Mr. J. G. Blanshard, who had been for some thirty years secretary of the Wetherby Steeplechase Meeting, died at his residence, Walton, near Wetherby, on January 18th, at the age of seventy. Mr. Blanshard was a well-known judge of horses, and bred many good hunters in his time.
On January 18th there died at his residence, Wynnstay Gardens, Kensington, Mr. Thomas Hughes, aged eighty-three years. Mr. Hughes was, in his day, a well-known personage on the turf, and so far back as 1859 he did well when The Brewer won the Liverpool Autumn Cup; and in 1864 he won the Chester Cup with the eight-year-old Flash-in-the-Pan.
The Croome Hounds had a good run on January 20th, during which the pack got upon the railway and had the misfortune to lose a hound.
At the early age of forty-two years, Sir James Percy Miller, Bart., died at Manderston, Duns, Berwickshire, on January 22nd, as the result of a chill taken while out hunting the previous week. The deceased baronet had a very successful career on the Turf, and in 1903 won the Derby with Rock Sand; he was also well known in the hunting-field, and had been from 1897 Master of the local pack.
Owing to the death of Sir George Shiffner, which occurred on January 23rd, in his eighty-sixth year, at his residence, Coombe, Lewes, the Southdown Foxhounds did not meet for several days.
A painful incident occurred with the Meynell Hounds on January 25th. The meet was at Brailsford Bridge, and Captain Frederick Livingstone Campbell, superintendent of the Sheerness Dockyard, who was out, suffered a seizure just as the fox was killed, and fell from his saddle, dislocating his neck; hounds were at once called off.