The three-year-olds in France this season do not appear, with two or three exceptions, to be more than moderate, the best of them all being Mr. W. K. Vanderbilt’s Prestige, a colt by le Pompon (bred by M. Edouard Blanc) who has won all his engagements, seven as a two-year-old and four this spring, in most decisive fashion, but he is not, unfortunately, engaged in any of the “classic” races at home or abroad; the best of the others being M. Edmond Blanc’s Blue Fly who ran second to him upon one occasion, and who is in the French Derby, the Epsom Oaks, and the Grand Prix de Paris. She would be favourite for the Chantilly Race were there any betting on future events, and she is well bred enough for anything, being by Flying Fox—Bluette, dam of that good horse Omnium II. The best of the colts engaged in the French Derby are Organiste, the property of M. de Brémond, whose colours were carried at Epsom seven years ago by the ill-fated Holocauste, who fell and broke his leg, and Ganelon II., who is owned by Count de Moltke; the latter colt is a grandson of St. Simon, his sire, Lauzun (by St. Simon—Merrie Lassie) having been bred by the King at Sandringham, and having won a good race or two before being sold to a French breeder. Ganelon II., who is one of the first of his get, looks like being a credit to his sire, for he has now won all his three engagements in a canter (beating, in one of them, Organiste), and gives one the impression of being a colt of high class, though Organiste may have made more improvement from two to three, as he was very backward when he finished second to Ganelon II. last autumn.
HUNTING.
There are but a few words needful to wind up the story of the season of 1905–6. It has been one of the most open ever known. Sport has varied, since scent has, of course, not been equally serviceable everywhere, and accounts range from the Heythrop, which has had a notably bad scenting season, up to the Badminton, the Cottesmore, the Fitzwilliam, and the Albrighton, all of which packs have had extraordinarily good seasons. The last named, hunting over a country not generally remarkable for carrying a scent, have had an unusually good season. The Master, Colonel Goulburn, and the huntsman, Morris, are new to the country, so that the record of kills—sixty-five brace—accounted for is all the more creditable, especially as it represents a number of quite remarkable runs. There must be a certain feeling of regret in the thought that the Quorn hounds will leave their old kennel this season. The new establishment at Pawdy Cross Roads may have more convenience, but it cannot have the associations of the old one, which invited the admiration of our grandfathers. “The kennels and stables at Quorn are superb,” wrote one who saw them in Mr. Meynell’s time; “they are within easy reach of the forest of Charnwood, and we hunt there long after the good country is shut up, in fact, until May-day.” Men make shorter seasons in the Midlands now than they did in Mr. Meynell’s day, but we kill more foxes; as in the five years from 1791 to 1796 the Quorn Hounds only averaged 36½ brace of foxes. The new kennels have every convenience, and we may be sure that Captain Forester and Tom Bishopp will not fail to have an always improving pack to live in them. No country has afforded more sport than the Fitzwilliam, which has found foxes for three other packs besides the Milton. Mr. Fernie’s hounds had a final day in the woods near Colly Weston on April 10th. There were plenty of foxes, seven being viewed in one covert, but there was not much scent to hunt them with. Such a show of foxes at the close of the season makes it clear what honest and careful preserving can do, since no less than four different packs have been in these coverts during the season. The ideas of people on fox preserving differ in an amusing way. I was discussing the other day the prospects of a certain country whose very existence hangs in the balance with two men. The hunting man thought there were very few foxes. The shooting man assured me there were plenty. But I think, perhaps, the late masters would differ from him.
The season of 1905–6 has been remarkable for the small number of changes of mastership, and the ease with which vacancies have been filled up. The two most important alterations do not, indeed, arise out of vacancies at all, but from the masters being joined by partners. Thus Lord Charles Bentinck becomes joint master of the Blankney, and Lord Algernon Percy returns to his former post with the North Warwickshire as joint master with Mr. J. P. Arkwright.
Among the new masters’ appointments since I wrote last are Mr. Swire to the Essex, and Mr. Neven du Mont to the East Sussex. The last-named gentleman is not an Englishman, but he is a very good sportsman, and he is to have the support of Sir Anchitel Ashburnham-Clement, to whom Sussex foxhunters owe so much. But if masters have not changed, many huntsmen and whippers-in are shifting. Gillson, who has been for some years with Mr. Preston Rawnsley in the Southwold country, has been appointed to succeed F. Gosden with the Meynell. Gillson’s brother goes to the Bedale from the South and West Wilts, with which pack he has shown good sport. There was no huntsman more respected and admired than the late George Gillson of the Cottesmore, and it is pleasant to see his two sons doing so well. An excellent servant, too, is George Shepherd, who is to be kennel huntsman to Lord Southampton with the Grafton. He has just finished a most enjoyable season with the Blankney. That pack has scarcely missed a single day. A promising man, too, is J. Baker, who has been first whipper-in to the Fitzwilliam, and is said to be going to the Cambridgeshire, a country where a good man can show much excellent sport. Then Freeman goes to the Pytchley in place of John Isaacs, who retires with a testimonial after twenty-six years in service with the Pytchley.
Exmoor stag-hunting closed on April 11th, after an unusually brilliant season. The final fortnight after spring stags was a most successful close to the sport. The best run was on Friday, 6th, from Venniford Cross. Sir Thomas Acland’s coverts, as usual, when this fixture is on the card were drawn, and at one o’clock a stag was found, or rather two, but one soon disappeared, while the other went on. There had been just a sprinkle of rain the day before, and in spite of an east wind and brilliant sunshine hounds ran well, even over the plough. The first part of the run from Selworthy to Venniford Cross was bright and full of dash, and hounds swept on to Tivington Plantations, hard on their stag, which by this time had shed one antler. Then he laid down and allowed the field to go close to his lair, till hounds were too near to be pleasant, then he sprang up with a tremendous crash and literally hurled himself through the bushes and trees. He did not stop again till he reached Stonley Wood, some seven or eight miles from the start. Twice he came down to the stream below Monkham Wood, and we all thought the end had come. But in the course of the hunt in Monkham he shed the other horn, and thus lightened climbed the steeps of Langridge, and taking a line past Treborough Church, one of the highest placed buildings on the Brendon Hills, he went down to the water in Haddon coverts. Strange to say all trace of him was lost here, and he was given up. As hounds ran they covered about fifteen miles, and the pace was good. The field, including a good many strangers, was scattered, and only a few got to the end—the Master, the hunt servants, and one lady from Minehead, Mrs. Blofield. For my part, I could not get beyond Stonley, and not a few were left here. The day was warm, the pace was good, and fourteen stone riding the line honestly was bound to come to the end of the horse.
I am able on good authority to assure the readers of Baily that there are plenty of stags and hinds for next season and for many more after that. This season was better than last, and the next will be even better if the weather is favourable. There are, as I have said, plenty of stags for sport, and not so many as to interfere with hounds. They have been thoroughly and systematically hunted, and thus are more likely to run. Mr. R. A. Sanders remains Master of the Devon and Somerset, Mr. E. A. Stanley and Sir John Amory provide the subsidiary packs, and in these three masters are three men who can hunt a red deer with a skill, keenness and science well worthy of the sporting traditions of Exmoor.
The close of the season has been clouded by several rather serious accidents and one fatal one (Mr. Bovill was killed while hunting with the Warnham Staghounds). The cause of this last fall was said to be wire. At all events, the summer is the time to try to lessen this scourge. I am firmly convinced that wire should never be marked in countries where the use of this fencing prevails. There is sure to be some place where there are no warning signs, and it is here that fatal accidents so often happen. There is one step that might be taken and ought to be taken. Men who hunt and are favourable to hunting should remove all the wire that is under their control from their own properties, whether they themselves hunt in the country or not. Then those who have influence with their tenants should endeavour to reduce the quantity on land they own but do not occupy. There is nothing more certain than that if all the wire was taken down by hunting men and hunting landlords on land in their own occupation it would greatly reduce the quantity and would set an example sure to be followed.
Mr. David Ker, who has held the mastership of the County Down Staghounds for two seasons, has retired, much to the regret of his followers. Captain Hugh Montgomery, only son of Mr. Thomas Montgomery, D.L., of Ballydrain, co. Antrim, has been elected as Mr. Ker’s successor, and he should do well, as he is popular, a keen sportsman and fine horseman.