George Stanhope, 6th Earl of Chesterfield

George Augustus Frederick Stanhope, 6th Earl of Chesterfield, PC (23 May 1805 – 1 June 1866), styled Lord Stanhope until 1815, was a British Tory politician, courtier and race horse owner. He served as Master of the Buckhounds under Sir Robert Peel from 1834 to 1835.

Early life Chesterfield was the son of Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl of Chesterfield, and his wife, Lady Henrietta Thynne, daughter of Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath.

He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. to April 1835 and was sworn of the Privy Council in December 1834.

He was commissioned as Captain of the Burton-on-Trent Troop of the Staffordshire Yeomanry on 29 November 1828, but resigned in 1830.

Horse racing Lord Chesterfield had a great passion for horse racing and spent most of his early years indulging in that pursuit. Although he had some success on the turf, winning the Oaks twice, his victories were not frequent enough to pay for the large string of horses he had in training or to finance his lifestyle of lavish party-giving and gambling. His racing colours of red cap and jacket with blue sleeves were also carried to victory by Tom Olliver in the 1843 Grand National aboard his horse Vanguard. In 1840, after the success of Crucifix, he decided to give up his expensive mode of living and retire to Bretby Hall. He did construct a gallop of to exercise his horses. Many eminent people visited Bretby to try out their horses or for shooting in Bretby Park. Among them were the Earl of Wilton, the Earl of Londesborough, Lord Newport, and Sir Henry des Voeux. The best jockeys also came to Bretby.

Personal life Two of the earl's horses in 1838; on the left Industry, who won the Oaks that year, on the right Caroline Elvina, who also ran in the Oaks but was unplaced. She was sold to the emperor of Russia (John Frederick Herring, Sr., 1838) In 1830, Lord Chesterfield married the Hon. Anne Elizabeth Weld-Forester (1802–1885), eldest daughter of Cecil Weld-Forester, MP, later the 1st Baron Forester, and Lady Katherine Manners (a daughter of the 4th Duke of Rutland). Her family home was Willey Park in Shropshire. Lady Evelyn Stanhope (1834–1875), who married Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon.