THE ROYAL CALPE HUNT

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 103, 3 May 1930, Page 10 (Supplement)

THE ROYAL CALPE HUNT

REYNARD ON "THE ROCK." . * A KILL ON THE BAEBABY COAST. (By HORACE WYNDHAM.) All who have "soldiered" in Gibraltar have carried away with them agreeable memories of the Royal Calpe Hunt. This pleasant feature of garrison life on "the Rock" .is of long standing, for the pack was established there nearly 120 years ago. It did not, however, become "Royal" until much later, viz., in 1906. Opinions differ as to the precise circumstances under which the hunt was called into being. There is a theory that, towards the close of the Peninsula War, the original pack was bequeathed to the Gibraltar garrison by the Duke of Wellington, who had brought it with him from England. Quite as good a claim, however, has been put forward by the minute books of an old-time British club at Cadiz, and documents show that, when the club was disbanded in 1814, several couples of hounds belonging to it were presented to the 29th Foot (now the Ist Worcesters) to solace them during their exile at "Gib." Old Days and Old Ways. Be this as it may, it is a fact that, in the early years of the last century, Gibraltar swarmed with foxes, who did much damage to the gardens and poultry of the inhabitants. Despairing of military help, the sufferers appealed to the Church. They did not do so m vain, for a sporting chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Mackareth (who was quite as much at home in the saddle as in the pulpit), together with a young subaltern, Mr.' Relph, procured a couple of hounds from England. At first their activities were limited to the stretch within the garrison itself, from Europa Point at one end to Landport at the other, a distance of less than three miles. As soon, however, as the French troops were withdrawn, additional coverts were available in the adjoining country, and the pack was expanded. In 1814 this increased to thirty couples. Much interest was taken in the pack's fortunes by General Sir George Don, who followed Sir Colin Campbell as Lieuten-ant-Governor of Gibraltar. He built the first kennels, and even collected subscriptions from among the somewhat lukewarm civilian population. So many of the latter then joined that the hunt was known as the Civil Hunt. It was not a bad choice, since, on the name being altered to the Calpe Hunt, there was no necessity to change the inscription, "C.H.," on the buttons. As membership increased among the officers of the garrison, the civilian element was gradually replaced by the military one. Two young subalterns, a gunner and a sapper, served as whippers , in, and Mr. Mackareth combined his duties of chaplain with those of huntsman. Sport was good, fields were large, and foxes plentiful, and everything went smoothly. Halcyon days! It was, however, too, good to last. Suddenly Fortune dealt the Calpe Hunt a hard knock. An epidemic of fever made its appearance, and the Spanish authorities at La Linea, getting a bad attack of "wind-up," put the garrison in quarantine. This, of course, so far as the Gibraltar members were concerned, was death to hunting outside the gates. Still, by a stroke of luck, the kennels were established at San Roque, with an officer in charge. He carried on, with the help of the British ships of war lying off Algeciras, and Admiral Fleming, who flew his flag there, saw to it that the Navy, from captain to midshipman, attended the meets. On one occasion a wolf, instead of a fox, was found in the Cork Woods. Legend has it that the gallant admiral dispatched him single-handed. Royalty on "The Rock." When' the quarantine was lifted, the fortunes of the Calpe Hunt flowered afresh. The colour of the coat was changed from blue to scarlet, and the hounds were brought back to Gibraltar. In 1837 Sir Charles Napier (the future conqueror of Scinde) wrote as follows: "The great standby of the sportsman, and which (duty not interfering) always gave him a couple of days' enjoyment in the week, was the Calpe Hunt, a subscription pack of foxhounds, very well got up, and which we occasionally recruited from England." Serving in the garrison at this period ] was a young officer, who was afterwards to become Commander-in-Chief of the British Army. As a matter of course he joined the hunt. That young officer, then beginning his military career, was H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge. "The Duke," says Napier, "patronised the Calpe, rode like a real sportsman, and made himself pleasant and affable to everybody. • We all did our best to cither follow or give him the go-by. But this was no easy matter, as he was a light weight, a good rider, crammed his horse at everything, and rattled hitn over all manner of ground." ' A Spanish grandee, who was visiting the garrison about this period, htal -an. ■ other opinion. "The English are clearly mad," he wrote to a friend.'' "Only imagine it; I have seen H.R.H. Prince George of Cambridge toiling here like'a junior officer to learn.his work. Then, when he was caught in the rain last week while out hunting, he simply uttered a few 'God-damns 5 .' Had he, however, been a prince of our beloved country, what an example he would have made of the lunatics who exposed him to the risk of catching cold!" The dread yellow flag of quarantine was hoisted a second time in 1853. Hunting being impossible in the district, the pack crossed the straits to the Barbary coast. In the land of the Moor the tuneful cry of hounds and horn met with much success, and Sir John Hay, the British Minister at Tangier, was very hospitable to the members. Near Cape Spartel the pack once put up a wolf, and there was a run of 50 minutes without a check before the kill was registered. > Present-flay Conditions. As in the past, so in the present. The Royal Calpe Hunt has the staunch support of the Gibraltar garrison, and all officers are expected to ride to hdunds as often as duty permits. Indeed, it is whispered that an adverse "confidential report" may be the lot of anyone who is remiss in this matter. The hunting season begins on November 15 and ends on March 30, after which date the ground is too hard to carry scent. Meets are held twice a week, and the line of country followed includes Algeciras, Los Barrios, San Roque and Ximena. This offers considerable variety, since plough, coverts and cork woods, plus scrambling up and down crags and across ravines, have 'all to be negotiated. Still,' as none of the land is enclosed, there are no fence's, and thus no opportunity for jumping.' While this is considered a drawback by the "thrusters," the more philosophically inclined

adopt the view that any hunting is better than no hunting. Since the going is rough, a good horse is required. The best for the purpose is a Spanish barb. He may be a bit slow in his paces, bur he is surefooted, and, if left to himself, can be trusted to pick his way among the barancos (watercourses) and decli-1 vities, without mishap. A Popular Feature. The meets are held at San Doque, First River, the Duke of Kent's farm, or the Cork Woods, etc. On the appointed day a long succession of horsemen and horsewomen (plus a batch of horsechildren) will be encountered on the road that leads from the Bayside Barrier into i Spanish territory. The throng is made up of "all sorts and conditions," and among it will be seen colonels and consuls and chaplains, majors and magistrates and merchants, with a sprinkling of junior officers of both services and chance tourists, plus a contingent of' grooms and batmen. Foxes are fairly plentiful, and Master Reynard (or la zorra, as the Spaniards call him) may be relied upon to give a good run. "He knows every hole and corner of the country and can be trusted to make himself scarce when hounds are too near for his comfort. Still, small boys, anxious to earn a copper, will rush up, shouting, "Por aqui, senor, ha ido la zorra! Ustedes pueden pasar tambien" (i.e., "This is the way the fox has gone, sir. You can pass here.") The kennels of the R.C.H. are established on the north front. This is a large tract of thin grass and sand lying between Spanish territory and the northern entrance to the fortress. Other portions serve as a garrison parade ground, racecourse and cemetery. It seems an odd mixture, perhaps, but any flat stretch of ground in Gibraltar is valuable, and the most has to be made of it. The original kennels were built by Sir George Don; and those 'now used were constructed under the auspices of Sir John Adye, the Governor in 1884. They are not elaborate. Still they answer their .purpose well enough. As for the pack; this consists of twenty couples. Some of them have to be imported from England every year, but the others are bred in Spain. Varying Fortunes. Followers of hounds, wherever established, have always had something at which to grumble. The members of the Royal Calpe do not stand on a solitary pinnacle in this respect. Writing fifty years ago, one of them remarked: "Coverts become worse and more scarce eevry day; the Spaniards burn up large tracts in the dry season to clear and plant in wet; and cultivation is taking the place of the surest 'finds.' At the instance of some of,the landowners, too, the Spanish authorities occasionally threaten to revoke permission to hunt in the district. . . . The sport meets with little sympathy, for the farmer simply cannot understand, why so much fuss is made about an animal which he can (and, indeed, very often does) get rid of by a pot-shot." Well, even now, vulpicide is occasionally practised. Of recent years, however, the Spanish landowners near Gibraltar have exhibited a real interest in the hunt. The members of the Larios family, in particular, have rendered great help; many of them have served as whips; and the head of the family, the Marquis de Marzales, is M.F.H. In common with most packs, the Royal Calpe Hunt has had its ups and downs. It was certainly very much "down" a few years ago, when the reduction of the garrison and the lack of adequate civilian support brought the Hunt's finances to so low an ebb that there was a strong prospect of this historic institution being "demobbed." Fortunately, just e when things were darkest, an appeal for funds met with a good response, and handsome subscriptions were received from Their Majesties King George and King Alphonzo. But Royalty has always bee.i< a good friend to the "Calpe," and, in addition to the Duke of Cambridge, its members have numbered the Duke of Edin-; burgh anci the Duke of Connaught, eacli of whom was once ser.ving in the Gibraltar garrison. The late King Edward, too, was a "patron," and King George and King Alphonzo have < followed his example.