A GIGANTIC STUD COMPANY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1616, 2 October 1874, Page 377

A GIGANTIC STUD COMPANY.

The London correspondent of the Press writes :—" At the conclusion of the Ascot < week the yearlings of the National Stud Company were sold by auction. On the death a couple of years ago—of Mr Blenkiron, the most successful horsebreeder of all ages, his stud, comprising some of the best auimals in the world, was brought to the hammer. Emissaries from Germany, Austria, France, and America, backed by their Governments, were soon in the field. Our Government was supine in the matter; Mr Blenkiron's mantle seemed to have fallen on no individual shoulders (though his son, Mr William Blenkiron, now promises to be almost as successful a breeder as his father); and it appeared as if all the valuable fruits of this wonderful combination of individual enterprise and ability were to be lost to the country. To avert this a few public-spirited noblemen and gentlemen hurriedly formed themselves into the National Stud Company, with a capital of £50,000, and saved for themselves and the country some of the best horses in the world, securing, amongst others, the crack of the stable, Blair Athol, for which they gave the enormous sum of 12,500 guineas. The stud is located at Cobhain, a pleasant little village in Surrey, where, 1 am happy to say, it flourishes as it deserves to do, A few days before the sale I paid a visit to the stud, and was shown over the whole establishment by the courteous manager, who was a walking stud book, and had only to catch sight of the tip of a yearling's tail to rattle out the whole of his or her pedigree with astonishing volubility. It was a treat to see such magnificent horses as Blair Athol, Marsyas, Maccaroni, &c, and the silkentailed ladies of their harem. These latter were out in the paddocks with their year's foals, and very pretty and interesting it was to watch these little creatures Lou whom fortunes will be wot\ lost in a few short years, fris.kr-ig v about in innocence of future exciting careers, and trotting up to their mammas, who have rather 'lost their figures, and, as they browse lazily along the shadow of the hedge, don't look exactly like winning the Oaks, as many of them have done in their day. One of these foals, only three mouths old, was sold a, few days befor« my visit for o.ne thousand guiiicfig. At the public st\le thirty-three yearlings were disposed of at an average ol 294 guineas, which, though below last year's, was considered very satisfactory. Tho highest price obtained was 1,200 guineas for a colt by Blair Athol. The company is achieving that success it richly deserves for its patriotic inauguration, and is paying the shareholders 15 per cent. Hitherto, breeding valuable racers and hunters has rather been looked upon as a rich um\\ crotchet, for the indulgence of v/h.l.cfy hp was_ willing to pay ;. but "tho National Stud Qt>mp,a t »y have proved that this is a faUacy', and that properly conducted, it may be made a profitable business.