The New York herald., 1921-08-21
W. BURDETT-COUYTS
AS HORSE BREEDER
Philanthropic Work Extended
TO Preservation Of Old Brit
ish Equine Types.
By A. II. GODFREY.

England, on July 2S after several
months illness at the ripe age OF 10
years.
A past master in most forms OF
athletics, an acknowledged authority on
horse breeding. clever rider. winner
Of the Belvoir Hunt Steeplechase on his
own horse Donative. an accomplished
whip. a good shot, an able writer and
eloquent speaker. member of the British
Parliament for Westminster for thirty
six years, he was best known in this
country as one of the leading breeders
OF hackney horses and founder OF the
famous Bro rookfeld Stud.
In 1881 he married, In his thirtieth
year. the Baroness Burdett-Coutts of
London, the multi millionaire philanthro-
pist. who was then 81 years of age, and
he assumed, by royal license. the SUR
name of Burdett-Coutts. In 1856 he
established the Brookield Stud near
the Holly Lodge estate. which the
Baroness had devised to him as we'd
ding present together with an annuity
of s250.000 a year.
He had long been a hunting en-
thusiast and had made a scientific study
of horse breeding. The Brookfield Stud
was started with the object OF pre-
serving the valuable old English breeds
of horses. He made tour after tour of
the breeding districts, visited the old
established farms, selected the best
foundation stock, buying literally OF
the choice strains.
His missionary work in behalf Of horse
breeding was of incalculable va.ue. He
aired the subject thoroughly in Parlia-
ment. focused the attention of coblemen,
country gentlemen. farmers and the en-
tire nation, and demonstrated on his own
farm, regardless of cost, methods that
would avert the danger of exhaustion
that was threatened by wholesale distri-
button of foundation stock to foreign
countries. He published most interesting
and instructive literature on which has
been based about everything since issued
on the subject. and at great expense dis
tributed the information broadcast over
England, Europe, Australia. the United
States, Canada and the Argentine. never
failing to give especial credit TO the
original breeders and small farmers He
had the highest appreciation of all breeds
OF horses and included in his strd thor
oughbreds. Cleveland bays. coach horses
hunters. hackneys and ponies, each being
the best that money could buy.
The Brookfield stud was usique in
that 1t included the thoroughbred True
fit, winner OF two Queens premiums
and a royal show hunter stallion prize.
aside from remarkable turf victories :
the hackney stallion Candidate. cham
pion as a four-year-old; the Cleveland
bay stallion Sultan. winner OF Windsor
gold medal and three royal firsts, and
the ponies Lord Ninrod, champion Of
1890. and Tommy. winner in 1885 and
1885. The great Polonius he7ded the
hackney stud for two years. The col
lection OF over 100 hackney mares COM
prised the best strains in Eaglard OF the
old Fireway and Denmark bio ID. from
which have come the most prominent
hackneys in this country and elsewhere
TO date.
Mr.. Burdett- Coutts visited this coun-
try in 1890 and 1892. when ! acted as
his secretary during his soJourn on this
side He came over at the invitation
Of the National Horse Show directors
TO act as Judge of hackneys. hut, like
a good sportsman. he politely declined
the honor when he saw that SO many
OF the horses entered had come from
his own stud. Practically his entire
shipments OF stations and mares were
listed in the classes by their new owner,
DR.. w. Seward Webb, and they const-
tuted the nucleus Of Shelburne Farms
attended by the socially elite and were
actually garden parties in the best sense
OF the term. Many great studs. such
as that OF the Prince OF Wales (after-
wards King Edward), Sir Walter Gil
bey. Sir Gilbert Greenall and others
followed the example OF Mr.. Burdett-
Coutts in make UP and selection Of
foundation stock. He was one who In
dicated 4 desire TO retain Danegelt In
England regardless OF cost, when Sir
Walter Gilbey paid s25.000 to secure
him The same feeling was understood
IA actuate Mr. Burdett-Coutts when Of
forts were made to get Polonius from
Mr. Whitworth. Everybody knew that
the owner Of Brookield would protect
English breeders II a move was made
to dispose OF any great stallion TO for
eign countries until English breeders
had done with Il.
Born in Brooklyn In May, 1851 he
was the second son OF the late Ellis
Bartlett or Plymouth, Mass, his mother
being a daughter or John King Ash
mead OF Philadelphia. He and his
brother, Ellis Ashmead. we're taken over
70 England as little children. received
their early education at Torquay. in
Devonshire. and at Cholmeley School.
Highgate. later spending four years at
Oxford where they took their degrees
in 1876. william Ashmead soon made
his mark IN athletics. then travelled
for year before studying for the Eng
lish bar at the Inner Temple. In 1877.
at the outbreak OF the Russo-Turkish
war he volunteered and went out to
Constantinople as a special commissioner
in charge OF the Turkish Compassionate
Fund organized by the Baroness Bur
dett-Coutts. He administered an ef-
fect1ve system Of relief TO the suffering
refugees In the snow covered passes Of
the Balkan Mountains. and. when the
Russian horyies crossed the Rhodopes
young Ashmead Bartlett helped fire tho
last gun at Gourko's Cossacks.
With what remained OF Sulieman's 's
army, Ashmead Bartlett. Col Burnaby
Baker Pasna and other English ONT
GERS. reached the .Egoan coast and pro-
ceeded by sea 10 ConstantinopIe. where
the young Commissioner and Major de
Wlnton resumed philanthropic work. no
less than 10000 refugees being fed dairy
for over two months. Frustrated with
typhoid fever, Ashmead Bartlett was
decorated BY the Sultan with the Collar
and star OF the Imperial order or the
Mediidiyeh
In the following year he became nc
tive In extending the Baroness's plan
for helping the poor Irish fishermen ana
was the founder and trustee OF the
famous Baltimore and Hundred Isles
Fishery School. He was Jealous in be-
half of all the world wide charities Of
the Baroness. became treasurer OF the
a