The New York herald., 1922-01-01

Col. Tasker's bay mare Selma. ......1
Col. Byrd's chestnut horse Tryall. ...2
Col. Tborntons gray mare. ..3
Col. TIylores bay mare Jenny Cam
erop ...........-. .'....1
His bay horse Childrers distanced."
This was perhaps the first race of
record In America in which thorough
bred horses met. Selma was one of the
great daughters of the Godolphin Ara
bian, imported from England. while Try
all is registered sas a Virginia bred
horse Col. William Byrd. who owned
him and boldly challenged the country to
bring his equal to Gloucester, was the
third of his name in the colony, and in
herited what was probably the greatest
estate in Virginia. Westover, the fam
lily home on the north bank of the James.
River, about five miles below the seat of
the Randolphs at Turkey Island and ad-
joining that of the Harrlsons. was pro-
nounced by the Marquis de Chastellux
q French officer in the Revolutionary
War, to be the most beautiful place in
America. The first William Byrd, born
in London In 1649. bought the property
from the elder Theodorick Bland in 1873,
when his friend and neighbor. Nathaniel
Bacon, lived at Curles. The second
William built the mansion ut WestoYer
and collected there the largest private
library in the country, as well as a
noteworthy gallery of portraits, inciud-
ing examples by Van Dyke, Sir Peter
Lely and other masters. He is called
the founder of Richmond.
The owner Of Tryall succeeded to the
estate in 1744. According to the "Recol-
lectionsp of David Meade he went to
England before he was of age and there
engaged ain all the prodigalities and dis
sipations to which young men or rank
and fashion were addicted, but he gam
bled as fashionable amusement
merely" Virginia gossip said that on
one occasion he lost 10000 at sitting
to the Duke OF Cumberland, SON OF
George H., and breeder OF the renowned
racehorse Eclipse. A writer in the
American Turf Register. who was prob
ably Judge Duval. has given different
version of the story, however. lie says
tho Duke Offered an immense stake on
a. card-six or ten Thousand guineas' II
was not taken until after the lapse Oh
some little time young Byrd, an entire
stranger, took it and won."
EARLY Rival of Washington.
In 175s the turfman raised regi-
ment, of which he was Colontl, for the
French and Indian war. and II has been
talent at this time compared favoraoiy
with that of Col. George Washington.
He married Elizabeth Carter, the daugh-
ter of John Carter, of Shirley, and their
daughter, Evelyn Tayloe Byrd, became
the wife OF Benjamin Harrison OF
Brandon, whittier she took the library
and the pictures In later years.
Whatever ms faults and virtues may
have been. Col. Byrd dissipated to a
great extent the vast estate he had
inherited, and soon after his day West
over passed into the possession OF the
Seldens, another family famed In Vir-
ginia turf annals as proprietors OF the
Tree Hill course and owners OF many
noted race horses. Though 1t was twice
visited by the British army In Revo-
lutionary times and again by McClellan's
forces after the retreat from Malvern
Hill. the stately old mansion has escaped
injury. In the garden at Westover Is
the tomb of its second owner, and near
the ancient church he built on the place
are the graves of Theodorick Bland and
the first William Byrd.
II is a commonly accepted belief that
the civil war and the abolition Of slavery
caused the decadence OF this historic
race horse region and its splendid
estates like Westover. A New York turf
man and evident admirer OF the ancient
regime, who visited the Tree Hill course
nearly one hundred years ago, has, how
ever. dispelled this notion by telling OF
conditions as they were when he wrote
70 the American Turf Register from the
Eagle Tavern at Richmond In 1929:
A Melancholy Picture.
From the rear of the Tree Hill! House
you overlook for some distance below
the fertile valley through which the
James River winds It's course, affording
to those who are rapidly transported in
fine steamboats, Just time enough to re-
gard with sensations of melancholy ad-
miration a long succession of splendid
old mansions on its borders, formerly
the seats of opulence, refinement. talent.
chivalry and beauty, and all the hos
pitable accommodations and social ele-
gancies that can give establishment and
value to life. Venerable seats of olden
and better times, where are now the de-
scendants of those whose hospitality
cheered and whose wit cnlivened your
spacious halls. teaching moral life
whateer can bless or grace mankind" :"
Where now the speaking canvases that
hung upon your walls? Alas these old
manors have been cut UP into infinite
subdivisions and ruined by magic
wand waved by the hand OF fascinat-
ing genius yclept Equality. whose steps
are by so many "acts of descent" lead
ing down TO the abyss of universal suf-
frage and universal desolatlon. So de-
structive has been the progress of this
evil genius over this fine region OF coun-
try watered by the James River. that,
with the exception of tho noble and
highly cultivated Brandon estate, with
perhaps a few others,
"'Tis all one desert, desolate and gray.
Where now the rank. uncultivated growth
or rotting ages taints the passing gale"
m uvs ". II VIZ