n_ or to
the commissure of the lips.
The measure of one half of the head will also guide us very much in
the construction of the horse, when we know that it is frequently
applied to several of his parts, namely:—
1st.—From the most prominent point of the angle of the lower jaw to
the anterior profile of the forehead before the eye, R Q (thickness
of the head).
2nd.—From the throat to the superior border of the neck behind the
poll Q L (attachment of the head).
3rd.—From the inferior part of the knee to the coronet, T T.
4th.—From the base of the hock to the fetlock, V U.
5th.—Finally, from the point of the arm to the articulation of the
elbow (approximate length of the arm).
Two Noted Hunting Sires, Van Galen and Victor.
After the experiences of very nearly a century it was singular indeed
that the Hunters’ Improvement Society and the Royal Commission on
Horse-breeding cold-shouldered the idea that like has a tendency to get
like. For twenty years no clause appeared in their schedules that the
thoroughbred horse eligible for a premium should have been a turf
performer of some kind or other, and so sires obtained honours that were
simply laughed at by owners and trainers. Sam Darling, John Porter, the
late J. Humphreys, and Mr. Ben Ellam have had their jokes over the
things, as they have called them, that have satisfied the State.
Humphreys used to chaff a breeder about one that he was certain could
not have gone fast to keep himself warm, and yet he won three Queen’s
Premiums, and was sold as a hunting sire for 500 sovs. The conditions
have now been altered to a certain extent, as turf performances are
given in the catalogues, and the judges are invited to take notice of
them. A shorter and better plan would be to admit no horse into the
entry that had not won a race worth 100 sovs., or, to make it still
easier, one that had not been placed in such a race. This would make the
franchise, so to speak, sufficiently low, as there is this to be taken
into consideration, that winners in these times of any event that
savours at all of consequence are so terribly expensive as to make
hunting sires, of great turf class, difficult to secure. The great
points to be gained, though, from a racing career is that they can go
fast enough to live with other horses, and that they have stood the
exigencies of training to test constitution, temper, and the strain on
limbs. The more proof of all this the better, as, to quote the late Lord
Portsmouth’s views—and there was no greater judge—the best hunting sire
has invariably been the racing slave; the horse that has commenced at
two years old and run everywhere and often until he is six or seven.
Whether the best are those that have won long-distance races, or to have
been simply the quick, sharp sprinters, are other questions; but it will
be generally allowed that gameness over any course is a quality to be
held greatly in esteem.
The old-fashioned breeders of hunters were, no doubt, imbued with the
idea that stoutness as shown on the racecourse was the essential quality
to be looked for, and they had plenty of examples on their side down to
quite 1840. The Boston side of Lincolnshire was filled with good hunters
early in the last century by a Cup winner of Lord Egremont’s, who had
the misfortune to break his leg in running for a race at Ascot. When the
gun was being brought out to put an end to him, a sporting blacksmith
from Lincolnshire begged the life of the noble steed, and contrived a
sling for him in a building hard by. It took four months to get the limb
thoroughly set, and then the blacksmith walked the horse to Boston,
where he developed into the best hunting sire of that quarter, and after
fifteen years’ service the grateful farmers had the horse painted by the
senior Ferneley, and presented the picture to the blacksmith. Such were
the feelings or sentiments for great hunting sires a hundred years ago,
and perhaps the country is indebted for the good foundation in
Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Shropshire, to such notable racers as
Catton, Lottery, Clinker, the sire of the famous hunter of that name so
memorable in the Melton matches, and the elder Clinker was second in the
St. Leger of 1808, and got by Sir Peter the best horse of his day. It
was said that Clasher, the successful rival in the great match with
Clinker, was by the same sire, but other statements showed him to be by
Clasher, another son of Sir Peter. Anyway, the two were closely related,
and no two horses ever went over a stiffer four miles of country. Again,
there was Cannon Ball, a winner of four mile races in his day, and the
pride of the Quorn country as a sire, and was not Pan, the Derby winner
of 1808, doing duty amongst the commoners of Shropshire in the days of
Jack Mytton?
There is good reason to think that when the golden age of foxhunting was
at its zenith the notable hunters were all by famous turf performers,
and that the same views were taken in regard to hunter-breeding for the
next five-and-twenty years. This would comprise the days of Perion in
Yorkshire, Gainsborough in Devonshire, Doctor Syntax in Durham, Sir
Peter Laurie in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, and Arthur in
Ireland—the kind of horses, in fact, of proved class that were used to
get hunters. After this the ready materials became somewhat mixed,
though there were still exceptionally good sires in the ’fifties,
’sixties, and ’seventies, with such stock to their credit that may well
have been called magnificent.
To select the best may be difficult when such names as Mogador, Lambton,
Maroon, Ugly Buck, North Lincoln, Pride of Prussia, Allow-me, and Lord
Derby recur to memory, but taking all into consideration, both for
England and Ireland, I should say that preference could be given to the
two V.’s, Van Galen and Victor. They were both born within the same
decade, and just after the second half of the century had commenced, as
Van Galen was foaled in 1853 and Victor in 1859. They were both also
bred in Yorkshire, and it is possible that they became hunting sires
more by accident than anything else. Van Galen gave early indications of
being a good racehorse, as he was highly tried as a two-year-old, and
won his first race, the Tyra Stakes, at Newcastle in a canter. Then he
suffered defeat when 7 to 2 was laid on him, and he ran forward in the
Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. Through some accident, he had to be
thrown out of training during the ensuing winter, and early in life
became a hunting sire. He was just the sort for that vocation—a big
brown horse, standing, when grown to his best, rather over 16 hands, and
his card used to disclose at a glance a fine old Yorkshire pedigree by
Van Tromp, winner of the St. Leger, and got by Lanercost out of Barbelle
(all Yorkshire by Sandbeck), the dam of the Flying Dutchman, the dam of
Van Galen, Little Casino, by Inheritor, dam by Waverley. To the best of
my recollection, Van Galen travelled through, the country that comprised
Northallerton, Bedale, Middleham, and Harmby—much the same ground, in
fact, that was covered by Perion thirty years before; and I bear in mind
staying near the last-mentioned Village in 1867, and that the Van Galen
hunters were then the talk of the country. Mr. Bruere, a gentleman who
kept a charming little pack of harriers near Middleham, had a beautiful
hunter by Van Galen called Charlie, for whom, it was said, £700 had been
refused, and he was certainly one of the best-looking and most mannerly
hunters I have ever seen. He was in some of the great hunt steeplechases
of the ’sixties. So were many others of the Van Galen family.
I bear in mind a horse called Vanbrugh, of the same type, big,
weight-carrying, bloodlike horses that were natural jumpers from the
time they were foals, and no days were too long for them. This is the
character they gained in Yorkshire, and Van Galen hunters were sought
after as much as the Perions had been. Like many other greatly
patronised hunting sires, the famous son of Van Tromp had few
opportunities with thoroughbred mares, but a chance union with Sybil, a
mare belonging to the late John Fohert, the trainer of the Flying
Dutchman, produced quite the stoutest horse of his time as the winner of
the Chester Cup, and dead-heater for the Ascot Cup with Buckstone, to
whom he gave a lump of weight. Tim Whiffler was quite in the family
order, a big brown horse, and pity it was that he was sold to Australia
after he had got some very useful ones, including Footman, who was
backed heavily to win a Grand National. If ever there was one horse more
than another bred to get great cross-country performers, it was Tim
Whiffler, as his dam, Sybil, was by the Ugly Buck, whose fame down
Northamptonshire way as a hunting sire was almost equal to anything. It
was in after generations that Van Galen’s name lived so long, as a
second visit to Harmby twenty years afterwards gave strong evidence that
breeders had no intention of dropping the line, and that his daughters
and granddaughters were regarded in the highest esteem as hunter
producers. Another son of Van Galen’s, too, was Ploughboy, who was out
of a Stockwell mare, and he did capital service for some seasons when he
stood at the Newbiggen House stables, Beverley.
Victor left Yorkshire in very early life, as he was bred by Mr. R. Hunt,
but for some reason not explained, he was taken to Lincoln as a
two-year-old during the race meeting. Mr. George Hodgman, in his
interesting book, called “Sixty Years on the Turf,” relates that having
nothing to do one morning he strolled through the City, and passing the
Saracen’s Head, saw a rough sort of countryman holding a horse in the
adjoining yard. He had not the least idea of buying or dealing, but
taking stock of the animal rather liked him, as he had good quarters,
and was well ribbed up; his chief defect, so he thought, being his fore
legs as he stood a bit over. “He don’t look much like a thoroughbred,”
Mr. Hodgman remarked. “That’s just what he is,” was the retort; “perhaps
you don’t know much about horses.” “You are quite right, I don’t,” said
the now interested would-be buyer, “but what’s he by?” “By Vindex, Sir
Charles Monck’s horse.” “Ah, well, just let the boy trot him about.” The
boy took hold of the halter string and cantered him up the yard. Mr.
Hodgman was satisfied. “How much do you want?” “Eighty pounds.” “I
suppose he’s yours?” This suspicious remark occasioned some bad
language, but then followed, “All right, keep your temper.” “I will give
you eighty pounds, and he is mine.” The countryman pressed half-a-crown
into Mr. Hodgman’s hand for luck money, and the deal was done. Victor
did not do much that season, running twice, but unplaced, and he ran
again as a three-year-old without distinction. At four he was specially
prepared for the Royal Hunt Cup, Mr. Hodgman spending a hundred pounds
for him to do his work on some ground at Winchester, which was precisely
similar to the Ascot Royal Hunt Cup course. Tried good enough to win Mr.
Hodgman invested a thousand on him, through Mr. George Herring, the now
famous philanthropist. Victor started favourite at 3 to 1 in a field of
twenty-eight and won in a canter by four lengths. In the same year he
broke down when running in the Cambridgeshire, and ultimately Mr.
Hodgman sold him at Tattersall’s for 28 guineas, the buyer being Mr.
Simpson, of Diss, who some time afterwards sold him to the late Mr.
George Arthur Harris, who imported him to his own stud farm in Ireland.
It was fortunate indeed for the land of hunters that such a purchase was
effected, and Mr. Harris used to tell the story, that at the same time
Mr. Simpson would have sold him Vedette for £40, but this was before the
latter had got Galopin. In his new Irish home Victor was not long in
making his mark, as from the very first he got beautiful weight-carrying
hunters that had taken as naturally to jumping as small ducks to water.
By about 1872 the dealers were enraptured with them. The five-year-olds
had been seen in England, and there was a demand for as many as Ireland
could supply. The fashion to get over a country on the Victors spread
far into the shires. In Leicestershire, Yorkshire, with the Heythrop and
Bicester, I was for ever hearing of them in my travels, and a great many
in Ireland could not be purchased for any money. It was shown in later
life that he could get steeplechase winners out of cart mares, and a
great many winners of cross-country events were credited to young
Victors. There had never been such a hunting sire since Arthur, and,
like Van Galen in Yorkshire, he got a great Turf winner in Valour, the
hero of the Manchester Cup of 1881, and certainly one of the best
performers of his time. There must have been something in the blood of
Victor that hit with the Irish mares, as no matter what they were like,
from the Connemara pony to the cart mare, they all produce hunters to
him with beautiful fore hands, galloping horses, in fact, that could
jump. He really set people thinking as to what kind of horse is likely
to be the best to get a hunter, as here was a quick, sharp horse over a
mile that could slip a big field of twenty-eight and win in a canter,
and the old-fashioned sire of the Gainsborough stamp was not believed in
unless he had won over four miles in heats. There was no reason, though,
why Victor should not have been a stayer, as he was by Vindex, son of
Touchstone, and Garland by Langer, out of Caststeel, by Whisker, her dam
Twinkle by Walton, the dam of Victor, the Scroggins mare, out of Miss
Eliza, by Humphrey Clinker, who was by Clinker, the old-time sire above
alluded to, out of Romulus’s dam, by Fitzteazle, son of Sir Peter. It is
all the kind of blood that has told before, but not quite in racing
pedigree, and that was the opinion formed of Valour, who was not a stud
success. However, Victor’s path in life was that of a hunting sire, and
as such he will never be forgotten. He lives still through his daughters
and granddaughters, now the very best of hunting brood mares. The late
Mr. Harris formed a stud for him, and it will always be called the
Victor stud. A more prolific stallion there has never been. For many
years his subscription list at Kilmallock, county Limerick, averaged
from eighty to a hundred and twenty-eight a season, and when he was
twenty-eight years old he got fifteen foals from twenty-five mares. He
died in 1888, when he was in his thirtieth year. His owner, Mr. G. A.
Harris, died in 1891, leaving the Victor stud to his son, Mr. John
Harris, who is now also manager of the Ballykisteen stud, where court is
held by Santoi Vites, Uncle Mac, and Wavelet’s Pride. There is something
very remarkable about such horses as Van Galen and Victor. They have
contributed much to the enjoyment of sportsmen, as their sons and
daughters have made fox-hunting delightful. There cannot be made hunters
without the material, and with that guaranteed the trade in hunters has
increased; more people want to hunt, and the very breed of horses for
the country’s good is greatly improved and advanced. How much is England
and Ireland indebted then to the like of Van Galen and Victor.
The University Boat Race.
Simultaneously with the appearance of BAILY for March, both the 1906
crews go into strict training for their race of April 7th. This date is
certainly late, but not unduly so. April has been the month selected on
numerous occasions of recent years, and Saturday, of course, especially
appeals to Londoners. From the first, the Oxford President, Mr. E. P.
Evans (Radley and University) has been in a position to view the outlook
with a good deal of equanimity. For one thing, he has been blessed with
a plethora of talent this year. Quite an exceptional lot of matured
oarsmen are in residence and available. For another, he has had the
valuable assistance of Mr. W. A. L. Fletcher, D.S.O., as coach, from the
very beginning. This famous old Blue has been dubbed the “Kitchener” of
coaches, and with a good deal of reason. His co-operation has ever been
a potent factor towards victory both ways. As last year, he has given
every aspiring Dark Blue oarsman his chance, and, thanks to his powers
of discrimination, fewer changes have been made than usual. How rich in
aquatic material Oxford is this season can best be gauged by the fact
that many notable oarsmen have failed to find seats.
After his 1905 prowess, Mr. H. C. Bucknall (Eton and Merton) is very
properly setting the work again. He was the hero of last year’s race,
and is undoubtedly a stroke of the _nascitur non fit_ order. If
anything, he is rowing longer and stronger this season. No. 7 thwart has
been occupied respectively by Mr. E. A. Bailey (Marlborough and Merton)
and Mr. A. C. Gladstone (Eton and Christ Church), stroke of the winning
eight at Henley in 1905. Mr. Bailey is the stronger oarsman, but hardly
so good a waterman as the Etonian. Any sacrifice of avoirdupois,
therefore, will be amply compensated for giving the last-named’s
permanent inclusion. When once the machinery is seen in motion any
prejudice on this score vanishes. The president himself is at No. 6,
backed at Nos. 5 and 4 by A. G. Kirby (Eton and Magdalen) and L. E.
Jones (Eton and Balliol). Mr. Kirby is a freshman, who also rowed in the
Eton winning eight at Henley last year, and Mr. Jones an old Blue, who
got his colours in 1905.
All these heavy-weights are rowing well and long thus early. They not
only possess great strength, but know how to apply it. Mr. J. Dewar
(Rugby and New College) has been rowing at No. 3 thwart, and already in
capital style, but if Mr. Gladstone remains at No. 7, Mr. Bailey may
supersede the old Rugbeian. Mr. C. H. Illingworth (Radley and Pembroke)
makes a very fine No. 2. He is an old Radleian captain of boats, who has
figured at Henley on many occasions. The old Blue, R. W. Somers-Smith
(Eton and Merton), and G. M. Graham (Eton and New College), have both
been tried at bow by turns. Mr. Somers-Smith is the more polished
oarsman, but his rival is much more powerful and effective. And, since
his permanent inclusion, he has come on very appreciably.
Mainly composed of old Etonians and old Radleians, this year’s crew is
exceptionally weighty, three of the men scale over 13st., and Mr. Jones
over 14st. Avoirdupois is decidedly a feature, but, even thus early,
they make good use of their weight. Mr. Fletcher has certainly succeeded
in inculcating the theory of the right mode of applying force.
Individually there is not a bad oarsman among them; and there are no
ugly bodies. The blade-work is good, the catch fairly so, while, on the
whole, the stroke is rowed right home with excellent leg-work. “As a
crew,” they are just the one for Putney, if not for Henley. Perhaps
their gravest fault at this stage is a lack of combination in swing and
drive. The slides are used up too soon—before the hands are fairly into
the chest; this makes them rather short back, and affects the finish.
Altogether, however, they are rapidly developing into “a crew,” and a
good one at that. They go to Henley for a fortnight’s practice within
the next day or so, and will be fully ripe for the change. As the
outcome, better uniformity in swing, sliding, and blade-work—so
essential to a fast crew—should speedily obtain. Given such improvement,
they will migrate to Putney about the middle of the month, distinctly
one of the most promising Oxford eights sent out for many a long year.
In lesser degree, the Cambridge President, Mr. R. V. Powell (Eton and
Third Trinity) has also been confronted with an _embarras de richesses_
this year; or, rather, he has had to discriminate between a large number
of experienced oarsmen much-of-a-muchness in calibre. This, of course,
has made his task much more difficult. For it is not enough that the men
selected should separately be good, each must fit into his proper place,
or the whole plan may be ruined. Mr. F. J. Escombe, the famous old Blue
and coach, has assisted him from the first, which has meant a very great
deal. Like Mr. Fletcher, he is nothing if not “observant,” while he is a
past-master in the art (for an art it is) of gauging an oarsman’s real
abilities. A lot of changing about has necessarily been imperative this
year, and, as at Oxford, many notable oarsmen have failed to find
places. For some weeks President Powell himself set the work, but his
right place is at No. 6, by common consent. He is now rowing with
remarkable power and polish at that thwart, and Mr. D. C. R. Stuart
(Cheltenham and Trinity Hall) is at stroke.
This gentleman will be remembered as the famous London Rowing Club
oarsman and sculler, who has figured prominently at Henley and Putney of
recent years. He is not only a strong man physically, but applies his
strength scientifically and keeps a good length. Even at full racing
pace he appears easy to follow. He is admirably backed up at No. 7 by
Mr. E. W. Powell (Eton and Third Trinity), brother to the president and
a freshman this year. While the younger Powell is a stylist above all
things, he puts a lot of power into his work and is very effective. So
also is Mr. B. C. Johnstone (Eton and Third Trinity), the old Blue and
C.U.B.C. Secretary, at No. 5. He and Mr. M. Donaldson (Charterhouse and
First Trinity) at No. 4, are the heavy-weights of the crew, and splendid
specimens of manhood. Both have improved hand over hand during the last
three weeks, and, with President Powell, are the backbone of the crew.
Mr. M. M. Goldsmith (Sherborne and Jesus) and Mr. J. H. F. Benham
(Fauconberge and Jesus) are rowing at Nos. 3 and 2, respectively, up to
date. They showed promising form in this year’s trial eights, and have
gone on improving subsequently. As generally expected, Mr. G. D.
Cochrane (Eton and Third Trinity), the reserve man last year, is seated
at bow. He has recovered much of his best school form, and works as hard
as any man in the boat. His colours are assured and deserved.
As will be seen, individually, the crew is somewhat heterogeneously
composed. “As a crew,” however, the men have long since settled down to
a very pleasing, effective, and uniform style. Taken individually, they
are as good a set of men in a boat as the Oxonians. It is collectively
that they fail to hit it off so well as their rivals at present. There
is a smart recovery, a fair catch, and a fairly clean feather in
evidence so far. But (by comparison) the less ostentatious but firmer
and more vertical entry of the Oxford oars in the water produces more
lift on the boat and more pace in the long run. A much improved
leg-drive is now observable, but even yet the Cantabs do not make the
best use of their weight. These and other irregularities will doubtless
be rectified “bit by bit”—as Mr. Ashton Dilke puts it in another
direction—as both Mr. Escombe and his charges are in deadly earnest.
They also will migrate to upper Thames waters within the next day or so.
A fortnight’s work on the livelier Bourne-End reach will do them all the
good in the world, and prepare them gradually for their later Putney
experiences. Oxford’s chances of success appear the rosier at this
stage, but there is plenty of time for Cambridge to equalise matters.
Oftener than not the last few weeks’ practice has sufficed to dash the
cup of certainty from the lips of assurance. Will it this year? Under
this heading I may have something to say to the readers of BAILY next
month.