“Our Van.”
RACING.
It was with a certain zest that we turned to the Sandown Park meeting that occupied the first three days of March, for the racing of the preceding fortnight or more had been sadly lacking in interest. The first of the three days was denominated the Sandown Park March Meeting, the Grand Military occupying the next two days, and the sport, on the whole, was of an interesting character. On the Club day the appearance of John M.P. in the Liverpool Trial Steeplechase was an event in itself sufficient to account for the distinctly large attendance. It was a weight-for-age race, and the winning of it did not entail any penalty for the Grand National, save in the case of a horse that had already won a steeplechase of three miles or over since the date of closing. John M.P. had already won such a race when he beat pointless Desert Chief and the untrained Kirkland, at Hurst Park; but the penalty entailed would not signify very much, the weight assigned to John M.P. in the Grand National entitling him to a deduction of half the penalty, in his case 4 lb., so that only 2 lb. extra would have to be carried. A strong impression was also abroad that John M.P would not start for the Liverpool race, but be reserved for the valuable steeplechase at Auteuil in June. That he would win this race seemed to be taken for granted, since 3 to 1 had to be laid on, which was holding the other Grand National horses in the race somewhat cheap; but of course the weight-for-age conditions made all the difference. The three and a half miles did not worry John M.P. in the least. Nothing else could go fast enough to make him really gallop, and a loud exclamation of admiration from the stands burst forth spontaneously when at the water the second time he gained a matter of three lengths from the then leader, Wolfs Folly, in front of whom he cantered home. What he had in hand it was impossible to say.
That any one of the old-time functions is a patch upon what it was formerly is naturally not admitted by the old brigade, whose opinions are, of course, expressed in the usual manner upon the Grand Military. That gentlemen riders of forefront ability are scarce is not to be disputed, and possibly the winner of the Grand Military Gold Cup of the day could not compare in class with many of his predecessors; but the old sporting spirit is still there, and the Gold Cup is coveted as much as ever. Two or three months previous to the meeting a vigorous quest was in progress with a view to securing a potential winner of this race, and in this way Royal Blaze was purchased for, it is said, £500. The purchase proved to be a happy one, for Royal Blaze won the cup for Mr. R. F. Eyre. It was a lucky win, perhaps, but one that was well deserved, Royal Blaze being sent to make the best of his way home from the mile post, whereas Prizeman, whose rider lacked experience between the flags, left matters so late that, although he was going two yards to the one of Royal Blaze and Prince Tallyrand in the last hundred and fifty yards, he had to put up with third place, two heads behind the winner. It was a desperately exciting finish, and when the post was passed the race was not over, for Mr. R. C. de Crespigny, the owner of Prince Tallyrand, laid an objection to the winner on the technical ground that a contingency had not been properly registered. Such an objection had been forestalled by an application at Weatherby’s, where everything was declared to be in order. The stewards, on the second day, over-ruled the objection, but Mr. de Crespigny did not let the matter drop, pressing for an appeal. The laying of technical objections in such races was formerly not thought of, and possibly the breaking of this chivalrous custom gives the old brigade a genuine opportunity for pointing their moral.
On the second day we saw a remarkable performance over hurdles on the part of Rassendyl, the hurdle-racer who has so rapidly made a name for himself this season. He was carrying the nice little steadier of 13 st. 3 lb. and, what was so astonishing, all but carried it home. Such was the confidence in him that his jockey did not hesitate to make running. When half the distance of two and a half miles had been covered, Rassendyl was dispossessed of the lead, but lay by handy, and took command again at the first of the two flights in the straight, in spite of having been carried out wide at the bend. He led to the run-in, where, however, Bellivor Tor challenged and won by a neck. We English are hoping that Rassendyl will be sent to Auteuil and further the entente by winning the big hurdle-race there. The success of an English horse in France is by no means necessarily unpopular with the French betting public, which means a few tens of thousands, for, if he be a good one, national pride goes into the pocket, and they are on him to a man, to say nothing of the women. The numbers of frugal Frenchwomen who slave all the week, but have five or ten francs on every race on Sundays, is astonishing to the stranger from this side of the Channel. But on the Continent there is less fear of Mrs. Grundy than here.
The racegoer, as manufactured by the modern “park” meeting, is unable to understand the interest that is taken in the annual National Hunt Steeplechase. Here we have £1,000 given for a race for five-year-olds and over, the primary condition of which is that no runner shall have previously won a steeplechase or hurdle-race, or a flat race of any description; point-to-point races not counting as steeplechases. This, at one fell swoop, abolishes all notions of “class,” a feature which we find emphasised by last year’s winner, Miss Clifton II., who for years had tried to win this race and several others, without, of course, succeeding. When, during a dark period of mistaken policy, the National Hunt Committee apportioned the race to Metropolitan enclosed courses, bearing no sort of resemblance to the real thing, the Londoner had perforce tried to grasp the inwardness of the race, but failed. Such form as there was puzzled him, which means that the betting was not to his liking; and that is the only side of racing which interests him. How so many people could take the interest they did—and as just as many still do—in the doings of such mediocre public performers was always beyond him, as it always will be. To enjoy the National Hunt Steeplechase in the way it has been presented in more recent times at Warwick and Cheltenham, one must have been educated amongst hunting surroundings. To such this class of racing talks a language utterly incomprehensible to the others referred to, who, understanding nothing of the niceties of cross-country riding and unable to appreciate the qualities of a cross-country horse, have no interest whatever in a race beyond the position occupied at the finish by the animals they have backed.
If one were called upon to decide between the Cheltenham and Warwick courses, one might be inclined to vote for Warwick, although there is not so much in it so far as the actual course is concerned, each presenting a neat assortment of grass-land and plough. But at Warwick we possess the not insignificant advantage of being able to see nearly every yard of the four miles, the hill, from which outsiders obtain such an excellent view, being all there is in the way of those in the stands, where the accommodation, although not precisely up to date, is much better than that at Cheltenham. The meeting at which the race takes place is one concerning the success of which no doubt has to be entertained. The county people could not be made to stay away by any sort of weather, so, although rain was threatening on Thursday, the 8th ult., the county stand, from the condition of which I should judge of the success of this particular meeting, was crowded with the right sort. So far as owners were concerned there was every evidence of the popularity of the race in the large field of twenty-eight that ran. This number has rarely been exceeded, a notable occasion being the race of 1860, in which year, I fancy, the event was inaugurated, and when thirty-one ran. One can have but little sympathy with those who suggest that two-thirds of the number might as well have stayed at home, for all the chance they had of winning. If sport were always looked at thus there would soon be very little of any kind to look at all, and what was left would scarcely be deserving of the name of sport. Of the twenty-eight, Glenrex and Portlight II. had filled places in previous contests, Glenrex having run second last year, and, being also mentioned in the Grand National betting, started favourite. Glenrex came down in the plough a mile or more from the finish, the running having been made from about half-way by Count Rufus, by Wise Count out of an Arraby dam. The same plough which proved fatal to Glenrex seemed likely to also settle the chance of Count Rufus, for he was passed by Portlight II., but on the good going on the racecourse Count Rufus quickly asserted himself and won very easily in the end. In finishing second Portlight II. is possibly merely following the lead of Miss Clifton II., to eventually win outright. Count Rufus had cost £300, and had won some point-to-point races, which made his starting price of 25 to 1 so surprising.
Comfort, who won the National Hunt Steeplechase in 1903, the year the race was last run at Warwick previous to Cheltenham getting it for two years, did something towards bettering the none too good reputation of winners, who seldom do much afterwards, by winning the Warwick Handicap Steeplechase, after a good tussle with Royal Drake, who broke down rather badly, although finishing second. On another occasion something should be done to prevent the landing side of the water from becoming a quagmire. More than one horse failed to keep its footing in consequence of this, the fault being, apparently, an overflow from the water.
John M.P. made another taking appearance at Hurst Park on the Saturday in this week in the Open Steeplechase, which proved in practice to be the gift it seemed on paper. The odds on were of course practically prohibitive.
HUNTING.
It is by no means certain that foxhunting has any more enemies now than in earlier times. The great danger seems to be from the lukewarmness or injudicious action of its friends. Probably Mr. Charles Brook, of the Holderness, pointed to the real danger when he complained of the want of knowledge of hunting in those who follow the sport. For this there is a real reason, in that hunting people nowadays have so many other occupations and amusements. Hunting is only one of them. People hunt in greater numbers, but they do not see so much of the sport itself as we did in the days when we lived more in the country, hunted from home, and took the good and the bad days as they came. In very popular hunts there are fewer good days, for the simple reason that unless hounds can go fast enough to keep out of the way of the field, it is not easy to see a hunt when there is a crowd.
Second horses, though, a great addition to one’s pleasure, have this disadvantage, that if we have to make one horse go through the day we shall be more likely to succeed if we know what hounds are doing, so as to gain all we can by the turns in our favour. Thus it is obvious that a knowledge of hunting keeps us out of mischief and enables us to do less damage. But every now and then we read attacks on hunting which are obviously based on sentimental ignorance.
The latest subject is the treatment of hounds by the hunt servants. Now I have had, and have still, a great many friends among a class of men who are notable for their good qualities, their ability, and their integrity. Of course, young men are sometimes a little too rough with hounds, but the most successful huntsmen, and whippers-in, too, are those who have the gift of attaching hounds to them. I think we may take it as an established fact that hounds never do their best for a man who cannot win their affections. It is too funny to read of hounds escaping from kennel and dying miserably in a ditch because they were afraid to return. 1 wonder if people have any idea of the value of a well-bred foxhound. Perhaps they think because they are numerous, therefore they are cheap, and, like Beckford’s auctioneer, think a pack would be dear at a shilling a head. Some kind friend has been sending me curiosities of literature in the way of hunting correspondence; two I think are worthy of being remembered. One of the writers, wishing to say that at a particular juncture of a hunt the field refreshed themselves, wrote that a considerable number took St. Paul’s advice to Timothy, evidently not holding with the temperance lecturer who accounted for this by saying he supposed it was meant for outward application only. The other reported that a well-known pack ran a stag to earth.
When sport has been so good and the weather so bad, if we say that a particular pack has had sport, we do not mean to suggest that others have not, but only that it has come under our notice. Yet, when the weather is such that frosts make hunting uncertain, I do think the Belvoir have a little the best of it, so few are the days in the season when they cannot hunt in some part or other of their wide territory.
On a cold morning they met at Landyke Lane, on Friday, February 23rd. Scent was at first only moderate, but as the hours went on matters improved, and the day ended with a brilliant Belvoir burst from Hose Thorns. Hounds seemed to be catching their fox all the way to Clawson Thorns, the pace and drive growing greater as the field bustled along on the track of the flying hounds. It was almost twenty minutes from the start to the time when the fox escaped, owing to the number of fresh lines in the covert. Mrs. Clayton Swan’s horse slipped on the greasy turf and she had a nasty fall. Ash Wednesday is no longer a hunting day with the Belvoir, but in any case the ground was impossible for riding in the Midlands. Thursday was possible enough, but a most unpleasant day, and the pack I hunted with did little, and I confess to coming home early, fairly driven off by weather. In the Belvoir country things improved as the day wore on. The smallest field of the season, and a riding one, found themselves with a stout fox and a racing pack in front of them. It is a hilly country, and the fences held the field in check so that hounds could run without interference. The fox went straight into Freeby Wood. Ben Capell, taking a leaf out of the late Sir Charles Slingsby’s book, held the pack right round the wood. Then an advantage was gained and the pace became hotter than ever as the end drew near.
Not so fast, but even better as a hunt, was the run of Wednesday, March 7th! The Belvoir met at Sproxton, and went on to draw Lord Dysart’s coverts at Buckminster. These proved to be blank, but—Coston covert is only just outside—a fine clean fox, springing up, was driven across to Buckminster. With their fox running up wind, hounds drove right on to Gunby Gorse, which, it is needless to say, is in the Cottesmore.
When they came away it was clear that they had changed, for whereas the original fox had a full brush, the new quarry was a bobtailed one, but in time this one was changed for a well-known out-lier that has hitherto defied Thatcher, and which, by accident or design, choosing a line over some plough, defeated Capell also.
A curious day was March 3rd, when the Cottesmore met at Somerby Hall. The events threw some light on the habits of foxes in a much-hunted country. The hounds spoke in the first covert, but it was clear the fox had taken the hint and left some time before. A second fox from another covert slipped away unseen as hounds were thrown in, and his line, too, failed; lastly, a third fox was discovered in the tree in Stapleford Park; which has become quite a sure find. This causes one’s interest in the curious limitations of a fox’s mind. The two mentioned first were perhaps scared by the clatter of horses’ hoofs, and, it may be, the hoots of a motor-car, which must, one would suppose, in the Shires be quite a familiar sign of a coming meet. At all events, they were sharp enough to take a hint and make themselves scarce, but the tree-haunting fox or foxes of Stapleford have not yet found out that their enemies know of their hiding-place, and come straight for it.
What some people say was the fastest gallop of the season took place with the Quorn on March 5th, from Grimstone Gorse to Sleaford. The pace, the country covered, and the going were all good, yet there were, in fact, only four or five men really in it. The rest of the large field were practically out of it. It seems as if John Isaac, who is to have a well-deserved testimonial, was having good fortune in his last season. The Pytchley Wednesdays since Christmas have been unusually good, although, when one casts one’s mind back on them, it does not seem that any day rises above the level of good sport. Two points, however, we notice, that the bitch pack was worked well, and that, in conjunction with their huntsman, they made the best of whatever scent there is. So, Wednesday after Wednesday, the Pytchley followers have had a glorious day of sport to look back to, in the cream of their country. Another huntsman who retires at the end of the season, George Shepherd, has shown very good sport lately, his best run probably being from Sleaford, on Thursday, March 8th. Lord Charles Bentinck has been out to study the country, the run of the foxes, and to make acquaintance with the members of the Blankney Hunt. To return to Sleaford, the fox was lying out, but, once afoot, returned to Sleaford Wood. For an hour and a half, always at a fair pace, this gallant fox held on, and, with hounds close to his brush, found an impregnable refuge at last. Fortunately the line was not straight; had it been so, few indeed would have seen it.
Imagine Lincolnshire riding deep in this part of the country, where hairy fences and such ditches as they know how to dig hereabouts, abound. As it was, with the aid of a little luck and a great deal of perseverance, a fair number reached the end. It was a very enjoyable sort of hunt, an interesting bit of hound-work, and the huntsman intervened just at the critical moment with a most timely and well-judged cast.
If we are to search for a characteristic of this season it might almost be found in the readiness of foxes to take to the water. I should be afraid to say how many times foxes have swum across flooded rivers during the late hunting season. The River Nene, in the Northamptonshire country of the Fitzwilliam, has been crossed several times. The last fox that braved its swollen waters was one of three found at Lilford on March 10th. After running the fox right round the park, scent on the grass proved too good, and he boldly swam the River Nene at Wadenhoe. The object of this manœuvre was successful, since, as once before, he gained so much that eventually he ran his pursuers out of the scent. The Fitzwilliam country is just now the best hunted country in England. It is probably the only country in England that could or would supply foxes and sport to four packs of hounds. First, there is the historic Milton pack, then Mr. Fernies’ is given some woodland days; Lord Exeter, with the help of occasional days in the Belvoir country, finds work for his pack there; and for a fortnight Lord Fitzwilliam took his hounds (bitch pack) to Milton, and hunted on alternate days with his cousin’s pack.
Lord Fitzwilliam’s have also had a good month, in spite of rough weather.
On March 1st they manifested their remarkable power of holding to their hunted fox in a strong woodland country. The fixture was at Blatherwycke, Mr. Stafford O’Brien’s place on the borders of the Woodland Pytchley and the Fitzwilliam countries. Finding in Hostage Wood, they hunted partly over the open, and a rough country it is hereabouts, and partly in the big coverts. There has been no such woodland hunting as this anywhere, hounds stuck resolutely to their fox with a most inspiring chorus—the Fitzwilliam are famous for their music—for an hour and a quarter, and rolled the fox over at last. Nor was this all. A second fox was roused. He slipped away some distance ahead of hounds, but they drove along to such purpose for twenty minutes, making the best of the scent, that by the time the fox had reached the wide woodlands known as the Bedford Purlieus they were close to his brush. A half-beaten fox in a most carefully preserved wood—these coverts belong to Lord Fitzwilliam—has several chances in his favour, and at least one other fox was afoot, but once more hounds held to the hunted one and proved themselves, as indeed they have done all this season, a most killing pack.
On Ash Wednesday the Old Berkeley West had rather a remarkable day’s hunting. They met at Hartwell. The bag for the day was one fox killed from Kimblewick after an hour’s good hunting; one badger hunted to ground in the open, and another one killed.
I think, however, that the run of the Warwickshire on February 22nd, from Shuckburgh, will remain as the best gallop of the month, and perhaps, all things considered, the greatest foxhunt of the season. The run was divided in three portions. The first an eager scurry of three miles or so over grass pastures and flying fences. Then came a period of hunting with a check of some length. Horses had to gallop for part of the time, but it was possible to choose one’s places in the fences. Lastly, there was a very stiff bit of country, with hounds running into their fox all the way.
We expect to hear of hunt changes in April, and there are plenty in prospect, but it shows the vitality of foxhunting that the countries which are vacant fill up so readily. On the courteous principle of ladies first, we may note that Mrs. Burrell has arranged to hunt the part of Northumberland held by the late Sir J. Miller two days a week at her own expense. This has been heartily accepted by the hunting folk of that section of the old N.B.H. country. The Cambridgeshire, an old county pack with a long record of sport, have a new master in Mr. Crossman. Colonel Sprot takes Captain Gilmour’s place with the Fife. He has promised so far as the circumstances of the country permit, to hunt three days a week. That charming bit of Irish-like hunting ground in the far west, known as the Four Burrow, though it makes no change—Mr. J. Williams has been Master for twenty-eight years—is to increase its hunting days from two to three a week. This is the direct consequence of the way foxes are preserved, and is worth noting, because in Cornwall the trapping which has formed so formidable a difficulty in some west country hunts has not here done any material damage.
HUNTING IN YORKSHIRE.
A gloom was cast over Yorkshire hunting last month by the death of Captain J. R. Lane Fox, the much respected Master of the Bramham Moor. Captain Fox had been in failing health for some months, but no immediate danger was anticipated. On Sunday, February 25th, he had a seizure and he died the next morning, a couple of days before completing his sixty-fifth year.
It is just ten years since he succeeded his father as Master of the Bramham Moor Hounds, and it is unnecessary to say that during his tenure of office the old traditions of the Hunt were well maintained. Captain Lane Fox’s amiable temper and unfailing courtesy gained him a host of friends in all classes of society, and he will long be a missed man in the country with which the name of Lane Fox is so closely and honourably associated.
A biographical notice of the late Captain J. R. Lane Fox appears in another column.
The Bramham Moor had a nice hunt on Monday, February 12th, from Beckwithshaw Bar. After rather an unusually long draw for the country, they found in the Boar Holes and pointed for Swarcliffe, but a blinding storm came on, caused the fox to swing round at Penny Pot lane, and they hunted back slowly by Birk Crag and Ruddocks Wood, and finally marked the fox to ground in the quarry at Thirkell’s Whin. They found again in the Lake Plantation at Farnley, and at a good pace hounds rattled along over the Washburn, pointing for Leathley. Then they ran on by Riffa Wood, but bore left-handed for Stainburn Gile. Before reaching this stronghold the fox was headed, and, turning short back, hounds left Riffa Wood on the right and ran on by Bailey’s Whin and across the Stainburn road, where they got on good terms with their fox. He was viewed here and headed, and hounds checked and did no more good. Up to the check it was a sporting run over a sporting country.
The Holderness had a good gallop on Monday, February 19th, when they met at Brandesburton Moor. Nunkeeling Whin provided a stout fox, and hounds were scarcely in covert before they were away close at his brush. They streamed away to Billings Hill and thence by Dunnington to Dringhoe. Here they checked momentarily, but they righted themselves and ran on at a fine pace to Nunkeeling Whin, finishing the ring in a little under the hour. The fox was only just in front of them and had no time to dwell in covert, and they rattled along cheerily by Frodingham Grange, North Frodingham and Trickett’s Whin to Beeford Grange, where they rolled their fox over in the open.
The Sinnington commenced the month of March well. They met at Bowforth on the 1st, and, after a run from Muscoate’s Whin and round by Mr. Martin’s Farm, which ended in the fox giving them the slip, they went on to Jack Slater’s Plantation, where they found a straight-necked hill-fox, such as the Sinnington country is famous for. They ran first over a charming low country over the Ness road, and nearly to Nunnington, and then, twisting to the right, they ran on over the Riccal Beck and across the end of Riccal Dale. Then, at a famous pace, they ran by Con Howe, nearly to Carlton Village, where they swung to the left into Ashdale. They ran close past the main earths and over Birk Dale to the Griff Farm, where they checked at the road, but, recovering the line in an instant, they ran right up to the railings at Rievaulx Terrace. Here, unfortunately, the field halloaed them on to another fox, and the run came to an end, after a famous gallop of an hour and three minutes.
The York and Ainsty had quite an useful day’s sport on Tuesday, March 6th, when they met at Rufforth Village. According to arrangement, they went to draw the Bramham Moor Friday’s country, and found a brace of foxes in White Skye Whin. Unluckily, hounds divided, and seven couple went away with a fox in the direction of Bickerton Spring, and were soon stopped. The body of the pack ran on cheerily for a little short of a mile, pointing for Marston Station. Then the fox was headed, and they hunted him slowly back to White Skye Whin, where he beat them. They drew Wilstrop Wood blank, but found in the Rash hard by a brace of foxes, which they took across into Wilstrop Wood, and with one of which they went away slowly to Hutton Thorns, where scent failed. Then came rather a cheery run from the Crow Wood, by Rufforth Village into Rufforth Whin, whence they hunted back by the Crow Wood into Collier Stagg, and through it to Fairy Carrs, where they marked their fox to ground. They went to draw Collier Hagg, but, before hounds were in covert, a fox was halloaed away at the other side, and they ran at a good pace by Rufforth Village into Rufforth Whin. After a turn or two round the covert they went away again and hunted slowly back to Collier Hagg. Thence they took a line out on the Marston side, and, with a left-hand turn, pointed for Healaugh, and worked up to the fox and rolled him over on the Askham and Healaugh road, so making a satisfactory finish to a day in which there was a lot of hard work for hounds.
AMERICAN v. ENGLISH FOXHOUND MATCH.
It appears that some errors crept into the account of this event, published in Baily’s for February, The Grafton Hunt has American-bred hounds and the Middlesex imported hounds. Each pack hunted on six days, and the strength of either was: American hounds, 6 couple; English, 18½ couple. Mr. Harry Smith, Master of the Grafton, has been kind enough to put us right on these points: he adds that the English hounds are drafts, principally from Mr. Fernie’s, and that the American pack, as the “Van Driver” conjectured, are pure-bred foxhounds, descended from imported English hounds. The American-bred hounds stand about twenty-two inches high, and are lighter in build than their imported relatives. Mr. Smith observes that “in America, where the scent is bad and the sun is hot, it is absolutely necessary to have a pack able to take up a cold trail from the night before, work it to the kennel and start the fox themselves. If they lose it on a dusty road or wall the same faculty for cold trailing is necessary.” The American method, in fact, is that in vogue on the fells, where hounds unkennel their fox in much the same way. Mr. Smith tells us that though his pack did not kill during the match, they killed three red and two grey foxes in the open during the two following weeks, hunting the same country.
BREEDING OF THOROUGHBREDS.
Captain W. Tower Townshend, Derry, Roscarberry, co. Cork, writes as follows: I have just read with much interest your article on “The Thoroughbred,” in Baily’s for February, which any man who has endeavoured to breed a good all-round thoroughbred must agree with, save that your correspondent does not include change of soil and air—to my mind a powerful factor in improving the race of pure-bred horses. We see during the last racing year what Irish-bred horses have done on the English Turf, and I need not tell you we have not a tithe of the fashionable blood over here that you have in England. While the late Duke of Westminster’s celebrated Bend Or was alive, the “Special Commissioner” of the Sportsman was constantly advocating that he should be sent to Ireland, when he predicted he would probably have sired another Ormond. I have no doubt, judging from my own experience, had the Duke done as the Sportsman advised, he would have done so. Some years ago I imported Town Moor, by Doncaster—Euxine, who, you will remember, ran third in Iroquois’ Derby, and then stood in the Queen’s stud at Hampton Court, where he got every chance with the very best mares, but never got any horse of exceptional merit. But during his first season in this country, when an old horse of 18 years, with the slenderest of chances, he bred Gogo to Endocia,[[12]] a mare belonging to Lord Fermoy, that was generally acknowledged to be the best two-year-old in Ireland. Town Moor unfortunately died two years after reaching these shores, or no doubt after Gogo’s fame there would have been a great run on his services. I wish more of the big English breeders could be persuaded to send brood mares over here, and try the experiment of a complete change. I am convinced it would tell most advantageously on the vigour and stoutness of the coming young stock, as both the climate and soil of Ireland seem fitted by Nature for horse-breeding; the winters being so mild the mares can be left out all day and night till they foal, and the best of grass can be hired far cheaper than it can in England.
POLO IN THE UNITED STATES.
“Transatlantic” writes from New York as follows: Although there were not sufficient entries in 1905 to give a contest for the championship of polo, that game is advancing in the United States, not only in the number of players and of clubs, but in the excellence of methods. The repeal of the law against, and thus allowing of, crooking of mallets has proved popular. In this association there are now 542 players rated as active, and 54 players penalised as much as 4 goals, what might be the “Recent Form” list. Dr. Milburn, of Boston, has been advanced from 5 to 6 goals, and Dr. Chauncey, of New York, from 4 to 6 goals. The three highest handicaps at 9 goals are R. L. Agassiz, Foxhall Keene, and Larry Waterbury. In the class at 8 goals are only John Cowdin, Monty Waterbury, and Harry Whitney. The only one at 7 goals is Thos. Hitchcox. There are 35 clubs listed. Regular play has been going on during the winter at Burlinghame, California, and at Camden, South Carolina; and tournaments in the north will begin at the Lakewood New Jersey Club in March.
THE M.C.C. CRICKETERS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Despatches from the front have not been very reassuring, and the second so-called Test Match was lost by Mr. Warner’s team by the large margin of nine wickets.
The Englishmen lost because they did not score a sufficient number of runs; and their chief trouble throughout this unfortunate tour appears to come from the fact that their batting is extremely unreliable, and they are without the help of steady batsmen of the stamp of Tom Hayward or Quaife, who would go in first and stay there. Certainly Mr. Warner can go in first, but in South Africa he cannot always stay there, and on more than one occasion his side has had two wickets down with but a small score on the board, and this is always a demoralising state of affairs for a moderate batting side.
We understand that in their minor matches at home against clubs and schools it has been the policy of the M.C.C. to send a team which shall, more or less, and often enough less, be of relative strength or weakness to the other side, in order that the game may not be too one-sided. So that an error of judgment in estimating the strength of the opponents may cost the match.
It appears to us that in organising this team for South Africa, the M.C.C. authorities greatly underrated the strength of their opponents, and so from the point of view of the South Africans the tour has rather failed, since they have proved themselves a better lot of cricketers than the visiting team.
On the other hand, an English team touring in Africa has, for mercenary considerations, to play several games against odds in up-country places where the standard of cricket is very low indeed, and where, probably, the first-class African cricketers would never be seen. And for these purposes the more powerful the visiting team the more futile becomes the burlesque of cricket.
As proof of this we need only refer to a week’s work of Mr. Warner’s by no means powerful team. They beat fifteen of King William’s Town by an innings and 296 runs, the Englishmen scoring 415 runs for eight wickets against 75 and 44 by the fifteen. In the next match eighteen of Queenstown were beaten by an innings and 176 runs; the scores being 400 for eight wickets, as against 111 and 113 by the eighteen. For such a performance as this it would obviously not be worth the while of a first-rate cricketer to travel from England to King William’s Town, and yet for the games against All South Africa it is equally not worth while for a moderate cricketer to travel from England to Johannesburg.
Until recently the same difficulty beset the path of English teams touring in Australia, that they were sent to play ridiculous matches against battalions of bad players, and probably the M.C.C. in organising this tour found it difficult to persuade the best amateurs to devote so much time to a campaign which, roughly speaking, includes so few first-class matches. And so Mr. Warner apparently finds himself in the uncomfortable position of taking round a team too good for the country players and not good enough for the town players.
In the second Test Match the scoring was singularly low for a good matting wicket at Johannesburg. The Africans won with scores of 277 and 34 for one wicket, as against 148 and 160 by the M.C.C. team; and in the M.C.C. second innings eight men made only 16 runs between them, which reads like disappointing batting. On the other hand, eight of the Africans scored double figures.
The third Test Match found Africa starting well enough with 385, every one scoring double figures except Mr. Hathorn, who made 102. Thanks to a fine innings by Mr. F. L. Fane, who made 143, the Englishmen got to within 90 runs of their formidable opponents at the end of the second day’s play, but in this innings six men only scored 17 runs between them.
The third day of the third Test Match was good business for the Africans, who hit up 349 runs for the loss of only five wickets, and then dismissed Messrs. Warner and Hartley before the call of time, leaving the Englishmen 425 run to the bad with only eight wickets in hand. The English bowling was clearly to the liking of their opponents, for again, with the exception of the not-out men, all scored double figures. White 147, Tancred 73, Nourse 55, and Sinclair 48, doing most of the damage. Mr. Crawford could not get a wicket, and Hayes was not put on to bowl in the whole course of the match, and Lees with nine out of the fifteen wickets that fell was the most successful of our bowlers.
The last day’s play brought the match to its logical conclusion, and the M.C.C. team were easily beaten by 243 runs. Denton 61 and Crawford 34 being the only two men to score more than 20 runs.
An odd feature of the game was the success of the cricketers whose names begin with S. It is needless to say there were none on the English side, but the five who played for South Africa got all the wickets between them, and caught all the catches, bar two; for Shalders, Sinclair, Schwartz, Snooke, and Sherwell are the only African names which appear in the score of M.C.C. except Vogler and White, who made three catches between them. Snooke took twelve wickets in the match, and Sherwell caught five men at the wicket.
So the first three of the so-called Test Matches were all lost, each one by a bigger margin than its predecessors.
There can be but little interest left now in the tour of this M.C.C. team, which went to Africa practically asking for defeat, and has certainly suffered it. Probably the next time the South Africans desire to entertain a good cricket team they will invite an Australian team to come over and give them a good game, for the Australians can be trusted to bring their best men upon such an occasion, and that is the way to set about International cricket.
The recent headings in the newspapers, “England v. South Africa. Crushing Defeat of England,” are not very pleasant reading, and are not calculated to advance the prestige of English cricket, and it is our sincere hope that in future, should the Marylebone Club be ever again invited to organise a team to visit our cricket-playing Colonies, those who are entrusted with the selection of the players will send either the best or none at all.
It is unfair to the men themselves and to their Colonial hosts, and especially to English cricket, that a team such as the one at present touring in Africa should by any misnomer be regarded as representative of England.
DEATH OF RICHARD HUMPHREY.
It was a melancholy end which closed the career of Richard Humphrey, the famous Surrey batsman of the seventies. He was found drowned in the River Thames near Waterloo Bridge on February 24th, having been missing from his home for nearly a month.
“Dick” Humphrey was in his fifty-seventh year, and from the time that he first gained a place in the Surrey eleven he was always closely associated with cricket, at first as a very good batsman and afterwards as a coach and umpire. Tom Humphrey, the elder brother, made the family name famous in the cricket world, and the many long partnerships for the first wicket between Tom Humphrey and Harry Jupp made the fame of “the two Surrey boys.”
Unlike many of the mainstays of Surrey cricket, Dick Humphrey was a bona fide product of the county, and learned his cricket in common with many another great player at Mitcham. In 1870 he gained his first trial for Surrey, but, with the exception of a score of 82 against Cambridge University, his performances scarcely justified his promise. Next year he was much more successful, as his scores of 70 against Gloucestershire, 80 against Yorkshire, and 116 not out against Kent, bear ample evidence.
The year 1872 found Dick Humphrey at the top of his game, and in the very front rank of professional batsmen. He did well both at Lord’s and the Oval for the Players against the Gentlemen, and at the Oval, going in first, he was ninth man out for a score of 96. Towards the end of that season he scored 70 in each innings against the formidable bowling of Yorkshire when Tom Emmett and Allen Hill were at their best. Considering the difficulty of making runs in those days as compared to present day first-class cricket, we may well regard these two seventies as a much bigger performance than some of the double centuries which have been not infrequent in recent years. Unless we are mistaken, he scored over 1,000 runs in that season, with an average of something like 24 runs for forty-five innings.
Richard Humphrey never gained such a high measure of success again, although he continued to be a useful member of the Surrey team, for whom he played his last match in 1881.
He also visited Australia with the team taken out by Mr. W. G. Grace. He was a batsman of the academic and steady school, and, like most of that school, paid chief attention to careful defence, combined with some strokes on the off side. After his retirement from the active pursuit of the game he did a good deal of coaching, and amongst others some generations of boys passed under his notice at Clifton College. He also umpired very regularly, and for years was in the list of umpires for the county championship, and, but for his untimely death, he was to have acted as umpire in the second-class counties’ competition for next season.
Dick Humphrey was an amiable and pleasant companion, and his melancholy death comes as a shock to his many old friends.
DEATH OF MR. E. H. BUCKLAND.
On February 10th last Mr. Edward Hastings Buckland died at his residence, Southgate House, Winchester, after a long and most trying illness, which he had faced throughout with the most cheerful and patient courage.
He was born on June 20th, 1864, the youngest son of the Rev. Matthew Buckland, of Laleham; one of his brothers being Mr. F. M. Buckland, who scored a century for Oxford against Cambridge in the late seventies.
“Teddy” Buckland, as he was known to a wide circle of friends, was educated at Marlborough and New College, Oxford. His all-round cricket was of great service to his school, and in 1883 for Marlborough against Cheltenham he discarded his usual style of slow round-arm bowling for fast under-hand deliveries, by which he wrought great havoc and won the match.
His first year at Oxford found him a member of the very strong team, which, under Mr. M. C. Kemp, beat both the Australians and Cambridge. For four years Mr. Buckland did good work both with bat and ball for his University, his best seasons being 1886–87.
The ’Varsity match of 1886 is memorable for the large score made by Messrs. Key and Rashleigh for the first wicket in Oxford’s second innings, the former scoring 143 and the latter 107. The rest of the Oxford eleven were advised to get out as soon as possible, and so the score-sheet does not record any double-figure score in that innings, the third highest score being 9.
Cambridge, with 340 to make, were sent in for a quarter of an hour on the second evening, and played out that time for the loss of no wicket, and the gain of no run except an extra.
On the last day of the match the Light Blues offered a dogged defence, and late in the afternoon of the third day it looked as if Cambridge would save the game, as they had 196 on the board for the loss of but four wickets.
Then it was that Mr. Buckland carried all before him, for, going on with the score at 170 and a drawn game imminent, he took the last five wickets for only 14 runs, and Cambridge were out for 206 or so. This must rank as one of the most useful bowling performances ever done at Lord’s.
In 1887 Mr. Buckland had a great match for Oxford at the Oval, when he scored 148 and took seven wickets against Surrey at their best; and as a fitting crown to his good ’Varsity career he was selected to represent the Gentlemen against the Players at Lord’s.
It is sad to think that of the Oxford eleven of 1887, Mr. E. A. Nepean predeceased his colleague by only a few weeks.
Mr. Buckland played some matches for Middlesex after coming to London, where for a time he followed up his degree in the honour school of jurisprudence by the study of law. But fortunately for Winchester College and Wykehamists it was not long before he found himself appointed assistant master at that ancient foundation, with charge of the school cricket, and in this sphere his genius for the game and his irrepressible enthusiasm soon had a marked effect upon the fortunes of Winchester cricket. All his spare time was spent upon the cricket ground, and when he was not bowling at the nets he would be umpiring or taking part in a game, and the boys knew that his critical but encouraging eye was always upon them.
In the early nineties the fruit of his teaching was seen in some very fine teams that represented Winchester, and such distinguished cricketers as J. R. Mason, H. D. G. Leveson-Gower, Vernon Hill, the Cases, C. Wigram, and H. C. McDonell are only examples of the players he turned out.
Mr. Buckland was also a very good racquet player, one of the best public school players of his day, and at racquets he was able to assist considerably the Wykehamists.
He was one of the first young cricketers to turn his attention to the royal and ancient game of golf, and at this he speedily attained great proficiency, being quite in the front rank of cricket-golfers, with a low handicap at the best meetings.
THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE BOAT RACE.
Who will win the Boat Race? This is the all-engrossing topic in sporting circles just now, for the furore for the great “Water Derby” of the year appears more pronounced than ever in 1906. From the beginning of practice it has been obvious that Oxford would be quite as strong as their winning 1905 crew, at least, while the Cambridge crew would be faster than their last year’s combination. Exigencies of the press only enable comment to be made during their intermediate stage of work on the Upper Thames, and, so far, the Dark Blues are deservedly favourites. They are better together than their rivals, and therein lies their merit. Their greater uniformity consists not only in the rise and fall of the blades, but also, even more, in the action of the slides. It may sound heresy to say so, but the fact remains that of two crews—one with blades entering the water in unison, but slides worked at irregular times, and another crew with oars visibly irregular in some places, but slides all driven with one simultaneous kick—the latter will be faster in these days (ceteris paribus, as to physique and as to boats). The irregular time of the Cantab oars, or some of them, is a handicap; but a still greater drawback, so far as prolonged speed is concerned, is their want of uniform action in sliding. When paddling they work better together, and even when at full speed do not get ragged at once.
It is after some eight or ten minutes the uneven sliding tells most. Their reach shortens, the swing fails, and pace falls off. Taken individually, they are as good a set of men in a boat as the Oxonians. It is “as a crew,” that is to say, collectively, that they fail to hit it off so well. Were their throw back of the bodies for the first catch backed by a more timely leg-drive, and by a more vertical drop of the blades into the water, it would be much more effective. As it is, the less ostentatious, but firmer and more vertical entry of the Oxford oars in the water produces more lift on the boat, and more pace in the long run. For these reasons Oxford ought to outstay Cambridge, and repeat their 1905 victory. The complaint that the Dark Blues have nearly three stone more weight on bow side than on stroke is futile. This does not affect the trim of a racing ship if all catch together. Otherwise, such crack pair-oars as Messrs. Warre and Arkell and Messrs. Edwards-Moss and Ellison, &c., would not have immortalised themselves for pace and style at Henley. Oftener than not, however, the last fortnight’s practice has sufficed to upset the “voice of the prophets.” And it must be remembered that up to the time of writing neither crew has yet done any tidal-water work. Cambridge are just the crew to fall into shape at the right moment after looking rough for a long while, and their stroke, a well-known London R.C. man, is highly experienced over the historic reach. But the Oxonians will also attain a good deal more polish at Putney, hence their success appears the more probable. The crews will face the starter (Mr. F. I. Pitman) thus:—
Oxford: (Bow), G. M. Graham (Eton and New College), C. H. Illingworth (Radley and Pembroke), J. Dewar (Rugby and New College), L. E. Jones (Eton and Balliol), A. G. Kirby (Eton and Magdalen), E. P. Evans (Radley and University), A. C. Gladstone (Eton and Christ Church), H. C. Bucknall (Eton and Merton) (Stroke); L. P. Stedall (Harrow and Merton), (Cox).
Cambridge: (Bow), G. D. Cochrane (Eton and Third Trinity), J. H. F. Benham (Fauconberge and Jesus), H. M. Goldsmith (Sherborne and Jesus), M. Donaldson (Charterhouse and First Trinity), B. C. Johnstone (Eton and Third Trinity), R. V. Powell (Eton and Third Trinity), E. W. Powell (Eton and Third Trinity), D. C. R. Stuart (Cheltenham and Trinity Hall) (Stroke); R. Allcard (Eton and Third Trinity), (Cox).
As Mr. Allcard is rapidly putting on flesh, however, another coxswain may be necessitated for Cambridge this year.
CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING.
With the close of March the cross-country running season came to an end. It has been a highly successful one, and it is now more than ever evident that the pastime is highly popular with young athletes, more particularly as a means of training for outdoor summer pastimes. Unfortunately, several of the old courses have had to be abandoned or altered owing to the spread of population and the consequent overgrowth of our larger cities. Yet we have still left to us a greater part of the old national course at Roehampton, and it was over a portion of this that the inter-university race, the first important contest of the season, was decided. With their traditional courtesy, the Thames Hare and Hounds, the pioneers of cross-country running, placed their headquarters at the disposal of the competitors, and their members also superintended the arrangements. The Light Blues were in great form and won very easily, A. H. Pearson, of Westminster and Queen’s, being first man home, and establishing a record of 41 mins. 11 secs. for the course. To the credit of A. R. Churchill, of Cambridge, stood the previous best, he having won last season in 42 mins. 17 secs. Churchill was not in residence, and did not run this season, but the Light Blues were strongly represented.
Marked improvement was shown by the Thames Hare and Hounds, whose running against the Universities was very meritorious, and whose membership has considerably increased. The old club stands aloof from all cross-country competitions, and now only takes part in friendly inter-club runs. It strives to maintain the true amateur spirit, and in doing so sets a worthy example to the younger clubs. Close by its headquarters are those of the Ranelagh Harriers who, like many of the older clubs, does not now hold open competitions, but yet always sends a team to take part in the Southern Counties Cross-country Championship. That of this season was held on new ground. Lingfield and Wembley Park have been favourite spots for the contest, but Imber Court, Thames Ditton, was this year selected. It is admirably suited for the purpose, for there is plenty of open country all round, and inside is a spacious half-mile track. As none of the competitors had run over the course before, it served as an admirable test of comparative ability. The entry was a best on record, no fewer than twenty-four clubs having been entered. A. Aldridge, of the Highgate Harriers, who was first man home in 1905, did not take part, while Alfred Shrubb was, of course, disqualified by his removal outside the pale of amateurism. Highgate Harriers again proved successful, and also had the honour of getting first man home, this being G. Pearce, whose fine running made him somewhat of a favourite for the National Championship at Haydock Park a few weeks later. In the North, the district championship was again won by the Crewe Harriers, but the Sutton Harriers, who finished second, had first man home. The Birchfield Harriers secured the Midland District Championship, and the Northampton Alpine Harriers supplied first man in G. W. Dunkley, who also won the previous year.
The meeting of Straw and Pearce in the National Championship proved most exciting, and Straw only won by five seconds, after a great race. In the last few yards Straw was almost done up, and had Pearce made his spurt a little earlier, the London runner might have won. Straw, however, struggled on to the finish, and by his victory, and the close placing of his fellow-members, scored a win for the Sutton Harriers. Highgate Harriers, who had held this important championship since 1902, were without the services of A. Aldridge, and were placed second. In this race 163 competitors, representing seventeen clubs, took part. The record number is 164 in 1895, when S. Cottrell, of the Thames Valley Harriers, was first man home, and the Birchfield Harriers proved the winning club. After the race a team was selected to represent England in the annual international cross-country race at Newport, the following Saturday. Straw and Pearce were naturally among the chosen team, and they again made a magnificent struggle for victory. On this occasion, however, Straw won more easily, the difference in time being thirteen seconds. England won the championship, which she has held since its institution in 1903, when, at Hamilton Park, Glasgow, she beat Ireland, the second team, by 53 points. This year she defeated Ireland by 62 points, the last-mentioned country being 20 points in front of Scotland, and 42 ahead of Wales. Among the individual runners who distinguished themselves, beside Pearce and Straw, were J. J. Daly, of the Galway Harriers, who came in fourth to Straw, and S. Stevenson, of the Clydesdale, who was tenth. T. Hughes, of the Newport Harriers, was first home for Wales.
GOLF.
The players who go to Muirfield in East Lothian to take part in the Open Champion Meeting are to be provided with competitions in other parts of Scotland. There is to be a tournament at Musselburgh, which used to be a championship green before the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers changed its quarters to Muirfield. In addition, a professional tournament is being arranged for the course on the Braid Hills, Edinburgh.
The foursome tournament among London clubs obtained an entry of thirty-two clubs, and is already in a forward state. Most of the clubs play their professional, but several are content with two amateurs, and it is quite on the cards that the tournament may be won by a club of the latter class. Neutral greens are used until the final round, in which the play must take place on the links of the Walton Heath Club.
In the preliminary matches the Oxford University team is giving a good account of itself. At Oxford it beat by 26 to 17 holes a strong team got together by Mr. W. M. Grundy, while it was successful also against a combination of Huntercombe players, which included Mr. Cecil K. Hutchison and Mr. R. E. Foster, the place of play being Huntercombe. The Cambridge University team, which includes Mr. A. G. Barry, the amateur champion, played a match over the Royal Worlington and Newmarket Club course with the Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society, and were defeated in the singles by seven matches to three, and in the foursomes by three matches to two.
The golfing season in the South of France attracted several of the best players in this country. The annual match play tournament under handicap at Pau was won by Mr. Charles Hutchings, of the Royal Liverpool Club, who carried the heavy handicap of plus four strokes. At Cannes the Gordon-Bennett Challenge Cup was won by Mr. A. J. Stanley, of the Littlestone Club. The Biarritz Club has elected the Earl of Dudley captain for the ensuing year.
“THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE” AT THE COURT THEATRE.
The Vedrenne-Barker management at the Court Theatre has become one of the most interesting institutions in the dramatic world of London, and a very interesting feature of their enterprise is the production of “The Voysey Inheritance,” a play in five acts by Mr. Granville Barker.
Mr. Granville Barker has made a big reputation as an actor, and he seems in a fair way to gaining, it may be, still greater honours as a writer of plays. Certainly “The Voysey Inheritance” is full of merit and promise of greatness for the author. The story deals with the affairs of Mr. Voysey, a fraudulent solicitor, who has for years been living in luxury upon the funds which his confiding clients have entrusted to his hands for investment. His method is simple enough, and consists of paying the annual interest out of the capital and financing himself with the funds so long as they last. His son and partner, Edward Voysey, discovers this, and, being a conscientious solicitor, remonstrates with his father. The speculative and peculative parent, however, explains that this is the traditional method of business in the office of Voysey and Son, and is really the best in the interests of the clients, since it is more comforting for them to draw their interest as regularly as can be managed than to learn the sad news that their capital is gone.
In the second act we see the Voysey family chez eux at Bramleyfield, Chislehurst, ten of them altogether; and in their varied personalities Mr. Barker has given us a remarkably clever study of the later Victorian upper-middle class. The Voyseys may be distantly connected with the Ridgeleys, whom Mr. Pinero has recently introduced to London; but we think they are a very much more interesting family, for whereas one Ridgeley is very like another, each member of the Voysey family is full of individuality.
The third act shows the Voysey family in solemn conclave after the funeral of their father, who has been sent to his last resting-place by a sudden chill. Edward explains the unfortunate financial position of the house of Voysey, and indeed he is in a position deserving of the greatest sympathy as sole surviving partner malgré lui in an old-established and fraudulently flourishing solicitor’s office.
To please his people and to do the best he can for his clients, Edward accepts the Voysey inheritance, and devotes his life to an attempt to put things right.
This is difficult enough, and when some creditors become anxious and ask for their capital to be paid off the Voysey business is in a worse way than ever. However, the greatly harassed Edward is consoled by an avowal of love from the young lady to whom for a long time he had been accustomed to offer his hand without success, and the end of the play leaves him engaged to be married, although still weighed down by the inheritance. The play is like all productions under the Vedrenne-Barker management, admirably acted throughout. Mr. Fred Kerr gives an excellent study of Voysey père, so plausible in his defence of his grave irregularities, and so benevolent when we see him in the bosom of his family. Mr. Charles Fulton is at his best as Major Booth Voysey, a very flamboyant and truculent warrior who commands attention whenever he speaks. The author himself plays Edward Voysey, and his interpretation of the part must be correct, although for ourselves we would have felt more sympathy for a hero who seemed a little less like a model boy from the Y.M.C.A. With all his nobility of nature we must not forget that Edward Voysey is a solicitor of some years’ standing.
The ladies of the company are all admirable, and the performance of Miss Florence Haydon, the dear deaf old mother of the Voyseys, is simply charming. And a proof of the merit of “The Voysey Inheritance” is that people generally seem to want to see it again.
Sporting Intelligence.
[During February-March, 1906.]
At a largely attended meeting held at the Royal Agricultural Hall on February 13th, Mr. J. Sidney Turner, the Chairman of the Kennel Club, presented Mr. E. W. Jaquet, who has been the Secretary since 1901, with a cheque for 400 guineas, an address on vellum, and a silver tea and coffee service, together with a tray, which had been subscribed for by over 400 members of dog clubs and ladies and gentlemen who are interested in the exhibition and the breeding of dogs.
According to the Reading Mercury and Berks County Paper, the South Berks on February 15th had an exciting and unpleasant experience. Hounds met at Woodley, and hunted a fox on to Bulmershe Lake, then covered with ice of very unequal thickness. The fox apparently ran across in safety, but two of the pursuing pack, going over thin ice, went through and were at once in imminent danger. The couple, however, managed to get their fore-feet on the ice, and the Hon. Secretary, Mr. W. J. Henman, with some assistance, launched an old boat and proceeded to smash through with the aid of crowbars. Proceedings were, naturally, somewhat slow, but, happily, the hounds were reached in time and taken ashore.
We have to record the death of the Right Hon. A. F. Jeffreys, M.P., which occurred on February 14th at his residence, Burkham House, Alton, Hants. Mr. Arthur Frederick Jeffreys was born in 1848. At one time Vice-President of the Central Chamber of Agriculture, and President of various agricultural societies, Mr. Jeffreys was recognised in the House as an authority on topics connected with the land. The deceased gentleman was a good all-round sportsman; at Oxford he played in his college eleven (Christ Church), and later for the M.C.C., and also for the Hampshire team in the seventies. He gained his blue at Oxford for athletics, and won the quarter-mile against Cambridge in 1869; he was a good shot, fond of hunting, and a keen preserver of foxes.
At the Leicester repository on February 17th, twelve hunters, formerly the property of the late Sir James Miller, were sold; Cave 450 gs., Nipper 430 gs., Nobbie 340 gs., The General 260 gs., Sans Loi 125 gs., and Merry Boy 100 gs., were the principal prices, the average for the twelve being £175. On the same day Mr. Hugh Owen sold Bentinck, 350 gs.; Toffy, 250 gs.; and Caliban, 200 gs. There was a large gathering at the same establishment on February 24th, when Lord Hamilton of Dalzell sent up a number of hunters. The chief prices were: Stokes, 430 gs.; Phillip, 380 gs.; Pickpocket, 200 gs.; Governor, 180 gs.; Hamos, 120 gs.; and Warwick, 100 gs. Captain E. York (Royal Dragoons) sold the following: Warwick, 135 gs.; Cheesecake, 105 gs.; The Professor and Diana, 100 gs. each.
Fulmen, by Galopin, bred by the late Prince Batthany in 1880, died at the Gorlsdorf Stud on February 18th. Sold to Count Redern in 1889, Fulmen was taken to Germany, and proved a very successful sire, his stock having won over £150,000 between 1893 and the end of last season.
A well-known sportsman in the Shires passed away on February 26th, when Mr. Hutchinson Dalby Hunt died at Caldecott at the advanced age of 91 years. A keen hunting man, Mr. Hunt attended the meets of hounds until within four years ago; he was a good all-round supporter of sports and pastimes, and in his time had bred and trained some successful horses; Playfair, winner of the Grand National in 1888, being bred by him.
We have to record with regret the death of Captain James Thomas Richard Lane Fox, which occurred at Bramham on February 26th, after a brief illness. The deceased, who was born in 1841, was Master of the Bramham Moor Foxhounds and a Deputy Lieutenant for the West Riding of Yorkshire. A portrait with biographical sketch appeared in Baily for February, 1906.
A correspondent, writing to the Field of March 3rd, says: “An interesting incident happened on Monday, when the Garth Hounds ran a fox into the ice-house in Mr. Garth’s park. The house is thatched with straw, and a bitch called Gaylass sprang on to the thatch, tore it open, seized the fox, and brought him with her down to the ground into the middle of the pack.” Gaylass is by Cheshire Partner out of Mr. Mackenzie’s Gratitude, and was bought by Mr. Gosling at Mr. Pennefeather’s sale.
For the nineteenth successive year the forage arrangements at the London Spring Horse Shows at the Royal Agricultural Hall have been carried out in the most expeditious and satisfactory manner by Messrs. Nickolls and Baker, 18, Mortimer Street, London, W. The work was performed with all the regularity and efficiency that come from long experience and personal attention to the details.
During the Council meeting of the Football Association, held on March 12th, Mr. C. W. Alcock, who was for many years Hon. Sec. and subsequently elected a Vice-President, was presented by his colleagues with a handsome gold watch as a small token of esteem on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of his unbroken service to Association football. The presentation was made by Lord Kinnaird in an admirable speech, and was supported by Messrs. J. C. Clegg (Chairman) and C. Crump. Mr. Alcock, in his reply, referred to the good football had done to millions of people, inducing them to spend their time in the open air and away from possibly squalid surroundings.
Captain W. G. Smyth, J.P., of South Elkington Hall, Louth, Lincolnshire, had, says the Sportsman, his 150th ride to hounds this season on March 10th. He has hunted with five different packs.
Writing to the Field from the Frensham Pond Hotel, Mr. G. A. W. Griffiths gives the following: An extraordinary find here last Saturday (March 10th) may perhaps interest many of your angling readers. My son, seeing, as he thought, a dead duck floating on the water took boat and went for it, but found, to his great surprise, two pike locked together by the jaws—of course dead. Naturally the incident has caused much local interest, and several persons came along yesterday to see for themselves the strange partnership. The fish weigh about 2 lb. and 4 lb. respectively, and the very curious part is that the head of the larger is crammed into the mouth of the smaller to its utmost holding capacity, rendering a further extension of the latter’s jaws impossible. The general theory is that a desperate fight (certainly to a finish) was the cause of so singular an incident.
We regret to record the death of the veteran huntsman, Frank Goodall, which occurred at the residence of his son, at Acton, on March 16th. Goodall was seventy-five years of age.
The Duchess of Sutherland had an alarming experience at the meet of the Quorn Hounds on March 16th, at Frisby-on-the-Wreake. Just as hounds were moving off to draw Cream Gorse, her grace’s horse slipped up, and fell on its side, and the duchess was thrown right into the midst of a crowd of motor-cars, carriages and horses. She sustained some injury to one leg, and could take no part in the day’s sport, being conveyed in her motor-car to her hunting quarters, Pickwell Manor.
In the unavoidable absence of the Duke of Westminster, the Earl of Shrewsbury made a presentation to Mr. W. Brown, of Nantwich, in recognition of an act of gallantry displayed during a recent run of the South Cheshire Foxhounds. Mr. Reginald Corbet, the Master, had endangered his life in attempting to save three hounds from a deep and flooded stream in the neighbourhood of Nantwich, when Mr. Brown plunged in and rescued the exhausted Master. The presentation consisted of a handsome silver tray with tea and coffee service.
Major Deacon, the Master of the East Essex Foxhounds, sustained a nasty accident. While taking a high hedge, his horse fell back upon him. The muscles of his leg were strained and bruised, and he was otherwise injured. It is feared he will be unable to hunt again this season.
The inhabitants of Goosnargh (Lancashire) organised a hunt after a fox, which they assumed was responsible for the disappearance of many prize poultry lately. The thief, however, says the Sportsman, was found to be a fine dog badger, weighing nearly 28-lb., which was trapped in his hole, together with his family, at Blake Hall.
Among the stands at the Horse Shows at the Royal Agricultural Hall we notice, as usual, that of the Molassine Co., Ltd., of 36, Mark Lane, London, E.C. This firm has the pleasure of counting the owners of many of the prize-winning horses among its customers, a good testimony to the value of the food. The champion mare at the Shire Horse Show, Sussex Bluegown, we understand has been fed on Molassine Meal.
TURF.
| HURST PARK. | |||
| February 16th.—The Molesey Handicap of 250 sovs.; two miles. | |||
| Mr. C. Hibbert’s b. h. Royal Rouge, by Florizel II.—Red Enamel, aged, 11st. 5lb. | J. Nightingall | 1 | |
| Mr. A. Stedall’s Gavel, 5 yrs., 10st. | J. Dillon | 2 | |
| Prince Hatzfeldt’s Cossack Post, aged, 12st. | Mr. Hastings | 3 | |
| 10 to 1 agst. Royal Rouge. | |||
| February 17th.—The February Maiden Hurdle Race of 250 sovs.; two miles. | |||
| Mr. Imber’s b. h. Sandboy, by Ravensbury—Sandblast, 6 yrs., 12st. 3lb. | J. Hare | 1 | |
| Mr. George Edwardes’ ch. c. Knight of the Garter, 4 yrs., 10st. 7lb. | F. Mason | 2 | |
| Mr. A. Stedall’s bl. c. Leopold, 4 yrs., 10st. 7lb. | J. Dillon | 3 | |
| 5 to 4 on Sandboy. | |||
| WARWICK CLUB MEETING. | |||
| February 22nd.—The Leamington Grand Annual Handicap Steeplechase of 200 sovs.; three miles. | |||
| Lord G. Grosvenor’s br. h. Noble Lad, by Noble Chieftain—The Lady, aged, 10st. 12lb. | J. Conway | 1 | |
| Mr. H. Hardy’s b. g. Tom West, aged, 10st. 10lb. | H. Murphy | 2 | |
| Mr. Cotton’s ch. g. Phil May, aged, 12st. 7lb. | J. Owens | 3 | |
| 2 to 1 agst. Noble Lad. | |||
| HAYDOCK PARK MEETING. | |||
| February 24th.—The Great Central Handicap Steeplechase of 200 sovs.; three miles. | |||
| Mr. John Widger’s b. m. Northern Light IV., by Blairfinde—False Dawn, aged, 11st. 11lb. | Owner | 1 | |
| Sir Peter Walker’s br. g. Royal Drake, aged, 12st. 4lb. | J. O’Brien | 2 | |
| Mr. P. E. Speakman’s bl. g. Buckaway II., aged, 11st. 9lb. | A. Newey | 3 | |
| 6 to 4 on Northern Light IV. | |||
| SANDOWN PARK MEETING. | |||
| March 1st.—The Liverpool Trial Steeplechase of 200 sovs.; about three miles and a half. | |||
| Mr. J. S. Morrison’s br. g. John M.P., by Britannic—Guiding Star, aged, 11st. | W. Taylor | 1 | |
| Mr. A. Gorham’s ch. g. Wolf’s Folly, aged, 10st. 9lb. | T. Fitton | 2 | |
| Mr. J. W. Philipps’ br. g. Crautacaun, aged, 10st. 9lb. | I. Anthony | 3 | |
| 3 to 1 on John M.P. | |||
| March 2nd.—The Grand Military Gold Cup of 445 sovs.; three miles. | |||
| Mr. R. F. Eyre’s ch. g. Royal Blaze, by Royal Exchange—Searchlight, 6 yrs., 12st. | Capt. L. Denny | 1 | |
| Mr. R. C. de Crespigny’s b. g. Prince Tallyrand, aged, 12st. | Capt. de Crespigny | 2 | |
| Capt. C. Cradock’s b. h. Prizeman, 6 yrs., 11st. 9lb. | Owner | 3 | |
| 100 to 8 agst. Royal Blaze. | |||
| March 3rd.—The Grand Military Handicap Steeplechase of 200 sovs.; two miles and a half. | |||
| Mr. C. Bewicke’s b. c. Ticket o’ Leave, by Prisoner—Primula, 5 yrs., 10st. 12lb. | Mr. A. Fitzgerald | 1 | |
| Gen. Hamilton’s b. m. Olive, aged, 10st. 11lb. | Capt. Stacpoole | 2 | |
| Capt. L. S. Denny’s b. g. Matchboard, 6 yrs., 11st. 7lb. | Owner | 3 | |
| 100 to 8 agst. Ticket o’ Leave. | |||
| The United Service Steeplechase of 150 sovs.; two miles. | |||
| Mr. C. Bewicke’s b. g. Glamore, by Eglamour, dam’s ped. unknown, aged, 12st. 7lb. | Owner | 1 | |
| Mr. C. Bewicke’s br. c. John Shark, 4 yrs., 10st. 7lb. | Capt. Stacpoole | 2 | |
| Mr. Hugh Ashton’s ch. g. Sanctimonious, 5 yrs., 12st. | Mr. Forsythe | 3 | |
| 7 to 4 agst. Glamore. | |||
| NATIONAL HUNT AND WARWICK. | |||
| March 8th.—The National Hunt Steeplechase of 1,000 sovs.; four miles and about 150 yards. | |||
| Mr. W. Charter’s ch. g. Count Rufus, by Wise Count, dam by Arraby, aged, 12st. 3lb. | Mr. A. Gordon | 1 | |
| Mr. C. W. Wadsworth’s b. h. Port Light II., aged, 12st. 3lb. | Hon. A. Hastings | 2 | |
| Capt. James Foster’s ch. h. Lara, 5yrs., 11st. 8lb. | Capt. R. H. Collis | 3 | |
| 25 to 1 agst. Count Rufus. | |||
| The National Hunt Juvenile Steeplechase of 500 sovs.; for maiden four-year-olds; 11st. 7lb. each; two miles and a quarter. | |||
| Mr. B. W. Parr’s ch. f. Nanoya, by Winkfield—Elissa | Mr. H. Persse | 1 | |
| Mr. J. Chamberlin’s br. c. English Oak | Mr. Watson | 2 | |
| Mr. Owen J. Williams’ ch. f. Irish Poplin | Mr. Fergusson | 3 | |
| 7 to 1 agst. Nanoya. | |||
| The Warwick Handicap Steeplechase of 200 sovs.; two miles and three-quarters. | |||
| Mr. F. Bibby’s b. g. Comfit, by Butterscotch, dam by Clanronald—K.T., aged, 12st. | F. Mason | 1 | |
| Sir Peter Walker’s br. g. Royal Drake, aged, 11st. 11lb. | E. Sullivan | 2 | |
| Lord Howard de Walden’s b. g. Centre Board, 6 yrs., 11st. 11lb. | J. Cain | 3 | |
| 6 to 4 agst. Comfit. | |||
| HURST PARK. | |||
| March 10th.—The New Century Steeplechase of 437 sovs,; two miles. | |||
| Mr. C. T. Garland’s br. g. Oatlands, by Waterford—Blanche Nef, 6 yrs., 12st. | H. Aylin | 1 | |
| Mr. T. Clyde’s br. g. Sachem, 5 yrs., 12st. | J. O’Brien | 2 | |
| Sir Henry Randall’s b. or br. c. Frisky Bill, 4yrs., 10st. | Mr. Rollason | 3 | |
| 100 to 7 agst. Oatlands. | |||
RACQUETS.
March 9th.—At Prince’s Club, the Military Championship Doubles; 2nd Batt. Highland Light Infantry (Lieut. H. Balfour-Bryant, M.V.O., and Lieut. P. Bramwell-Davies, the holders) beat 4th. Batt. King’s Royal Rifles (Major S. F. Mott and Lieut. G. T. Lee) by four games to one.
March 17th.—At Prince’s Club, the Military Championship Singles: Major S. H. Sheppard, D.S.O. (Royal Engineers), beat Lieut. H. Balfour-Bryant, M.V.O. (2nd Batt. Highland Light Infantry), the holder, by three games to two.
COURSING.
February 23rd.—The Waterloo Cup, Mr. H. Hardy’s f. d. Hoprend, by Forgotten Fashion—Heirloom, beat Mr. S. S. Death’s w. bk. d. Dividend Deferred, by Grampus—Dark Dame.
February 23rd.—The Waterloo Purse, Mr. R. J. Hannam nom. (Mr. A. Forster’s) f. b. Formula, by Pateley Bridge—Forest Fairy, and Mr. W. Ward nom. (Mr. T. Graham’s) Game ’Un, by Tara—Glenvera, divided.
February 23rd.—The Waterloo Plate, Mr. H. Birkbeck’s bd. b. Neolithic, by Father Flint—Filagree, and Mr. R. H. Whitworth nom. (Mr. H. Hardy’s) bd. d. p. Howtown, by Father Flint—Heirloom, divided.
FOOTBALL.
February 17th.—At Queen’s Club, Oxford v. Cambridge, latter won by 3 goals to 1.†
February 17th.—At Belfast, Ireland v. England, latter won by 5 goals to 0.†
February 24th.—At Dublin, Ireland v. Scotland, latter won by 13 points to 6.*
March 3rd.—At Edinburgh, Scotland v. Wales, latter won by 2 goals to 0.†
March 3rd.—At Aldershot, Corinthians v. Army, drawn, 1 goal each.†
March 7th.—At Oxford, the University v. United Services, former won by 5 goals 3 points to 1 goal 1 try.*
March 10th.—At Queen’s Club, Royal Navy v. The Army, Army won by 5 goals to 2.†
March 10th.—At Belfast, Ireland v. Wales, former won by 8 points to 3.*
March 10th.—At Exeter, Devon v. Durham (County Championship final), former won by 11 points to 0.*
* Under Rugby Rules.
† Under Association Rules.
Baily’s Magazine
OF
Sports and Pastimes.
| DIARY FOR MAY, 1906. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Day of Month. | Day of Week. | OCCURRENCES. |
| 1 | Tu | Newmarket First Spring, Worcester and United Hunt (Lingfield) Races. |
| 2 | W | Two Thousand Guineas, Worcester and Hexham Races. |
| 3 | Th | Newmarket, Hexham, Thirsk, Isle of Wight, and Newport (Mon.) Races. |
| 4 | F | One Thousand Guineas, Thirsk, Isle of Wight and Newport (Mon.) Races. |
| 5 | S | Windsor Races. |
| 6 | S | Third Sunday after Easter. |
| 7 | M | Folkestone, Shirley Hunt and Pershore Races. |
| 8 | Tu | Chester, Aldershot and Pershore Races. |
| 9 | W | Chester Cup, Aldershot, Newton Abbot and Shincliffe Races. |
| 10 | Th | Chester and Newton Abbot Races. |
| 11 | F | Kempton Park, Ripon and Keele Park Races. |
| 12 | S | Kempton Park (Great Jubilee Stakes), Ripon and Keele Park Races. |
| 13 | S | Fourth Sunday after Easter. |
| 14 | M | Southwell and Wye Races. |
| 15 | Tu | Newmarket Second Spring and Southwell Races. |
| 16 | W | Newmarket Stakes and West Somerset (Crewkerne) Races. |
| 17 | Th | Newmarket and West Somerset Races. |
| 18 | F | Gatwick, Haydock Park and Hamilton Park Races. |
| 19 | S | Gatwick, Haydock Park and Hamilton Park Races. |
| 20 | S | Rogation Sunday. |
| 21 | M | Nottingham Hunt Races. |
| 22 | Tu | York and Bath Races. |
| 23 | W | York and Bath Races. |
| 24 | Th | Doncaster, Salisbury and Hamilton Park Races. |
| 25 | F | Doncaster and Salisbury Races. |
| 26 | S | Harpenden Races. |
| 27 | S | Sunday after Ascension. |
| 28 | M | Southwell Races. |
| 29 | Tu | Epsom Races. |
| 30 | W | The Derby. |
| 31 | Th | Epsom Races. |
WORKS BY SIR WALTER GILBEY, BART.
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