Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-17
KING EDWARD
A SPORTSMAN
BRITISH RULER RATES HIGH AS
EXPERT
Cricket and Football About the Only
Branches of Outdoor Sport in
Which He Is Not Pro-
flcient

all about the marvellous feats and sports
nanship of the strenuous tenant of the
White House. but 1t has heard very little,
curiously enough, about the really re-
markable sporting record of the sover-
eign of the British empire. 1t Is as
sportsman indeed that his subjects love
him most. Other people may bow to his
qualities as a diplomat, tactician,
wise ruler, but to the Englishman Ed
ward VII is first and foremost an ex-
cellent sportsman.
Almost the only outdoor games in which
the king is not proficient Is cricket and
football. Although keenly interested In
cricket he never eXcelled as player.
He and his brothers had a professional
coach, who tried to teach them the game
when they were boys at Windsor, but
though the man labored hard with hts
eager pupils he never succeeded in ac-
complishing great results and went away
lamenting that he could make nowt
on their royal highnesses." Yet, not
withstanding this inability King Edward,
like all the rest of his subjects, studies
cricket scores and follows all the big
matches His football experiences are
limited to watching such games as those
between the army and navy at the
Queens club. He seriously thought or
going out to the Crystal palace to the
cup final between the Australians and
the English, but was dissuaded.
Big Game on List
AS a shot he had always shown wonder
full skill and enthusiasm. In Baroda and
Ceylon, in addition to buffalo and deer,
! he brought down an elephant and doffed
1t of it's tail, according to custom.
visit to Nepal introduced him to tiger
hunting Che is credited with bag of half
dozen specimens in one day). His
| American experiences made him familiar
with the sport that the far western
prairies afford, and on the occasion or
| his first visit to Chillingham castle,
thirty-fve years ago, by concealing him
self in a hay cart, his majesty accom-
plished the rare feat of laying low a
specimen of the celebrated herd of wild
cattle for which Lord Tankerville's
border seat is famous.
| However, in spite of his record as
hunter of big game, it is as performer
in the home coverts that his subjects
boast of him. At Sandringham he once
brought down fifty birds with fifty-five
shots. Even this incident is not recalled
with such pride as the notable feat per-
formed years ago when King Edward
was the guest of Lord Carnarvon sst
Highclere castle. In addition to the then
prince of Wales and his host there were
| four other excellent shots who, In the
course of three days, brought down 10000
head of game. AS feat of endurance
alone that performance was remarkable
for close upon $1,000 cartridges must have
been fired, which gives an average OF
1000 cartridges per man each day. AL
| lowing that the recoil from each cart
ridge exerted force of thirty pounds,
| simple calculation shows that the king
had to withstand a force equivalent to
raising forty tons weight one foot, while
in addition the task of raising the gun
to his shoulder at least 150J times would
almost equal in three days the force
requisite to raising nine tonc one foot.
On the Turf
AS an ardent and personally interested
spectator at races the king Is well known
| and as n Judge of horses he is in the first
rank. Many of his entries have won at
national and international races. fact
not generally known is that the king
| himself was once winning jockey.
When stationed at Curragh Camp as
prince Of Wales he rode his horse Rupee
and easily won a steeplechase.
At golf the king plays an excellent
even game, and is often to be seen on
his links at Balmoral in all sorts of bad
weather which Is the test of the true
golf lover.
Only the other day his majesty easily
| won IN q racquet ne ID
very fond of this game. as of billiards,
where his quick eye enables him to make
the most remarkably accurate shots. All
England knows that the kings great in
terest in motors and all their improve
ments has helped the trade In automo-
biles. AS a yachtsman his knowledge
has been valuable to many, and his love
of the sea has made him take a keen in
terest in all matters pertaining to boat
ing, the building of boats, etc. Not even
Sir Thomas Upton himself was more
disappointed when he failed to bring
back the cup from America than was the
king.
| OF course with increasing years the
kings sportsmanship is less strenuous,
and while preserving a great interest in
the advancement of all sorts Of sports,
he has turned somewhat to quieter things
for himself. He has become a pigeon
fancier, and has a loft at Sandringham
where he keeps his birds, the original
ancestors of which were given him by the
king of the Belgians. Also he spends many
hours at bridge. Here he shows his
sportsmanship in being an excellent and
agreeable loser when necessary and
while remarkably fine player himself,
is always a very uncritical and patient
partner for less skilled players of the
game.