NAMING THE YOUNG ONES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 936, 13 February 1908, Page 5

NAMING THE YOUNG ONES.

How many people, when reading their programmes for the probable starters, glance at the breeding of the horses ? Probably nearly everyone. How many, having done so, pause for a moment to think whether the horse has been well named or not? Only a few, perhaps. Owners seem very careless about the matter, and give very unsuitable names, while others purposely go out of their way to invent some ridiculous title. In England in days gone by it was quite common to see such absurd names as “ Kitty-cut-a-Dash,” “ Johnny-come-tickle-me,” and equally idiotic names. At one time the writer’s father purchased a gelding who rejoiced in the name of “ Tommy-up-a-pear-tree.” It was promptly changed. Out here such names would not be allowed, but some of those which are passed seem far from happy efforts on the part of the sponsors. Many of the Maori names chosen are needlessly long, and aS not one in a hundred knows the meaning, the only object achieved is the irritation of the : club secretary and turf reporter. It should be a matter of interest to owners the hitting upon suitable names in which those of the sire and dam have been happily combined. There is an old saying, “ Give a dog a bad name and you may as well hang him,” and really when one comes to think, it is a difficult matter to remember a really good horse with a bad name. Reading down a list of English horses here are a few names in which the owners have made a happy selection: —Chute, by Carbine—Weir; High Flyer, by Flying Fox —Altesse; Penetrate, by Pioneer —The Arrow; Sham Fight, by Mimic —Fireaway; Feather Boa, by Wildfowler—Miss Tippett. . This is but a haphazard choice, as there are scores of others.' Some New Zealand owners devote considerable attention to the matter. Sir George Clifford’s horses are nearly all most admirably named. So also are Mr. G. G. Stdad’s, and the Hon. J. D. Ormond’s and Mr; Watt’s horses. It is, indeed, most of the ‘small owners who are the greatest offenders.

There is, for instance, the ridiculous custom of spelling the sire or dam’s name backwards, which betrays a great want of originality. From time to time suitable names have been suggested in these columns, and, although in some cases these have been taken, such as Melodeon (Medallion—Melodia), yet more often they have been rejected in favour of one far less suitable. Owners are, perhaps, just a litt’e too fond of saints pr Lady something or other, but these, at least, are generally good-sounding names. An advance has been maie undoubtedly, for we do not see names in the Register, as was the case a very few years ago, like BuckeyeTop, Come-if-I-can, Dun-Joseph, Everton Toffy, Fifty Bob, Porirua Kate, Fiddlehead, Fusil Oil, Go-along, How-d’-do, Itch, Listen to Me, One Eye, Princess of Whales (by Piscatorius), Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay, and others of the kind. What is wanted now is greater suitability, and owners might well give a little more attention to the matter when naming the yearlings.