NAMING A YEARLING

Hokitika Guardian, 7 February 1931, Page 6

NAMING A YEARLING

"CHARGE OF THE SIX H UNDRED” D ABERON THE HUMORIST LONDON, December 17. The admirable Crichton Lord J)’Abel--11011 is equally at home as diplomat, economist and racehorse owner. As an owner of racehorses it was his lad to give bis horses names beginning with a I). And thereby hangs a tale! On one occasion lie wanted to desert D lor B. The story is recalled by the tact that the Racing Calendar has announced that owing to the slump in the bloodstock market, owners hooking nominations to certain stallions will Vie returned half the fee should the mare prove not in foal. .\propos of this announcement it is recalled that in 1925 Lord D'Abernon had a mare called Donetfa which lie wished to send to (hand Parade whose service fee was 400 guineas. h liaci happened that- the same mare and the same stallion had been mated in the previous year with no result, and Lord D’Abernon then wrote to Grand Parade’s owner, Lord Glanely, to suggest a deal on the basis ot no loai—no fee.

Like it sportsman, Lord (Hanley consented to this, hut added that il the milling were suecesslul the fee should be (500 guineas. Donetta in due course produced a loal to Grand Parade, and when it came to naming the foal Lord D-’Aber-non. to his secretary’s surprise suggested naming it Balaclava. Tail’d D’Abernon instructed him,to find out whether tin’s name wits available. Inquiry revealed the fact that this name was already taken. Not daunted however, Lord D’Abernon asked il Balaclava, spelt with a k, were also already in use, ami the report came back again that Balaklava. too, had already been seized upon by some other owner.

Lord D’Abernon, noting his secretary’s continued surprise at; his insistence on file name of Balaclava, said to him, “Man don’t von understand why I want to call the foal Balaclava!' Don’t you remember the ‘Charge of the Six. Hundred’?”