Two autograph letters Horse Racing Admiral Rous / Sir Joseph Hawley 1869

SHAKESPEARE AND VICTORIAN HORSE RACING: THE TWO-YEAR-OLD DEBATE
 
ROUS, Admiral Henry John (1795-1877); HAWLEY, Sir Joseph (1821-1875). Two autograph letters relating to a debate in 1869 about reform in horse racing. 
 
Two letters and a newspaper cutting relating to the Victorian controversy over two-year-old racing and the early training of thoroughbred horses, comprising: autograph letter signed from Admiral H. J. Rous, 15 Berkeley Square, dated Feb. 14/69, single sheet folded, written on two sides, 120 x 190mm; with an unsigned draft letter addressed to Sir J. H. Hawley, 34 Eaton Place S.W., single sheet, 180 x 115mm, with loss to left-hand edge; together with a contemporary clipping from The Times headed "Two-Year-Old Racing", dated in manuscript July 19/69. Letters with old folds; overall condition very good.
 
By the late 1860s Sir Joseph Hawley - owner, breeder, and one of the dominant Turf figures of the age - had become increasingly convinced that the widespread practice of racing two-year-olds was physically damaging the English thoroughbred and encouraging commercial short-termism. Hawley campaigned to prevent juveniles from entering handicaps, sought to prohibit races for two-year-olds before July, and argued that horses trained too early lost stamina and long-term soundness. His views placed him in direct conflict with Admiral Henry John Rous, the influential Jockey Club handicapper and de facto spokesman for the established order.
 
One letter is from Rous to Colonel Manley, in support of racing two-year-olds, while the other is from an unknown hand, likely Colonel Manley to Sir Hawley in support of reform. Both letters use Shakespeare as an analogy. The unsigned letter to Hawley refers to Shakespeare's Venus & Adonis and the dangers of riding horses at an unduly early age. Rous most likely received a similar letter as he also makes reference to a Shakespearean analogy, which he rebuts:
 
"Shakespeare unfortunately knew nothing of thoroughbred stock, which are as precocious at 2 yrs old as at 4..."
before extending the comparison:
"[if this was the case], it would be highly improper to eat lamb, spring chickens, ducklings and green peas. All of which I hope to patronise within a few days."
 
The accompanying Times article explicitly frames the dispute between Hawley and Rous, discussing Hawley's proposals to delay juvenile racing and preserve the stamina of the English thoroughbred, while criticising the commercial incentives behind early training.
 
The two letters display both sides of the Victorian Turf controversy, and as such together as a group are uncommon.