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I j I * [ 1 • , . , l j : I [ - ■ ■ . * - e s 1. 10 0 B * 5 TATTERSALLS RISE TO FAME • . Romantic History of the Worlds Greatest Horse Mart. o Famous Horses, Including Highflyer, Flying Fox and Ormonde, Have Been Sold There. 8 Mention the nnme of Tattersall to the average man. and he will at om-e think of horses. Kut although Tattersalls has been associated intimately wilh Prilains great naiioiial BpSPI f,,r inecie- than a hundred and fifty years, few people are aware- of the ■reel pan played by tin- frin in t iie history of the turf. "Tatts" had its origin in 1788 with the arrival in Lsseea of | Yorkshire- woohomher. Kichanl Tattersall. He- came io ntrieve hil fortune, whicli he had losf during the .laeobite rebellion. With the help of friends he acepiiied a lease of so,,,,. pr.iperiy ailjoining Si. Ceorges Hospital, and base he started a business for the sale of horses and ho.iuds. Btehard Tattersall wil born under a lucky star. H- had net been iii I/meion long be-fore the Duke nf Kingston made him master of the horse, a post which brought him bkto frei|iioni conlacl with the Prince Pegent, Lord P.olingliroke and Lord Soirn-rville. He married LsTd Somervilles grand- daiighier. and from That time his name was sMt that was ceiiijuied with among bseoe lovers and fanciers all over the- kingdom. Tati.-rsjii hcdiriobbecl with ostlers and stable lads as freely as he did with his more highly placed pat inns. One moini-iit he WaMd be seen dialling as terms of eejaaHty with George IV., a fieipient visitor t-i his establishnieiit. while the next Would see him craiking a joke with a groom. STARTED THE "MORNING POST." Of his fiiendship with Ceorge IV. many stories .ire told. Together they founded the "Sloruiug Post," a venture which causeel them to lose niauy thousands of pounds. Kiehard Tattersall was succeeded by his son, Ldiniiiid. The hitters son. although lame, became a great athlete-. Among other astonishing ex-1 pe.iis he fought boxing matches in his invalid chair, and won them, although some of his op- P nls were noted pugilists. He had numerous stirring adventures with highwaymen, from most of which be emerged with credit to himself, while his binning experiences, including an extraordinary number of mishaps, would fill a volume. Today Tattersalls has an unrivaled position i.mong Prita ins oldest and greatest business houses. The ivory hammer which lies ou the rostrum in the famous suction rooms in Knightsbridfe has •knocked SOWS" well over $."i.OMl.O0O worth of h.nses. many of them winners of great races. One of then — Highflyer, bought by Richard Tat-Irs.-ill himself— sired no fewer than three Derby winners— -N, hie. Sir Ieter Teazle and Skyserapei . Highflyer was never beaten, and his offspring yielded in racing prizes a stun approaching ,000.-883. Two other famous horses which changed hands St "Tatts" vvere Flying Fox. which realized 00,-4 875, and Ormonde, which fetched 57,500. The fart that Tattersalls occupies a different site today from that on which it was founded may he ascribed to the gambling fever that pervaded the turf seventy years ago. When the lease of the Crosvenor property expired the then Marquis of Westminster dee-lined to it-new it on this account. It was by no means uncommon for s-100.000 in bets to ehSCae hands at "TattV on settling days, v hiie- the hfarqeta of Haethspa lost 00,000 on one race, ruining himself and bringing about his early death as a result of his folly. Nowadays betting at Tatlersalls is taboo, ami present members of the firm who desire to enter the race- roar St ring named after their ancestor hive 10 pay for the privilege, like any other iae -goer. — London Tit -Pits. 0 0 _ —
