HORSES AND DOGS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 22, 25 July 1935, Page 23

HORSES AND DOGS

BETTER DAYS IN ENGLAND

THOROUGHBRED BAROMETER

(By Nclle M. Scanlan.) LONDON, July 6. Luxury markets are enjoying a boom. There are, of course, people who may claim that racehorses are not a luxury, but in the national estimate of necessities bloodstock does not appear. The sales at Newmarket have just concluded, and the total for the three day's was 86,007 guineas, against 48,506 guineas last year. The highest price paid at this sale was 5000 guineas, which the Aga Khan gave for a Blandford filly from ;the National Stud in Ireland. "The second highest was 4200 guineas given by J. A, Dewar— "Lucky" Dewar as he is known—for a yearling by his Derby winner Cameronian. For a hallbrother to Ankaret, who was just beaten in the Oaks but won the valuable Coronation Stakes at Ascot, Lord Numburnholme gave 3800 guineas, A JUBILEE "BOOM." Five years ago, # the first sign of the depression .in trade, one of the first commodities to slump was bloodstock. Breeders of horses had a very lean time, and the price of horses offered at Newmarket dropped to ruinous figures. Last year there was a _ noticeable rise, and this put heart into buyers as well as sellers. There was a good time coming. The distinct improvement in all branches of trade, noticeable during Jubilee year, is nowtermed a boom, and bloodstock is sharing in this optimistic wave of The°most spectacular lots at Newmarket always come from the National Stud in Ireland. Horse-breed-ing is an odd enterprise for a Government, but this stud was a gift to the British .Government during the war, the donor being Lord Wavertree. It has had its ups and downs. The stud is situated at The Curragh, near Kildare, and was formerly managed by Sir Harry Greer, who died la6t year and> who was born in New Zealand, where is father was an officer in the Army at the time of the Maori wars. Sir Harry had a fine .collection of historic New Zealand pictures ' and meres at Curragh Lodge of which he was very proud. I think these have now gone to the Dublin Museum. A special feature of this property was the beautiful old Chinese garden, which was constructed at great cost, a distinguished Chinese gardener having been brought to Ireland for the purpose. When the year's Estimates are being considered at Westminster, an occasional voice is raised in protest at the upkeep by the British taxpayer of a Chinese ■ garden in Ireland. It sounds rather incongruous. A charge of one shilling is now made to see the garden, which contributes a little to its upkeep. I remember the young Irish gardener who showed me over it and told me, in his soft, rich accent, about the "Haythen Gods" and their significance in the garden. THE DOG POPULATION. During the depression the National Stud was another burden on the British Government, but it is now reaping a rich reward. Twelve lots, were offered this week at Newmarket, and they fetched a total of 19,380 guineas. Last year; nine lots brought 11,955 guineas. Coming down from horses to dogs, most of which cannot be regarded as a necessity but a luxury, and often a very expensive one in London, it is now disclosed that there are 2,902,253 licensed dogs in--- England. In the past twenty years the number of dogs has increased by nearly a million. As it is estimated that it costs £10 a year to kedp a dog, we may assume that £30,000,000 is spent annually on pets. From' this, the Treasury gets £1,088,331 in licence fees. ' The estimate of £10 a dog may seem high, but many of these pets are purebred animals, requiring a specialised diet, and be petted and pampered, combed and bathed, and taken out for a walk in the park like children, with coats for winter) and 'sometimes even little shoes, while many have knitted silk jumpers. There are numbers of women who earn a small sum for taking the dogs for a walk daily, And all over the country you will see kennels, with kennel-girls, in trousers and smocks, leading batches of Pekes or Poms, or Alsatians, or some fancy breed, over the fields for exercise, Kennel' work is much sought by young women. And there are dog hospitals and dog homes, where people, going on holiday, may leave their dogs, paying quite substantial board. ; In a recent court case in which an Army officer sued a firm of art dealers for commission and expenses a dog's dinner figured in the bill. The officer was accused of extravagance in his expenditure on entertaining in pursuit of customers, and the dog's dinner at the Ritz, which was charged for at 7s 6d, brought a sharp comment from the Judge. To see an old Scottish shepherd minding his flock in Hyde Park, in the very heart of London, strikes a rural note which astonishes many visitors. Yesterday the Scottish shepherd was fined £3 for striking one of his sheep dogs with his crook three times and making it howl. Yesterday, too, 200 shuffling aristocrats were on parade at Ranelagh for the annual Pekingese show, and their estimated value would stock a sheep farm in New Zealand.'