The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-06-06 00:00:00

THE HORSE SHOW IN LONDON.

The Islington Horse Show which has of late
years become an established London summer ex-
hibition, was opened at the Agricultural Hall,
for private view, on Saturday, the 30th ultimo,
The number of entries is larger than heretofore,
and the classes of hunters appear to comprise
many excellent animals. Amongst the exhibitors
was the Prince of Wales, who won the second prize in
the second class with the splendid fencer his Royal
Highness acquired during his recent visit in Ireland,
and whieh, in honour of that event, has been named
" The Knight of St. Patrick." The Prince has kindly
allowed his famous pet Arabians to be exhibited. The
carriage horses, park hacks, and ponies are exceedingly
interesting.
Altogether there were upwards of 350 horses com-
peting ; about 130 of them being hunters, including a
go sl show of weight-carriers, 114 park hacks and
ladies' horses, a iew cover hacks and roadsters, and
about a sCOre of harness homes. The stallions were not
numerous, but made a good show as regards quality ;
and some 40 or 50 ponies attracted a good deal of at-
tention.

Remarking on the Horse Show, and an Englishman's
love of horses, the Doily Neer., says :
-

The English first, and the Hungarians next, are said to he
the twin Inorsiests" nations in Europe but the English take
the lead by a long way of all lovers and breeders of horses
either in the east or in the west, having long mince beaten
even the Uerlrrrnti nit the good work, and produced horses iii
the presence of which even the werld.famous " steeds of the
Prophet " must hide their din ii ll Med heads. But the fact
is. there is no subject upon which inning nail, has through
all ages been 1110111 busy than on horses, tnnnt in would be a
splendid thing for the managers of our annual horse show
if they could collect specinumi id all the famous and
much writtendm brelils of the world, if it were only
to satisfy the stapat.honne Engli,hman, who may perchance
have been rendered dissatisfied by travellers showing that
he posseses, alter all, the best breed of horses—even
coach lered from the Langham-hotel point of view—in the
world. The wonderful Arab horse, for example. whin comes
to as with in pedigree dating froin the hegira, is AVM it, be a
short, dumpy, rather seedy-looking grey, with a head much
WO large for symmetry, neck badly set inn between the
shoulders, and his fore feet set so far ill under his belly as to
mike stumbling inn a hard road almost a matter of certainty.
There are several manliest ionable Arabs at this year's show,
and the visitor may test the accuracy id our view by impec-
lion. Then there is the fiendish-looking little black horse of
the Uldaine, for which the rich Boyards of Russia give such
unheard-of sums, and which look so well in their silver
harness, and with their silver bells dangling. when nuntering
at an easy pace down the Nees. oi. We have seen 11111C11
liner 110/SCR drawing bundon hansoms. and WC should like
to see how One courser "of the Ukraine would look alter
j an honest summer day's work up and down Daniell streets
Mom trine lightest if our hansoms. The barbs of Africa
have long been exploded, and the heavy breeds of Germany
and Friesland are no use now, but for municipal state, or
easy journeys 1.0 the Necropidis. But the English horse
remains at the meal of the poll. He has the uttterhig vitality
of the Arab anal the bail, the tire of the horse of the Ukraine,
mei the lofty stature, which is the only merit, of the Flemish
Destrier or the Hanoverian coach-horse.

The Tin/Es, in their report of the Show, says.:

The Horse Show Is not without its ainusing features.
Homes have one thing in frillllll.ll with wine : no one con-
fesses complete ignorance respecting them, and most people
affect prodigious powers of judgment. Accordingly, •' the
gent of the period" appe Ira at the Agricultural Hall this
week in full feather, criticising the horses with an assurance
and expedition only to be accounted for on the presumption
that he is uneneumberml by any sod of knowledge. Here
anti there, too, one meets a friend with a doleful
face, who, though prepared to admit the qualities of
certain homes, solemnly aasures you that his horse was the
one that should have hail the prize. And sometimes a
grt will take pot into his confidence and mint out the
merits of his charge : the eyes of these witne.ses are blind
Ii faults, and one asAureil no that a blemish in his hunter,
referable only to a positive malformation of lone, simply
anise •• from the way he was folded ; if he Inoln't been
folded wrong. our there wouldn't 'a been a horse in the
Show to stand against him."