The Sporting Kalendar. POND (John).

The Sporting Kalendar. Containing A distinct Account of what Plates and Matches have been run in 1755, An Article for making Newmarket Match, Certificates to prove the Qualification of a Horse, A Table shewing what Weight Horses are to carry for the Give and Take Plates, from Thirteen to Fifteen Hands high. The Measurement of the Roads taken from the Mile-Stones to Newmarket, Epsom, Guilford, Salisbury, Cirencester, Canterbury, Bath, Nottingham, York, Scarborough, &c.

First Edition. 12mo. [166 x 100 x 21 mm]. xxxvi, 210, [2] pp. Bound in contemporary calf, the covers with a gilt double fillet border. The spine divided into six panels with gilt tooled bands, lettered in the second on a red goatskin label, dated in the third, the others with a lozenge-shaped centre and roundels in the corners, the edges of the boards tooled with a blind zig-zag roll, plain endleaves, red sprinkled edges. (Joints and edges of the boards a little rubbed).
[London] Printed by G. Woodfall, at the King's-Arms, Charing-Cross, [1755]

With the final leaf of advertisements. A very good copy with the contemporary ink signature "Manwaring" on the front pastedown and the title-page. Three Manwarings appear in the long list of subscribers: Sir Henry Manwaring Bart, Roger Manwaring Esq and Mr Manwaring. Pond published seven annual Sporting Kalendars between 1751 and 1757. They are all rare, with ESTC listing copies of the 1755 edition at Birmingham University, British Library, Cambridge, Oxford, Private Collections, National Trust, Huntington, University of Texas at Austin and University of Virginia.

Besides horses and races there are "Rules observed in Cocking" and reports of "Cock-Matches Fought in 1755".

Stock no. ebc6735