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SUDDEN DEATH OF SIR MARK SYKES Owner of the Famous Sledmere Stud Falls a Victim to Influenza and Pneumonia. A man noted in many ways. Sir Mark Sykes, died suddenly and unexpectedly, in Paris February li. As owner of the famous Sledmere Stud, he figured largely in Englands breeding of the thoroughbred horse, but took no great interest in the turf personally. In a sketch of the dead man the Manchester Sporting Chronicle of February 18 said: "Sir Mark Sykes, who had a special appointment at the war office, returned- from the east about two weeks ago in good health, and a few days later proceeded to Paris on work in connection with the peace conference. While in Paris he contracted influenza, which later developed into pneumonia, and that was the cause of death. "Only forty years of age, Sir Mark, who was one of a line of famous East Yorkshire squires, was elected to represent .Central Hull in 1911, and his maiden speech in the House of Commons caused something of a sensation, and drew praise from all sides. "His special subjects were those belonging to the east, in which he had extensively traveled and studied, and his writings and speeches on Turkish and Asiatic "uestions were accepted by politicians of every rank as authoritative.- As a matter of fact, he was in Paris as an advisory expert to the peace conference on eastern matters. "He served in the South African war, and during the last four years he had been of great service to the government in Egypt and elsewhere. He was intrusted with an important mission to the Indians in Mesopotamia. He proved himself intrepid in every kind of danger, and invariably won a better understanding with the peoples, Mohammedan or others, with whom he dealt. He rode 14,000 miles in Asiatic Turkey, and made maps of 3,000 miles of unexplored territory. He mapped the desert south of Jerusalem, and traveled to Hojaz, and he was private secretary to Sir George Wyndham when, the latter was Irish secretary. "His books included The Caliphs Lost Heritage, Through Five Turkish Provinces and "Five Maxims of the House of Ottoman the best of their kind since Sir Richard Burton wrote. He inherited his literary ability from his mother, and, like her, he was a "Roman Catholic. He married u daughter of Sir John Gorst. "To those interested in racing the late Sir Mark. 8j- Jfc- known--jjs:tln,- ownerof the Sleil-meVe Slua, but, unlike his- father and ancestors, he took no more than a lukewarm interest in bloodstock, and carried on the stud from a feeling of national duty, the management being left in the hands of his cousin, Mr. Henry Cholmondeley, who had the sole charge some years before the late Sir Tattons death. "Lady Sykes, however, takes a lively interest in bloodstock, and it is sincerely to be. hoped that arrangements may be made for carrying on this historic home of the thoroughbred. THE FAMILY HISTORY. "The Sykes family trace their lineage to the Sykes of Sykes Dyke, near Carlisle, Cumberland, and who -were settled there in the fifteenth century. Later some of its members migrated to Yorkshire, to become prosperous merchants at Leeds and Hull. "Richard. Sykes purchased the manor of Leeds, and was the first mayor of the borough. Daniel Sykes was . elected major of Hull in 1632, und from him the Sykes of Sledmere are descended. The baronetcy was conferred in 17S3 on the Rev. Mark Sykea rector of Roos. in Holdcruess. "He was succeeded by his son. Sir Christopher, who in dhe; course was followed by his sons. Sir Mark and Hir Tatton, the last-mentioned being the grandfather of Sir Mark, just deceased. "The greiit-great;great-grandfathcr of Sir Mark married the daughter and heiress of Mark "Kirby, and it was this lady who brought the Sledmere property to the Sykes family. Sir Marks grandfather lived to be 91 years of age, aud his father 1 to be S8. , "The firsts Sir Tatton and his elder brother were the originators of the Sledmere Stud, which, however, with the exception of one mare, was sold off on Sir Tattons death in 1863. There were 310 lots in the catalog, fifty-eight being foals. The total yield was 24,571 guineas, an average of 2G0 guineas being made for the 120 brood mares and 165 guineas for the yearlings, "In those days the Sledmere Stud had been conducted oil the principle of quantity, not quality, but the lato Sir Tatton determined to reverse this order. His first purchase? were Miss Agnes, bv Birdcateher, and her daughter, Little Agnes, by The Cure. Two Derby winners, Doncaster and Spearmint, were bred at Sledmere, arid - Cnrganour was raised there. .. "Amoiig, the well-known horses brecl at Sledmere since Sir Mark became owner have been Nassovian, Duggie. Soiriine Kiss. Herself, and last years Cambridgeshire winner, Zinovia." As a consequence of the death the sanie, newspaper of February 19 said.: "A statement that the entries of the .Sledmere Stud are In the naihe of .Mr. H. Cholmondeley was Inaccurate, for all the entries for 1919 and 1920 are in the name of the late Sir Mark Sykes, and therefore will be invalidated. These Include many races at Newmarket this season, and at Ascot, Goodwood and the Epsom Derby and Oaks for 1920, and practically all the most important engagements to come. t MANY NOMINATIONS MADE VOID. "The rule with regard to nominations being void in the event of the death of the nominator is an absurd oner in the opinion of many. It involves hardships on the executors, but even more so on the people who have paid big prices for yearlings bred at the Sledmere Stud. "At the sales last September Mr. A. E. Rarton paid 4.200 guineas for the gray colt by The Tetrarch Miss Cobalt, and Mr. Michallnos gave 1,500 guineas for the bay colt by Sundridge Gelinotte. Roth these horses are now practically without an engagement, and are robbed of the opportunity of showing their ability against the best of their year, and of proving their worth at the stud by means of the race course test. Roth these colts were entered in the Derby of 1920, as also were the bay colt by Lemberg Honora, for which Mr. It. W. Colling gave 1,000 guineas, and the pair which Mr. F. Hardy iKiiight, a chestnut colt by Charles OMalley Ladytown, 500 guineas, and a hay colt by Marcovil Startling, 520 guineas. "At the same sales six fillies entered in the Oaks were sold, and their nominations are now void. Of these Mr. F. Strakcr. gave 1.450 guineas for a daughter of Corcya Blue Tit, Mr. R. W. Colling paid 1,350 guineas for a filly by Tredennis Agacella, and Mr. J. Shepherd went to 1,150 guineas for a filly by Sunstar Dodragh. "These big prices were paid in the hopes of securing good races and so increasing the value of their purchases for stud life, and it is a distinct hardship that the owners should be prevented from having any chance of realizing their ambition through no fault of their own. The rule also damages the stud, because the produce of the stud i mares are prevented from earning distinction in important races, and It has a tendency toward making would-be purchasers cautious iu bidding for expensive yearlingSi"
