HUNTING

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3259, 3 July 1911, Page 7

HUNTING

POVERTY BAY HOUNDS

RARE DAY’S SPORT AT HEXTON

A meet of the Poverty Bay Hunt Club took place at Hexton on Saturday. The bright sunshine and bracing atmosphere made ideal hunting weather, and tempted a large number oHt. The hounds threw off at 11 a.m., and it was not long before they started a strong hare, which gave the field a fine run of about four miles up hill and down dale over fine sporting country, but puss was eventually lost in some dense scrub and the hounds were called off. H. deLautour, the Deputy-Mas-ter, had a couple of soil Is in the run, one being a rather’ severe one. His liorse rolled over him at a stiff rvire fence with a ditch on the landing side. The hounds were then taken back: to the flat country, where they soon had the field going again at a rattling pace for six miles, when puss had a short rest in a swamp, but the scent, was good after the recent rain, and the hounds soon had her off once more at top pace. The horses now began to tire, and the field began to thin out. Those who droned out retired to the top of a small hill, where they had a good view of the sport. Puss scampered round and round in a circle for about twelve miles. The riders took turns in keeping the chase up, dropping out as their horses became winded, and others taking their

places. When puss was'on the verge of being caught, she disappeared as. if by rhagic. and was not seen again. The disappointing part of this long run was that there was on]-- one obstacle in it. After the honfes had been given half an hour’s rest, a start was once more made, and the large field was soon racing away across the flat. After a fast run of about four miles puss again eluded her pursuers. In this gallop Mr. C. Thomas had l a nasty spill. His horse turned turtle over a wire fence, falling on its bider. Luckily the spill occurred on the edge of a SAvamp in soft ground, and nothing worse than a mud bath was suffered by the rider.

A -good day’s snort can ahvays be relied upon at Hexton, and Saturday’s hunting Avas the best enjoyed for a long time. After the day’s, hunting had concluded, the large party were hospitably entertained. at afternoon tea by Mr. and Mrs. H. de' Lautour at “Hexton.” Amongst those out wore: Messrs W. G. Sherratt (Master), H. de Lautour (Deputy-Master), P. Walsh. (Huntsman), Mesdames Holdsworth, Gaddum, and Hnmnhreys, Misses Sherratt, Hine, and Black and Messrs Gaddum, Humphreys, Holdsworth, Sherratt tz;, Marshall, N. de Lautour, Sweeney C. Thomas, P. Hickey, Black, Dimmoek, Murphy, G. Coop. There were also a good number of spectators present.