The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
ENGLISH HORSES ABROAD.
RELATIONS OF THE FREN0H TURF
AND THAT or ENGLAND.

Horneriy-Ths Herres OF neither Countr!
well Represented at tho Great Rscrs o
che abiiity or Closer Relations
LONDON, Dec. A.-Thero is ono most rcmarka
Die aspect of English horse breeding and racing
Qns American cousins must truly marvel at 1t
chat 10. those OF them who realize and rehec
upon the position. We are as much isolated II
come respects az they are themselves from thu
rest OF Europe. A nero channel of sea, some
times angry, as often calm, separates us from
centres Of enterprise and speculation totally
distinct from our own. Isolation may, of course
be eithor q great advantage or q mist rtune
In tho case OF England. as the whole worlc
knows, II has been In some respccts Of consider
able benefit But there are other features sin
eularly opposed to all this, and how shall WI
account for theml
Accustomed az they are to compass great
distances In search of q racing tryst or a promis
ing sire, the breeders OF the States would con
slider trumpery such obstacles as appear to hinder
che closer relationship OF certain countries oil
Europe in their great sporting enterprises. But,
when they como and live over here they regard
these matters much AZ We do. They soon fall
into our ways. our customs arc catching, and, to
Judge by appearances, they certainly like them.
But custom is n tremendous tyrant. Under the
charm OF his presidents he leads us with a
silken string into another century-unless we
eeeA eeSeN 49, ~ .
DO o reasonable view OF things.
So II is with the stud and turf of England in
relation to France. and, indeed, the rest of the
European continent. For some reason or other
which the records In either country do not SUM-
ciently show, the aspect Of affairs is changed.
We no longer regard ono another with the same
close friendship In our affairs Of sport. On ono
aide the Channel or the other we have grown
narrow-minded: or else we have lost that grand
fdea of tho ranuhliraniam NJ cpnrf ita ,oblo
Inequalities and welcome rivalry which
have, from the earliest times, been supposed to
inspire the emotions and tho prowess alike Of
royalist, prince or merry outlaw. 1t need not DO
recalled that our English nobility and squires
were at one time foremost in UNFOLDING this
generous spirit OF rivalry in sports. especially Of
the horse. aud this quite Independently of any
periodical disturbances in the political system.
No one cares to say that this is all changed,
but 1t certainly 10 vastly 80 when considered In
relation to circumstances. Sixty and seventy
years ago q trip over the Channel with a horse
was thought q considerable achievement. Since
then we have taken giant strides in everything.
We take supper in London and breakfast In
Paris. The intercommunications Of m
&c, have become comparative trifies. We get
over everything but our insularity Of sport,
which, when we come to calmly consider it, Is
interchangeable more so as it is not, so far
as the writer can see, calculated to do us any
good whatsoever. On the other hand. what
chances may not be lost in this way3
In considering what are the reasons of this
coldness, which has grown upon our neighbors
and ourselves, we are assured that it must be
lurking somewhere else than in the circum-
stances OF competitive sport in either country.
There 10 really every encouragement. A great
many Of the most valuable events in France are
open. including the chief classics and the big
steeplechases. Hero they are even more open.
The prizes on both sides are of great value.
1t 10 difficult to say where the most
money can be won. Some confidently
assert that. taking an average of rich stakes,
there Is more to be won just now in France.
This may have been the case a few years back
just previous to the recent ~revival; dur
ing which, however, we have added several
meetings with large Encouragement. good
handicaps, highly endowed juvenile races, and
few 10000 three-year.old stakes.
There Is no use blinking at the fact that the
French turf has made giant strides since the
war. great as were its progress
and brilliancy during the Empire. Quickly but
surely 1t came nigh to actually rivalllng the
foster mother OF horse breeding and racing,
owing to an exaggerated respect for that tyrant
aforesaid. We became SO fond of and.
] suppose, satisfied with our familiar reunions
at GLORIOUS Goodwood." Royal Ascot, and the
historical events Of the little town In
Cambridgeshire." that we scarcely observed the
aims and extent of the enterprise of our neigh
bors. A few hints were sufficient, however.
We Just shook ourselves up. as the British lion
phould, out OF a too lethargic self-satisfaction,
and forged ahead again easily enough. Even in
the matter OF enterprise in we'll appointed meet
ings, rich stakes and extensive breeding estab-
lishments England cannot afford to let any
country seriously rival her.
In other respects la belle France docs not
touch us. We have q hundred studs, the prop
erty OF our great landowners and noblemen-
direct descendants many Of them of those who
founded this new worldwide and PROSPEROUS
institution nearly two centuries back-which
cannot be rivalled In any country in those re-
opects which are most essential, viz. the num-
Der OF valuable youngsters bred and the outlay
upon them. For beauty of location and sys-
tematic supervision several of them will also
bear comparison with any. In this latter re-
gard 1t must nevertheless DO admitted that
singular examples compel reflection. Tho
well-known charms of Claimant, OF Celle
do st Cloud. and Villeb on. where M. Edmond
BLANC has done so much; of Cheffreville, where
grand ss!cne e ne Of Danger sGn' in Mic 10 PESO EpSrS %s
sfsi Of Fould, OF NJ. Delamarre's Bois Roussel,
8arIs: Of the 9aPniaeen III sppoinsed M sisEsnt
haohCiort, the Count dc NicOlay's; Of Vaucres-
son and Viroplay, NJ. Lupin's in many respects
qnriyalled studs; Of NJ: Aunont's Victot. Of
Lormay, Rambouillet, st. Georges. and many
more less easy to recollect are-well charms pc
culiarly their ,own-among the happy valleys
and quiet seelasion. that still breathe of the
Nobody supposes. that England has been of
late years adeqgately represented on the French
France In England. The occasional visit OF a
Derby winner for the Grand Prix, or vice persia,
serves to show there is no III feeling, that we
Keep up tho theory Of friendly competition, oven
an English Derby winner to distinguish himself
a. Chantilly or In the Bots de Bouiogne is moth.
Ing very remarkable In itself, though it serves to
assert on precedence in a peripatotic way. DC.
caslonally The flower of our three-year-olds does
pot make his appearance in the classics at
nome. such a horse was the Irish bred Barcal.
dine. In other years our three.year.olds are ali
backward "a, Defeat in exceptional instances does
not entail Disgrace, and tho Same applies ON
both sides, There. Is no criterion afforded OF In
instances. '
Count de Lagrange used to be. many years
ago, one OF the most enterprising of his coun-
trymen In England. and there was no prettier
sight than when the blue, red sleeves and can
Sailed uD tho right aida NJ tha Epann, 49,.