A ROYAL SPORTSMAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11604, 19 March 1901, Page 3

A ROYAL SPORTSMAN.

THE KING'S CAREER AS A PATRON OF SPORT. "One of the best and keenest sportsmen of our time," wrote the late Duke of Beaufort of our King—then Prince of Wales— his dedication to the Badminton Library. There were few more competent critics of the true sportsman than the late Duke of Beaufort, who was himself the type of the sport-loving athletic Efnglish gentleman: We cannot do better than quote him: "I can say from personal observation that there is no man who can extricate himself from a bustling and pushing crowd of horsemen when a fox breaks covert more dexterously and quickly than His Royal Highness; and that when hounds run hard over a big country- no man can take a line of his own and live with them better. Also, when the wind has been blowing hard, often have I seen His Royal Highness knocking over driven grouse and partridges and highrocketing pheasants in first-rate workmanlike style. He is held to be a good yachtsman, and as commodore of the Royal' Yacht Squadron is looked up to by those who love that pleasant and exhilarating pastime. His encouragement of racing is well known, and his attendance at the university, public school, and other important matches, testifies to his being, most English gentlemen, fond of all manly sports." Not at all exaggerated is this praise; indeed, the late Duke of Beaufort hardly did justice to the many-sided character of the King with regard to sports. He makes no mention of his love for, and skill at, billiards, his career as a cyclist, his cleverness with a golf club, his partiality for cricket and football, and last, but hardly least, his latest enthusiasm for automobilism. There is no true and manly sport of which our King is not fond, and in which he is not an adept, or, at all events, an expert. ; A FINE HORSEMAN. As Prince of Wales, oui King learned the art of horsemanship from Charles Davis, who for 44 years was huntsman to Her late Majesty's buckhounds. In his early days while at Oxford University, the Prince often hunted with the South Oxfordshire, and on several occasions when visiting Earl Spencer, he went out with the Pytchley. A good story is told of one of these runs. Earl Spencer asked the huntsman, Charles Payne, what he thought of the Prince. With a touch of his cap, the huntsman replied : "Will make a capital king, my lord." "I am glad you think so, and why ?" "Sure to. Sure to do that, my lord ; sits so well!" - ■ • Other packs, with which the Prince hunted were the Quorn and the Vale of Aylesoury. He had a notable run with the Royal hounds, the deer taking the field from Harrow to Paddington, .where it was caught, and from there the Prince rode in hunting costume to Marlborough House. It was in 1865, at Badminton that he earned the encomium of the Duke 1 of Beaufort quoted above. For some time the Prince kept a pack of harriers at Cumberland Lodge, and on going to Sandringham in 1870 he not only preserved game, but the fox also was privileged to exist-in his coverts. BIG-GAME SHOOTING. The King, can handle a gun with the best field shots. When in India he went in for that most exciting of sports, tiger-shooting, and it is on record that when out with Sir June Bahadur in Nepaul, he brought down six tigers in one day. In the Express a noteworthy picture was reproduced of the Prince, up to his knees in a swamp, shooting quail. . ■ • \ As a patron of cricket the King has ever shown himself in the light of a true sportsman. Everyone knows that \ the Oval at Kennington is the property of the Duchy, of Cornwall ; and though as building land it is simply invaluable, His Majesty has letit on a long lease to the Surrey Cricket Club, at a rent which is merely nominal. .As Prince uhe frequently attended cricket matches, and can himself handle a bat with no mean skill. Of the Football Association and the Rugby Union, the Prince was a patron. ■-■ . \ BILLIARDS, GOLF, AND CYCLING.

In billiards, the King has always taken much interest, and "he himself plays an excellent game. ! He was present at the first match for the championship between John Roberts, sen., and W. Cook, in 1670. At Newmarket in 1882 he saw a match o'" 5000 up between John Roberts and W. Cook : and within recent years at Captain Machell's Newmarket residence, Bedford Lodge, he witnessed an exhibition match between John Roberts and the amateur champion, Mr. S. H. Fry. -It was not till later in life that the King tools to golf and cycling. About five years ago he was smitten with the golf mania, and under the tuition of George Sayers he made great strides in the Royal and ancient game. In 1899, at Cannes, he played a great deal of golf; and in health he benefited much from the exercise. . His Majesty's first connection with cycling dates back to 1874, when he and the Princess drove over from Warwick to Coventry. He was met by a guard" of honour of eyclist3 'on the high machines of that period, an-1 so was escorted into the city, which is now the centre of the cycling industry. In July, 1890, the Prince and Princess graciously attended a cycle race meeting on the Paddington track and they witnessed some really good racing. Mr. F. J. Osmond won the One-mile High Bicycle Handicap from scratch. The safety bicycle" and the pneumatic tire were then just coming to the front. After this the Prince went in for tricycling and it is on record that he had. a bad fall backwards, overbalancing himself when on an incline. This did not deter him from learning to ride the safety bicycle, and with his teacher, Mr. Stanton, he has ridden many miles on a tandem safety. His Majesty's connection with automobilism has often been recounted, and needs no further mention. . - ON THE TURF.

\ His Majesty's connection with horse-rac-ing has 'been long and world-famed.' After several attempts to .win steeplechases and minor flat races, the then Prince started a successful career as.an owner of thoroughbreds ,in 1886, in which year be won two races "of the aggregate value of £296. Last year he headed the" list of winning owners with £29,558, and made a record in winning both the Grand National and the Derby in one year. The foundation of the Prince's success on the turf was the formation of the breeding stud' at Sandringham. By the advice of John Porter, the Kingsclere trainer, the Prince purchased the brood mare Perdita 11. for some £900. Mated to St. Simon, the Duke of Portland's great stallion, she has already produced Florizel 11., Persimmon (the Prince's first Derby winner, in 1896), and Diamond Jubilee, last year's Derby winner. Diamond Jubilee was -. so named by the Princess of Wales on account of his being foaled in 1897, the year of the Diamond Jubilee. In Florizel 11., the King had a successful horse on the turf, and one which at the stud has already made a name, being the sire of Volodyovski, the favourite for this year's Derby. : Persimmon, was also a, great horse, and those who were present when he won the Derby of 1895 will never forget the scene when the Prince led his oolt through the cheering crowd to the Epsom weighingroom. :•■ ■ '.' ■:".' - \ '

Diamond Jubilee won not only the Derby, but the Two Thousand Uuiasas and St. Leger, thereby earning a place in the list of "triple-crowned heroes." • It is not necessary to refer in detail to the many races the : Prince won, but mention should be made of the One Thousand Guineas won by his Thais, the Grand National won by Ambush 11., and the Ascot Gold Cup taken by Persimmon. Since 1886 the Prince has won £98,580 in stakes under Jockey.Club rules, and with the amount won under' National Hunt rules, the amount exceeds £100,000. '■■•> •■ - ■'. The humane side of the King's sporting character is shown by his and his Consort's discouragement of pigeon-shootinga sport which every true. sportsman condemns.