Elliott Zborowski

[citation needed] The aristocratic world he saw in France made a deep impression and he thought back to stories passed down in the family; the first result of which was, he changed the spelling of his name to Zborowski.

Following his father’s death in 1878, William Elliott returned from Europe to take possession of his inherited fortune.

Elliott was reported to have said that he adopted the title Count on his father's death in deference to the wishes of his grandfather (Andrew Christian Zabriskie).

Elliott quickly learnt the rules as he hunted and soon became known as someone well to the fore when a tall fence or broad ditch needed clearing.

Something attributed to the Count was the tradition of tying a red ribbon at the base of a horse's tail, to distinguish it as a kicker.

His attention was drawn to Coventry Lodge, which had good stabling and was owned by Sir Fredric Johnstone, a close friend of the Prince of Wales.

After resolving the demands of business, he played polo, and found himself in a game reported as rough and bad-tempered.

[1] Their New England friends disapproved of their behaviour, which ultimately meant they spent even more time in Britain, where few in their hunting set were troubled by the Countess being a divorcee.

Elliott had by now altered his business life such that he would not need to return to America very much, and he rented and bought property in London for after the hunting season ended.

Monday March 10, 1890, was the 32nd birthday of Lady Augusta Fane, eldest daughter of John Rous, 2nd Earl of Stradbroke, and she was dining at the Old Club in Melton Mowbray with 25 people, the men in red coats and white breeches, the hunting set.

There was to be a full moon on Monday, so she suggested a Moonlight Steeplechase, and the idea was immediately seized upon and what was needed was decided.

[2] After the excitement, all the riders and their friends joined Augusta at Coventry House, the Zborowski home in Melton Mowbray, for a ‘splendid supper party’.

Algy Burnaby was presented with a silver mounted ivory cup donated by the Count, and although Zborowski must have half hoped he would win it himself, there were no hard feelings – it had been an exceptional night that would be remembered for decades.

[2] The following Sunday, the Vicar of Melton chose as his text Ephesians 5:11 ‘Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them’.

[2] In 1898, following a friend’s motorised visit, Elliott bought a de Dion Tricycle and learnt how to drive and maintain it.