Each stable consists of an imprinted ACD Society/Wessex Cup box containing:

• One lead horse with jockey, attired in unique, genuine silks (and decorated in other distinctive, tasteful ways) by equestrian outfitter extraordinaire Peggy MacFarlane. The horse, which is about four fingers tall, is made of colorful plastic and runs on wheels powered by a manually engaged mechanism. (In other words, it is a wind-up toy, customized for the Wessex Cup.)

• One backup horse with jockey, just in case your lead horse is injured or out of sorts.

• A numbered, limited-edition print version of the latest issue of The Doylean Sporting Times (aka The "New Pink 'Un"), and perhaps one or two other things.

A Few Simple Purchase and Participation Rules

ACD Society members get first dibs on purchasing stables until November 30.

One stable per purchaser.

The purchaser of a stable is its Owner.

An Owner may at any time designate up to three Trainers as their collaborator(s) by emailing notice of the designation to us at acdsocy@gmail.com.

Each stable must be claimed in person by its Owner or a Trainer at the ACD Society’s Doylean Honors ceremony at Otto Penzler’s The Mysterious Bookshop (58 Warren Street in NYC), on January 11, 2024, by 11:15 a.m.

A stable that is not claimed on time will be transferred to some worthy person at the Doylean Honors ceremony — probably a friendly on-the-spot purchaser — with no refund to the original purchaser. (So, if you purchase a stable, please make sure to show up on time, or designate a Trainer who will!)

How the Wessex Cup Will Be Run

The Wessex Cup races will be run in Otto Penzler’s The Mysterious Bookshop (58 Warren Street in NYC) as part of the ACD Society’s Doylean Honors ceremony on January 11, 2024, beginning at 11:15 a.m.

There will be a total of 7 two-horse races, with the final race being for the championship:

• Round 1: Horses from the 8 stables will compete in pairs — 4 races resulting in 4 winners.

• Round 2: The 4 winners of round 1 will compete in pairs — 2 races resulting in 2 winners.

• Round 3: The 2 winners of round 2 will compete to determine the champion of the Wessex Cup.

All races will be run on the same course — a straight, 3-foot-long, Victorian-era track with a green felt surface. So, the total time to run all 7 races will probably be only about 20 minutes!

The champion will receive a trophy, as well as bragging rights until the next running of the Wessex Cup.

N.B. Owners who want to get in a little practice ahead of time may have an opportunity to do so if they arrive at The Mysterious Bookshop a few minutes early on January 11.

Interested? We hope so!

The stables listed below and accompanied by a Paypal button are available for purchase. Please bear in mind that until November 30, members of the ACD Society get first dibs.

Before you consider the available stables, please permit us to offer a couple of short explanations.

First, why are so few stables available? In October, we invited the 8 stable owners whose horses did not win a race in the 2023 Wessex Cup to acquire a stable for the 2024 competition. The ACD Society believes in second chances. Five of the owners took us up on the offer. So, that means there are 3 stables left. They are listed below.

Second, what's this about THE MOONSTONE being in a "Special Exhibition Stable"? Well, in addition to the 7 Wessex Cup races, there will be an extra special exhibition race between THE WOMAN IN WHITE (owned by a prominent figure who prefers to remain anonymous for now) and THE MOONSTONE. So, if you purchase THE MOONSTONE's stable you will not be competing for the Wessex Cup, but it might still be fun.

Please select and purchase one of the available stables below (before November 30 if you are an ACD Society member, after November 30 if you are not).

Each stable is designated by the name of its lead horse, and will be properly labeled for pick-up at The Mysterious Bookshop on January 11. Your backup horse’s name is the lead horse’s name with “II” added to the end.

We hope to see you there, and may the best horse-jockey teams win!

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A Ruffian of the Turf

SOLD

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Benz

SOLD

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Three Old Shoes

SOLD

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SPECIAL EXHIBITION STABLE

The Moonstone

SOLD

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Questions? Please feel free to email us at acdsocy@gmail.com.