Evening star., 1902-08-22
KING EDWARD A SPORTSMAN.
No English Monarch Has Done More
to Encourage Racing.
From the London Chronicle.

From the London Chronicle.
No English monarch has done so much
as King Edward VII to promote our ma
tional sport and encourage the breeding Of
Thoroughbred horses. With the general
public the kings reputation as a sportsman
rests chiefly on his known partiality for
racing and the splendid results he has
achieved. 1t is not generally realized what
a thoroughly good ''alI around" sportsman
his majesty Is. But the royal sport of rae
ing has always occupied a foremost place
in his affections
The story of the kings racing career
bears evidence of those qualities of sound
Judgment, common sense and tact which his
majesty employs so happily in the affairs of
state. His colors, purple body scarlet
sleeves and black cap-now so familiar to
the racing community-Were registered in
1910, but two years elapsed before they We're
worn by a Jockey, and the race was unim-
portant In early days his majesty was in
terested chiefly in steeplechasing, and from
the first Lord Marcus Beresford was his
adviser, and had the immediate control Of
his stable. Toward the end of the eighties
the king turned his attention to fiat racing
with Mr.. John Porter as his trainer, but for
considerable period scant success re-
warded his endeavors. About that time he
expressed himself TO friend in the follow
ing terms:
ITO be neither unduly elated by success
nor discouraged by reverses has always
been considered the first attribute of a good
sportsman l have only won one race my
self under Jockey Club rules but so far
from being discouraged l still continue rae
ing. l hope to own some day Derby win
ner of my own breeding, although at the
present time my luck is so bad that if
horse OF mine were winning a race it would
drop dead before passing the winning post"
Shortly afterward the then Prince Of
Wales had a two-year-old named Counter
pane running for the Stockbridge cup. En-
tering the straight Counterpart had estab-
lished commanding lead, then was OBJ
served to reel, and dropped out of the race
The horse fell on reaching the winning
post and died almost Immediately In 1891
the kings racing establishment was re-
moved from Kingsclere to Newmarket and
Mr.. Richard Marsh of Egerton House as
sumed charge of the royal stud. The sig
nal trfumphs his majesty was destined to
achieve on the turf were largely due to the
purchase by Mr.. John Porter Of Perdita II,
which, being mated with St. Simon, became
the dam of Florizel H. Persimmon and Dia-
prizes no less than $350,OOO. The rivalry
and difference of opinion that obtained in
lS96 between the respective supporters of
the Prince of Wales Persimmon and Mr..
Leopold de Rothschild's st. Frusquin will
be fresh in the recollection of the racing
world. St. Frusquin was an ''odds-on'' IA
Vorfte, the betting to / against Per-
simmon. and how the latter. with Watts
a matter of history.
Such wonderful scene OF enthusiasm
was never witnessed nor heard on a race
course as that which greeted the struggle
between the two cracks And the cheer
Ing. which was redoubled after the Judge
had signaled the number on the card Of
the winner. was the most spontaneous,
simultaneous effort on the part Of a vast
multitude that was ever heard by civiliza-
ton"
Thus, his majesty attained his ambition
10 own Derby winner "of his own breed
ing" The extraordinary ignorance that OBJ
tains In some quarters concerning our ma
tional sport and its methods was curiously
exemplified at this time 1t was suggested
(the present writer heard the remark made
by an Amerfcan) that the royal horse had
been allowed to win. A more absurd and
utterly preposterous idea was never enter
tanned.
Diamond Jubilee, by winning the two
thousand, Derby and st. Leger in 1900,
gained for its royal owner the much-cov-
eted triple crown" In conclusion it may
be observed that King Edward has won the
blue ribbon for cross-country racing, as
well as for the fiat. Ambush II was first
past the post in the Grand National of
1900