"ELLERSLIE STOCK FARM"
R. J. Hancock & Son.
The now senior member of the firm
of R. J. Hancock & Son commenced
the breeding of thoroughbred stock at
Ellerslie about forty years ago. Since
that time many of the best race horses
of modern times have been bred there.
This was the home of the celebrated
Eolus, whose descendants have won
more than one million dollars in
stakes and purses. He was the sire
of Eole, St. Saviour, Eon, Morello,
Diablo, Russell, Knight of Ellerslie,
Henry of Navarre's sire, Eurus, Elkwood,
Eolian and many other good
race horses. The home of imported
Charaxus, sire of Charade, Charentus,
Ethics, Hammie, Don Quixote, Rosinante,
Col. Padden, Ma Belle, Charina,
Keator. &c.; of Eon sire of Eonic,
Minotaur, Charley Moore, and the
dams of Harangue, Pater and Workman.
The stallion in service now is
Imported Fatherless, sire of Workman,
Mistiss and ten two year old winners
in 1905 of 33 races. These included
the stake winners Pater and T. S.
Martin besides The Clown and other
good ones. This season he has sired
the two year old winners Orphan Lad,
winner of four races, including the
Jesse Brown Cup, and Sanscrit. The
sons and daughters of Eolus, Imported
Charaxus, Eon and Imported
Fatherless have won nearly every important
event in the United States and
many of them twice: viz. The Futurity
Stakes, The Suburben (twice),
The Brooklyn, The Brighton, Metropolitan,
The Carter, The Nottingham
(in England), The Burns, The Bennings
(twice) and The Twin City
Handicaps, The Tidal, Galliard, Brooklyn
Derby, Carleton (twice), Double
Event, Jesse Brown Cup (twice),
Chicago Derby, Sea and Sound, &c.,
being a few of the many events secured
by them. Hardly a day passes
that one of their descendants does
not win in the United States, and as
many as half the races on the card
sometimes have gone to them. The
herd of Short Horns at Ellerslie was
founded about the same time, with
descendants of the imported cows
Young Phyllis, Elizabeth, Mary Ann,
Victoria, Zelia and Fashion. Since
that time bulls of the Abe Renick
strain of Rose of Sharons, the Princess
blood, through imported Lady
Sale 2nd., and descendants of imported
Mina's Princess are a few of the
strains used. The families for the
most part are of the Bates and Booth
strains of short horns, and have been
topped with excellent Scotch blood.
The milking qualities of this herd
have been kept up, and they are a
fine type of beef cattle. The bull now
in use is Royal Lad, son of Frantic
Lad, second in class of 38 at Chicago
International. Frantic Lad is by The-Lad-For-Me,
one of the most celebrated
show bulls and sires in America.
Royal Lad was advertised by his
breeders as the best calf ever bred in
their famous Beechwood herd. The
Southdowns at Ellerslie are descended
from ewes from Druid Hill Park flock,
Baltimore. The Park commission originally
bought from Governor Oden
Bowie, of Maryland thirty (30) ewes
for $1,000. They used with these ewes
the best imported rams that money
could buy, and the sons of these rams,
avoiding too close inbreeding all the
time. Some years ago Ellerslie
secured twenty ewes from Druid Hill
flock, and has used Warwick, imported
from the King's place, Sandringham
Park, England; Drummond
329, by Jubilee, imported from
Duke of Richmond's flock; Drummond
461, by Sandringham, imported
from The King's flock, and Senator, a
prize winner as a lamb and a yearling
in Canada and a son of Union Jack,
imported from Mr. C. W. Adeane's
flock in England. Drummond 329,
Drummond 461 and Senator were all
bred by Hon. George Drummond,
Canada, the most celebrated American
breeder of Southdowns. The King's,
Duke of Richmond's and Mr. Adeane's
flocks stand at the top of all English
flocks. In the Berkshire herd Ellerslie
is using a grandson of the great boar
imported Lustre's Bachelor, and the
[ILLUSTRATION]
Residence of Mrs. Mary C. Gooch.
sows are of pure Biltmore blood.
Thoroughbred horses, Short Horn cattle,
Southdown sheep and Berkshire
hogs are at Ellerslie for sale and prices
can be had by applying to
R. J. Hancock & Son,
Charlottesville, Virginia.
