A HISTORY OF KENT were Major ' Driver ' Browne and Major Dalbiac. Major Browne met with a fatal accident on the railway while crossing the line at Sandown Park, while a soldier's death in South Africa fell to the lot of Major Dalbiac, who had ridden the winner of the R.H.A. Gold Cup on three or four occasions. Among other military riders who distin- guished themselves in both branches of the sport within the county in those early days when the names of riders first began to find their way into the Calendar, the names of Captain Becher and Captain Little may both Jockey Club and National Hunt rules, and though stakes of nominal value only are offered, the Folkestone executive are a very enterprising body and certainly deserve good patronage. Free stabling and fodder, as well as accommodation for stable lads, is provided, and their efforts are ably seconded by the South Eastern and Chatham Rail- way, over whose system horses and at- tendants are conveyed free of charge to and from the meetings. This concession to race-horse ovraers is not in existence on any other railway in the country, and so be mentioned, while in more recent times we much is it appreciated that generous entries find the names of such good sportsmen as Captain Wentworth Hope Johnstone, the Hon. E. Jervis (afterwards Lord St. Vincent, whose father lives at Godmersham), the Hon. E. P. Willoughby (starter to the Jockey Club), Colonel Knox, Colonel Harford, the Hon. George Lambton, Captain 'Bay' Middleton, Major Hardinge, and Mr. Leveson-Gower. Most of their saddle achievements were scored over fences, as were the successes of civilians like Mr. Arthur Yates, Mr. F. G. Hobson, Mr. T. Bayden, Lord Maidstone, and good fields can always be looked for at Folkestone. On the other hand it must be admitted it does not tend in the direction of maintaining a very high standard of competition, for animals are sent for which under ordinary circumstances no great amount of expense would be incurred. During the closing years of the last century an occasional prize of the value of 500 sovereigns was given at Folkestone, but at that period only one or two meetings were held annually. Nowa- days the chief stakes never exceed 300 Mr. P. Barling, Mr. Reginald Herbert, Lord sovereigns, the majority being of the minimui Guilford, Mr. R. Shepherd, and last but not least Mr. William Bevill, always a master hand on the flat, and a favourite horseman in the days when the late Lord St. Vincent, the owner of Lord Clifden, was racing and a great patron of the sport in Kent. Mr. Bevill was not actually a native of Kent, but he spent so much of his time with Kentish folk that he became as popular with them as his father before him, and when he rode a winner at Canterbury his success was always the occasion for a great ovation. To present-day racing in the county brief allusion only is necessary. There are only three places of sport, viz., Folkestone, Wye, and Fridge, the last mentioned being con- fined to one day's steeplechasing every Easter Monday. Important meetings being in progress on that day in almost every corner of the kingdom, it is only natural that the Eridge programme, with its modest prizes, does not attract much more than purely local patronage. At Wye, where five one- day meetings are held annually, much the same state of affairs obtains, and pleasant as are the gatherings there, the stakes are of small value and are competed for by horses hailing chiefly from the adjacent counties of Sussex and Surrey, the trainers at Lewes, Alfriston, Findon, Rottingdean, Portslade and Epsom furnishing about 90 per cent, of the runners. At Folkestone racing takes place under value of 100 sovereigns. In 1906 four meet- ings were held under Jockey Club rules, one day in June, a two-day fixture in August, and two single days in October. The arrrange- ments for 1907 embraced five days again, but whereas the June and August functions were continued, a two-day meeting in Septem- ber was substituted for the two single fixtures in October. Steeplechasing at Folkestone is conducted on much the same lines as at 'Wyt, although the higher scale of stake ensures greater range of competition, and attracts a few useful hurdlers and chasers. The majority of the races are of the usual regulation type, with an occasional hunters' race thrown in. Five days -per annum are devoted to this class of sport at the Westen- hanger Inclosure — one day each in March, April, and May, and two days in December. FAMOUS OWNERS, TRAINERS AND HORSES Of famous studs Kent has possessed many, but all of the best animals bred at Middle Park seem to have been reared for sale, and those from Sir Joseph Hawley's famous farm at Leybourne, and from the late Lord Fal- mouth's paddocks at Mereworth appear to have fought most of their battles elsewhere. At any rate records of the prowess of Kentish- bred horses on Kentish soil are difficult to discover. 498
