HUNTING.
The past month will be remembered by hunting people for the number of long, well-sustained hunts that have taken place. Almost any one of them would be entitled to take a place among the historic runs recorded from time to time in Baily. The most remarkable was the run of the Albrighton on Saturday, December 30th. It will be remembered that this well-known Staffordshire hunt started the season with a new master, Lieut.-Colonel Goulburn, and a new huntsman, Morris, who had been first whipper-in, under Tom Bishopp, with the Grafton, and had succeeded the latter as huntsman. The fixture was at Dudmaston, in the Bridgnorth district. This is a meet which attracts few, for one of the last lessons we learn in hunting is that it is better to go to meets, good or bad by reputation, if you have a horse fit to go. We never know where or when the great run will come off. The first fox went down to the Severn and swam across. The next fox, after a much longer hunt, also ran down to the Severn, near Apley Park, which river here divides the Albrighton from the Wheatland country. Without hesitation he entered the river and, followed by the pack, swam across. This of course threw out the huntsmen and field, but they found a bridge, and Morris got to his hounds in time, by a judicious cast, to hit off the line. Not without checks and difficulty, but with hounds and huntsman working well, the line was kept until at last darkness set in, and after two hours and a half hounds had to be stopped.
The coming change in the Blankney Hunt is a matter of rejoicing, because once more a Bentinck will be connected with a hunt which Lord Henry Bentinck did so much for. Readers of Baily who will turn back to their old volumes will learn easily how much. Then Lord Charles Bentinck, who is to become huntsman and joint master, is a well-known soldier and polo player. He was one of the team of the 9th Lancers, in their best days a most brilliant regimental team. Lord Charles will no doubt make a good huntsman, and keep up the Blankney record of sport over what is probably the best scenting and perhaps the stiffest country in Lincolnshire. On the other hand, I am sorry that it should displace an excellent hunt servant and old friend in George Shepherd, who, under three masters, has done so well. It is not likely, however, that so good a huntsman will be long in want of a situation. He is one of those instances where a first-rate whipper-in has made an excellent huntsman.
Among the packs that have had noteworthy runs must be included the Heythrop. Theirs took place on Friday, December 22nd. They met at New Barn, and found at once. In the Bourton Vale hounds ran well. The scent, though not burning, was holding, and hounds worked out the line without much help. The finish was a kill in Bruern Wood after a fine hunt of two hours and a quarter. The distance from point to point is ten miles, but hounds must have covered fifteen miles or more. Captain Daly, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Lord, and Major Scott were among those who saw it all.
As I write the news reaches me that the North Cotswold have found a master. This country, of course, is neighbour to the Heythrop. Mr. McNeill’s successor is Sir John Hume Campbell, at present Master of the Ormond, where he has not found that foxes are preserved as they ought to be. In the North Cotswold there is nothing to be desired. Sir John intends to hunt the hounds himself. It is not stated whether Mr. McNeill’s wonderful pack of Belvoir-bred bitches will be kept in the country, but no doubt this will be the case. Masters are not scarce, for there were no less than twenty-two candidates.
Melton condition seldom fails to carry the sportsman to the end of the day, but on Monday, January 8th, the Quorn, having met at Nether Broughton, hounds led them such a dance in the Belvoir Vale that many horses could not reach the end. No doubt the going was heavy, for there has been a fall of rain which has made up for the drought. In Welby Osier Beds they found their fox, and this covert is a key to the best of the Belvoir. At Bescaby Oaks, the traditional first draw of the Belvoir on the opening day, the fox saved his brush.
Even more remarkable was the run the Woodland Pytchley had on January 8th. The big woods of this country are divided by grass fields and big fences, and it always seems to me that to be practicable at all there are no more formidable fences than some of the boundary fences of this country. During the early months of the year, in a well-preserved country with strong coverts, foxes are on the move, and a stout travelling woodland fox takes a great deal of killing, even with that sharp pack of bitches which Tom Carr handles so well. Hounds ran two wide rings from Carlton Wood, and then perhaps with a fresh fox hunted on to Desbrough. Had there been a kill, this run would have been perfect in its way. In any case, it adds one more to the many old-fashioned runs we have to tell of this month.
To this must be added the run of the Blankney also on January 8th, which was one of the days that have provided a good scent in many countries. Mr. Edgar Lubbock took his hounds, by Sir Gilbert Greenall’s invitation, to Aswarby. Sir George Whichcote is such a careful fox preserver that the Belvoir, with their wide extent of country, cannot come often enough. It was a gallant old customer that they found in one of the plantations. The line was very straight, and that they travelled a nine-mile point in fifty minutes shows that the pace was more than ordinarily good.
No country has, without adding to our list of historic runs, had a better average season than the Atherstone under Mr. Munro and Whitemore. But for a long and sustained chase ending with a kill the palm must be awarded to the Fitzwilliam at Tillbrook. The bitch pack dropped on to an out-lier. Starting close to his brush, the pack settled to hunt at a fair pace, and, best of all, never left the line till they reached Barnwell Wood, through which good scenting covert hounds ran furiously for blood, and were not long in catching their fox. This was one of those runs not too fast for the horses, with no checks, and hounds doing their own with lots of drive and merry music, that keep up one’s love for foxhunting.